Fitness

4797 readers

21 users here now

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

odin@lemmy.world

sacbuntchris@lemmy.world

3 questions about getting near 0-1 reps in reserve from a beginner (lemmy.world)

submitted 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) by alliwantsoda@lemmy.world to c/fitness@lemmy.world

4 comments fedilink hide all child comments

My question primarily stems from videos such as this one.

I'm trying to understand RIR (reps in reserve) and proximity-to-failure training. I’ve read that 1-3 RIR is the sweet spot for growth with taking only 10% of working sets to near-failure, but I’m confused about how external factors affect that number.

In the first 2 and a half months of this year, I suffered heavily from too much intensity at the gym resulting in nightmare levels of systemic fatigue. My first question is:

####Question #1 -- Can I manipulate my rest times to reach "effective reps" faster?

The longer I rest, the more reps-in-reserve I have at the initiation of my 2nd or 3rd set. Can I "gamify" my rest times and try to aim to start my 2nd & 3rd set as soon as I feel like I'll be able to do a max of 8 reps? That way my first or second rep is already close to failure and counts as an effective rep? Or have I completely lost the plot?

####Question #2 -- Relative verses absolute RIR math

Let’s say I get 4 hours of sleep, eat a 12-pack of Snickers bars for breakfast, get into a 3-hour pointless fight with my wife or girlfriend, and show up to the gym at my normal time. Is it possible that even if I push myself in working sets to near failure, that I won't have done any effective reps and simply performed a bunch of junk volume because I'm mentally unfit to gain strength or hypertrophy? My reason for asking is because I do a tremendous amount of effort getting mentally & physically ready for my gym sessions. It definitely helps me lift harder and put in more volume.

####Question #3 -- Does proximity to failure in earlier sets complicate the RIR math in sets done in the latter half of my workout?

From my own experiments, I'm able to perform about 40% more weight on the final 60% of my working sets if I "phone it in" on my first 2 compound lifts (3 sets each) at the beginning of my workout, after warming up with 10 warmup reps at 50% of 1RM. My reason for sharing the AST screenshot at beginning of this post is because it's a measure of liver/muscle damage and is my only testament that I tried to bring "David Goggins intensity" to the gym everyday for the first 2 and a half months of this year.

I ask these questions as a beginner because I'm new to weightlifting. I've been doing it less than a year. My knowledge primarily comes from youtubers such as Flow High Performance, Huberman, Andy Galpin, Jeff Nippard, and Mike Israetel.

top 4 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] illusionist@lemmy.zip 5 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (1 children)

Afaik, the most important metric is progressive overload. If you can add weights and volume to your sets, compared to your previous workouts, you are good.

How does this fit with rir/er for you? Did you try to workout a month with and one without that method? Did you see a difference?

Fwiw: looks like effective reps aren't backed by science

Edit: regarding junk volume. How much are you speaking of? The 4th set? Or the 10th set for a specific muscle? Each additional set has a lower marginal utility of growth. Most plans use 10-20 sets per muscle per week.

As long as you are fatiguing the muscle with heavy weights, you don't have much junk volume within a set. You can do 40 reps, it just takes more time and noone wants to do that. 8-12 or 6-14 reps are the sweat spot. If you aim for 8 and can do 14, so what? Awesome! Your progression from your previous session is great. Add weight and do the same for the next set/session.

Edit2: I am not a benchmark but I measure progression based on the big compound exercises and other exercises like biceps curls are just accessories. I do progress on those but I measure growth based on the big 6. As soon as I get to curls, my muscles are so fatigued that it would be unfair to judge based on the curls.

[–] alliwantsoda@lemmy.world 1 points 34 minutes ago

How does this fit with rir/er for you? Did you try to workout a month with and one without that method? Did you see a difference?

I've only been doing serious strength training since January. But I started weight loss in March 2024 while doing 2-3 sets at the gym followed by a half hour of treadmill. So technically I've been going to the gym for 2 years if you count doing 2-3 sets per day, but I only got serious in January 2026.

Afaik, the most important metric is progressive overload. If you can add weights and volume to your sets, compared to your previous workouts, you are good.

Yes, my strength has gone up by a large percentage, to which I credit my ability to bring maximum intensity to the gym. I can push myself to RPE 10 on my first few sets of every workout. I like pushing myself and find it both challenging and immensely rewarding. I also do ice baths 3-4 times per month. I was very weak all my life and my 1RM benchpress was around 120 and now it's close to 160 or 170. But my biggest increases have been in bicep & shoulder exercises, to which I'm nearly as strong in upper body as my strongest brother, who is a very outdoorsy person and does a group-style gym cardio/lifting class every morning at 6am before work.

As long as you are fatiguing the muscle with heavy weights, you don’t have much junk volume within a set. You can do 40 reps, it just takes more time and noone wants to do that. 8-12 or 6-14 reps are the sweat spot. If you aim for 8 and can do 14, so what? Awesome! Your progression from your previous session is great. Add weight and do the same for the next set/session.

My biggest fear is running into a plateau after the "beginner gains" phase ends. Although unrealistic, I fear the day where my month-over-month strength gains begin to slow down and taper off.

[–] Aussiemandeus@aussie.zone 2 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

For RIR the best way is a spotter when you start,

Train to actual failure so you know what it is and what it feels like.

Most people don't genuinely train to failure or 3rir.

The next tip is go lighter for the start, really feel the tension and strain in the target muscle group. You're benching and failing because your triceps give out then you're not pushing through your pectorals enough etc. Lighter weight can help you find the right technique and hitting failure with 60kg bench is a lot safer then hitting failure with 120kg.

Second point you can't gamify they system and take shorter breaks etc since you should aim to do your next set when you are recovered. No longer labourerd breathing. Unless you are training to a system that says 45 second rest then hit what you can.

Al though there are many different methods, such as myo reps in which you just kinda keep going.

The snickers bare thing, you wouldn't put water in your cars fuel tank and expect it to perform so don't put junk in your body and expect the same results. Same goes with servicing your car and maintaining your body. Rest and relaxation are super important to ensure peak performance.

Sure eating 10 snikers might get you to the gym and get through a workout but a healthy meal is better.

The biggest thing I can say though is just keep at it and don't overcomplicate things. If you're deadly serious get a trainer

[–] alliwantsoda@lemmy.world 1 points 30 minutes ago* (last edited 29 minutes ago)

Second point you can’t gamify they system and take shorter breaks etc since you should aim to do your next set when you are recovered. No longer labourerd breathing. Unless you are training to a system that says 45 second rest then hit what you can.

The "rule" I was taught and try to stick with is as follows:

3 minute rest for "big compounds" (squat, RDL, benchpress)

2 minutes for "small compounds" (row, assisted pullups, etc)

1 minute for isolation (lateral raises, tricep extensions, etc)

Prior to this year, I would go to the gym and typically do 2 or 3 sets with 10 minute rest times between sets then do a half hour of treadmill since weight loss was my primary focus, prior to January 2026 but I've shed over 100 pounds in 2 years and am looking now to strength train.