How to increase later set reps

Sean Guerrant · 02-19-2006, 11:09 PM

Hey, all.
I just did my first Angie today (I started CF just a week after the last one in November). 22:23. Not bad, but I really want to get under 15 mins. I seem to have found my limits in the later sets of multi rep workouts. In other words, I can do, say, 25 combo dead hang/kip pullups in the first set. That takes about 40 secs. It then takes me another 7.5 mins to do the next 75. The same applies to pushups, sits, squats.
My question is this - am I just not pushing myself or is there another way/method to increase the muscular endurance for those later reps/sets to bring the times down? Or is the answer simply "be patient, dude"? I could probably squeeze a 2nd workout in occasionally or add in a li'l sumpin' on rest days without feeling smoked.
Oh, yes, fwiw, I'm pretty strict Zone diet, with an occasional cheat day (maybe 1 of every 8). Would appreciate any thoughts from those maniacs who can do 50 pullups w/o dropping off.

Robby Beauchamp · 02-20-2006, 05:05 PM

I would say that the answer for the really high rep WODs like Annie is a combination of "be patient dude" and NOT selling out on the first set of the exercise.

As for the "be patient dude", the first time I did CindyI got 13 rounds, the 2nd time I got 16, the next I got 20. I simply could work at the higher rate for longer due to improved fitness. But with Cindy you get a "rest" from one brief bout of an exercise while you do the other 2 exercises.

But on girls like Annie where it's so many reps of an exercise before you get to switch, you can actually hurt your times by "selling out" and maxing the first set. Say that you can do 20 pull-ups before total failure. If you do that, you have to recover longer before you can even give a mediocre 2nd set.

If you do 10 pull-ups on the first set, you can take a coupe breaths and back it up with 10 more, then 10 more, then 10 more, because you aren't working at 100% of muscular failure.

Over time, you'll get to where you CAN work at near muscle failure and still recover in a very short time to go again.

I actaully like to "sell out" on the first set and push like crazy to finish the rx'd reps. When I get better times it's because I'm actually fitter.

Sean Guerrant · 02-20-2006, 09:02 PM

Robby,
I think you're onto something with the selling out on the first set. I wanted to see how many dead hang I could do and then kip more at the end (18 dh and then 7 kip), but I was smoked after that. My arms were just crushed. Yet, after some rest, I managed 12-8-12-8-11-14 the rest of the way. I've noticed that there's a certain number of reps of an exercise I can do with short rest for many, many sets - like, say, 20 pushups, or about 12 pullups. I guess the trick is to build up that number over time, which will obviously drop times dramatically. Which returns me to the original point, I guess, how do you do that? Or is it just a matter of continuing the WOD's. I would be curious what light Kelly Moore or Greg Amundson or other people who put up monster reps and quick times could shed on when they broke through, or how long it took them to get where they are now.

Russ Greene · 02-20-2006, 09:04 PM

Kip the whole time and as previously mentioned don't sell out the first set.

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02-19-2006, 11:09 PM	#1
Sean Guerrant Departed Profile: Join Date: Jan 1970 Posts: 128	Hey, all. I just did my first Angie today (I started CF just a week after the last one in November). 22:23. Not bad, but I really want to get under 15 mins. I seem to have found my limits in the later sets of multi rep workouts. In other words, I can do, say, 25 combo dead hang/kip pullups in the first set. That takes about 40 secs. It then takes me another 7.5 mins to do the next 75. The same applies to pushups, sits, squats. My question is this - am I just not pushing myself or is there another way/method to increase the muscular endurance for those later reps/sets to bring the times down? Or is the answer simply "be patient, dude"? I could probably squeeze a 2nd workout in occasionally or add in a li'l sumpin' on rest days without feeling smoked. Oh, yes, fwiw, I'm pretty strict Zone diet, with an occasional cheat day (maybe 1 of every 8). Would appreciate any thoughts from those maniacs who can do 50 pullups w/o dropping off.

02-20-2006, 05:05 PM	#2
Robby Beauchamp Member Profile: Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Bellingham Washington Posts: 34	I would say that the answer for the really high rep WODs like Annie is a combination of "be patient dude" and NOT selling out on the first set of the exercise. As for the "be patient dude", the first time I did CindyI got 13 rounds, the 2nd time I got 16, the next I got 20. I simply could work at the higher rate for longer due to improved fitness. But with Cindy you get a "rest" from one brief bout of an exercise while you do the other 2 exercises. But on girls like Annie where it's so many reps of an exercise before you get to switch, you can actually hurt your times by "selling out" and maxing the first set. Say that you can do 20 pull-ups before total failure. If you do that, you have to recover longer before you can even give a mediocre 2nd set. If you do 10 pull-ups on the first set, you can take a coupe breaths and back it up with 10 more, then 10 more, then 10 more, because you aren't working at 100% of muscular failure. Over time, you'll get to where you CAN work at near muscle failure and still recover in a very short time to go again. I actaully like to "sell out" on the first set and push like crazy to finish the rx'd reps. When I get better times it's because I'm actually fitter.

02-20-2006, 09:02 PM	#3
Sean Guerrant Departed Profile: Join Date: Jan 1970 Posts: 128	Robby, I think you're onto something with the selling out on the first set. I wanted to see how many dead hang I could do and then kip more at the end (18 dh and then 7 kip), but I was smoked after that. My arms were just crushed. Yet, after some rest, I managed 12-8-12-8-11-14 the rest of the way. I've noticed that there's a certain number of reps of an exercise I can do with short rest for many, many sets - like, say, 20 pushups, or about 12 pullups. I guess the trick is to build up that number over time, which will obviously drop times dramatically. Which returns me to the original point, I guess, how do you do that? Or is it just a matter of continuing the WOD's. I would be curious what light Kelly Moore or Greg Amundson or other people who put up monster reps and quick times could shed on when they broke through, or how long it took them to get where they are now.

02-20-2006, 09:04 PM	#4
Russ Greene Departed Profile: Join Date: Jan 1970 Posts: 637	Kip the whole time and as previously mentioned don't sell out the first set.