I should add that is 24 sets for both squats and leg press, so 48 sets total.
I’m also pretty old and crusty…
Foly huck! That seems … borderline insane. Unless the sets are massively submaximal, in which case what’s the point?
If I remember correctly from their podcast…it would be somewhere around 65% of a max 1 rep lift.
I have no idea if this is a lot or a little…my experience with weight training minimal
I’m gonna give it a shot starting next week though…k’ll let you know how it goes 
That’s a weight you can do about 15 or 16 reps with. Pretty light, but a sensible place to start from if you want to ease into lifting.
Hmm ok so these sets would be 10 reps per set. So this doesnt seem to unreasonable.
So…i went to the gym this previous winter for all of 1 month. I was squatting 185 5 times…I’d probably just round up and call my 1 rep max like 200. So i’d be doing 6
Sets of about 130lbs, 10 reps each.
Well, if’s not so much ‘choosing’ anything as contemplating following a plan. So this is a 2 week what they call hypertrophy phase…where I guess the goal is to put on muscle. Reps and sets go down and weight goes up in the next phase, with the goal being to build strength.
Abe_Froman,
Please ignore the idea of 65% of 1 RM for hypertrophy. It’s nonsense. If you have not squatted in a while you will need some time to regain the coordination and motor learning, as well as getting your back used to the work.
Once you’ve done that, let’s use your data as a starting point: 5 reps at 185, now ask yourself this question: I can do X sets of 5 reps at 185, but is that all I can do at 185? In other words, you know you can do 5 reps, but can you do 6 reps? 8 reps? Maybe you can do 10 reps but you never actually tried.
So, let’s now assume that, in fact, for X sets of 5 reps, 185 is legitimately the weight you should use to be within 1 or 2 reps of actual failure. Take 5 pounds off each side of the barbell (10 pounds total) - how many reps can you do for those X reps? Lift it. Let’s say it is 7. Then remove another 5 pounds from each side (20 pounds total from the 185, so now 165), how many can you do? Let’s say it is 10. You’re at 82.5% of your max 200 weight. People underestimate how much they can lift, especially with legs, because it’s very uncomfortable, but the reality is that you can do far more than the nonsensical 65% number that is thrown around like gospel.
The ideal way to increase reps is to slightly reduce the weight you lift while incrementally and methodically increasing the reps until you find the sweet spot for that rep range.
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Well, here’s my issue with that though…is that the best way to go about finding the best weight to lift for the plan I’m looking at to start monday?
Again…it’s 6 sets of 10 reps, 4 days a week. I assume i should not be attempting like a 10 rep max weight for each exercise…
I will look at that plan and get back to you. I’m suspicious though - hitting a particular muscle group four times a week seems like you’re dealing with one of two extremes: 1) wasting your time because you’re not using sufficient weight or 2) asking for an overuse injury.
You mean this: Basically a 3 week ramp up phase, then followed by 2 weeks of FOUR workout a week, 6 sets of 10 reps. So basically 240 squats a week. It then afterwards goings to less frequency, heavier weight, lower volume of sets.
In order to do that amount of volume without getting injured you would need to use fairly low weight, and you really are not going to gain much of anything from that. Hypertrophy isn’t simply volume, it is volume in conjunction with the appropriate amount of weight, and I define that as weight sufficient for your rep range to be 1 or 2 reps short of failure.
Personally I would not do this workout at all. However, I am not you, and if you are dead set on doing it that’s your choice. I think a possible approach would be to find your max weight for 6 set of 10 reps (1-2 reps short of failure) then knock 10 or 15 pounds off that amount.
Also keep in mind range of motion. Plenty of people squat without using full ROM, which means they can use more weight than they otherwise would, and I guess that’s good for ego training. 6 sets is a lot, and you’ll likely get tired toward the later sets, which means you’ll start half-assing your range of motion, so consider reading my post on strength training for max pedaling power - I discuss using the safety arms as part of your squat to make sure you go to full ROM and don’t cheat yourself.
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Without looking into the program.
As a beginner I would start with 2 days a week of 1-3 sets per movement. Then gauge if you want to add another day or additional sets. Also find a weight that’s challenging for the 10 reps where you could do 3 more reps if you needed too.
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Believe me I am not married to any strength training approach. Quite the opposite. I’ve lifted weights…and actually had a personal trainer (wife of cycling team leader) last year check my squat form just to make sure I wasnt botching anything. But I’ve never lifted long enough to see any noticeable increase in strength.
The fastcat plan appealed to me in that it seems primarily structured around the assumption that I’d be hitting weights hard while mostly off the bike in the off season, which is where I am right now…
This is more or less the approach that I’ve taken. Just finishing up a kind of 3 week ramp up phase…where I started lifting…relatively light…got through some initial DOMS, and increased weight to the point where it’s challenging for 10 reps but I could definitely do at least a couple more. Everything feels heavy, and challenging, but not scarily so. 3 sets, 3 times this past week has definitely felt like work, but not excessive at all.
The plan is to effectively double volume this coming week, plus going to 4 days vs 3. If I get 3-4 sets in on the second workout in back to back days and it seems easy still I’ll add on some weight. I have a feeling that doing my current weight squat…squat of 135, for 240 reps on a week will be plenty honestly.
It’s only 2 weeks though…I can gut that out.
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These guys kind of agree with you
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Hello Neuro,
Full ROM, per my post on TR about strength training for pedaling power (which is where my comments about using safety arms to ensure ROM), means parallel or just beyond (maybe an inch). A to G is extreme, not only would I not do it (and never have), many people cannot since they have neither the flexibility nor the ideal bone lengths (tibia vs femur) to do it. That said, it is important to get your form correct from the start, so you should definitely go to parallel or slightly beyond, otherwise you develop poor habits like doing partial squats and, as time goes by, you get used to using heavier weights that you will not be able to use with full ROM and proper form.
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There was a study - that I’m too lazy to find - where they had folk doing partial squats and folk doing full ROM (breaking parallel).
The full ROM group made the greater gains in full ROM but also in partials.
Specificity isn’t always king, I guess. Load under stretch ftw! 
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So actually just finished the leg portion of my 6 set workout.
Oddly…somehow it got easier the farther I got through it. Added 20 lbs to the squat, and 15 pounds to the leg curl of the latter sets.
I’m still a tad terrified of how I’ll feel tomorrow. I’ve done a 3 week ramp up phase…but this is by far more lifting i’ve done in one day than I have previously. Going to add weight conservatively and see how I feel.
If I’m not broken tomorrow…I’ll try another 20lbs on the squat.
Currently working with:
155lb squat
150lb leg press
120lb leg curl
Progress the squat conservatively. If you want to go heavy, do it on the leg press. Less systemic fatigue and lower mishap risk.
Most people can leg press a lot more weight than they can squat.
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Probably should note…the leg press is a machine where I lift my body upwards, and weight on the machine is going directly upwards. It’s not the ine where my body is stationary pushing weight at a 45 degree angle.
I think i’m good with the weights for now. It started out a tad on the easy side…I think 155 lbs is a good weight for this week. I’m a bit sore today, but not horribly so. Ready to go back and do it all over again this evening, but it’s going to be a challenge haha.
Lol. I failed to do any back squats last week because of life, riding and sloth and this morning’s session was ROUGH 