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Barbell What sets/reps are recommended for Strength + Muscle Endurance without Bulking

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Luz

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Title explains itself. I’m a 28 y/o male, 5’11”, 165 lbs, BMI approx. 20-23. My current exercise priorities are weekly pick-up basketball and low-medium distance running (3-6 miles 1-2 x per week). I have been “priming” myself at Planet Fitness but will be moving to a gym with power racks in the next few days to consistently add barbell lifting 3 x per week.

I’ve found a regimen I like of A/B days divided into 6 days of lifting every 2 weeks. Lifts include squat, bench press, bent rows, mil press, deadlift, and chin-ups with warm-ups/cool-downs including jogging, kettle bell, and core exercises.

I am looking to improve strength and muscle endurance for running and basketball while avoiding bulking, which I assume would make basketball and running more difficult. Also I like my lean frame and while I know I will inevitably add mass, I would prefer to end up more defined, not necessarily significantly larger.

Any recommendations for number of reps and sets when using the barbell?

Thank you in advance!
 
@Luz, welcome to the StrongFirst forum.

For your goals, I recommend you consider the deadlift and the standing overhead press. The bench press and squat are more likely, all other things being equal, to put meat on your bones.

You can adjust any lift to maximize strength and minimize hypertrophy by keeping the sets to 5 reps and under, the rest periods to 2 minutes and longer.

-S-
 
@Luz, welcome to the StrongFirst forum.

For your goals, I recommend you consider the deadlift and the standing overhead press. The bench press and squat are more likely, all other things being equal, to put meat on your bones.

You can adjust any lift to maximize strength and minimize hypertrophy by keeping the sets to 5 reps and under, the rest periods to 2 minutes and longer.

-S-
Thank you, Steve!
 
@Luz, welcome to the StrongFirst forum.

For your goals, I recommend you consider the deadlift and the standing overhead press. The bench press and squat are more likely, all other things being equal, to put meat on your bones.

You can adjust any lift to maximize strength and minimize hypertrophy by keeping the sets to 5 reps and under, the rest periods to 2 minutes and longer.

-S-

Though I don't have nearly Steve's experience, I second what he recommended based on my recent experience.

From your list of exercises, you could cut "core exercises" out if you're deadlifting and overhead pressing 3-5 days/week. My abs have never been developed like they have been from the past 5 months of regular heavy deadlifting, even when I used to end every workout with 3-5 sets of ab work in the 12-15 rep range.

Similarly, you could cut the bent rows because they're really an accessory exercise, and your lats, rhomboids, traps, etc. will all be strengthened and developed tremendously from deadlifting. And as Pavel says, you want a strong back, not a tired back, and bent rows lead to the latter due to the long isometric holding.

Actually, you could get away with not doing pull-ups, too. My pull-ups have developed a ton just from deadlifting. However, if you really wanted to do them you could use the Fighter Pullup Program alongside deadlifts and presses to practice that movement and increase your pullup total without getting fatigued. That still might be too much workload for your back, though.

You could bench or overhead press, depending on your preference. Pavel ranked the bench the single best pressing movement, but I'm partial to the overhead press for its core activation and strengthening, and it's total full-body involvement. You could alternate cycles of benching and overhead pressing.

And squatting will almost undoubtedly add some mass to your thighs. If you really want to get stronger and more "defined but not necessarily larger," I'd focus your lower body work on deadlifts and practice a light squat like a goblet squat in your warm ups. But if you really want to squat, you could alternate cycles of deadlift + bench/overhead press and squat + pull-ups or something like that. 2 sets of 5 reps for both exercise if you can do it 5 days/week. 2-3 sets of each if you're doing it 3 days a week to keep your total workload roughly the same.

Good luck!
 
My abs have never been developed like they have been from the past 5 months of regular heavy deadlifting, even when I used to end every workout with 3-5 sets of ab work in the 12-15 rep range.
Thank you.

Yeah, I have a hard time getting people to believe me about this. Pavel used to introduce me to people by saying, "Here's Steve. Please punch him in the stomach." And then go on to explain that I'd developed good ab strength primarily by deadlifting. In my own case, I found that ab strength really made a difference as I recovered from a back injury.

-S-
 
@Luz, one more thing - if a barbell overhead press doesn't agree with you for whatever reason - it does require decent upper back and shoulder mobility - consider a one-handed kettlebell, standing overhead press, whose mobility requirements are much less.

-S-
 
Title explains itself. I’m a 28 y/o male, 5’11”, 165 lbs,

I am looking to improve strength and muscle endurance for running and basketball while avoiding bulking, which I assume would make basketball and running more difficult. Also I like my lean frame and while I know I will inevitably add mass, I would prefer to end up more defined, not necessarily significantly larger.

Any recommendations for number of reps and sets when using the barbell?!

I wouldn't worry about it. If you were prone to easily gaining muscle, you'd know it already. For most of us it takes serious effort (eating). Unless you start eating heavily, you will get what you want. If by some odd chance you are bothered by how much muscle you are gaining, you can simply back off whatever is causing the "problem" and it will go away shortly.

You could do some dedicated strength-endurance work, which wouldn't cause much muscle gain, but while you were doing it might make your running and basketball suffer. (Speculating here.)
 
I wouldn't worry about it. If you were prone to easily gaining muscle, you'd know it already. For most of us it takes serious effort (eating). Unless you start eating heavily, you will get what you want. If by some odd chance you are bothered by how much muscle you are gaining, you can simply back off whatever is causing the "problem" and it will go away shortly.

You could do some dedicated strength-endurance work, which wouldn't cause much muscle gain, but while you were doing it might make your running and basketball suffer. (Speculating here.)

The hoards of wannabe big junior bodybuilders that populate every commercial gym everywhere all the time, testosterone-laden young men who try endlessly to get yuge - and fail utterly - ought to instruct observers that their fears of accidentally getting too big and muscular are a little bit..... misplaced.
 
I nearly burst into tears when I hear about people trying to "avoid bulking up". I've had to struggle mightily for every pound of muscle. But seriously as advised above keep the reps low, rest periods long and don't eat a lot
 
I’ll echo what others have said about gaining mass. As an endurance athlete, I’m not interested in getting much bigger, extra upper body mass is dead weight to drag up a climb, but strength is useful. Keep the reps low, weight heavy, and plenty of rest. But the other benefit is not beating yourself up, getting sore and interfering with other activities, which too much volume will quickly do.
 
You will still get bigger even if you train with the lowest reps. People just recommend moderate reps for getting bigger because that's what works best - it's not the only way.
 
Hello,

@Steve Freides
You, deadlift expert, strength guru, I would like to take advantage of the topic:
Could I get the same benefits in terms of "overall strength" from the trap bar DL (instead of a regular one), and OAOL push ups (instead of the regular OVH press) ?

I thank you for your help,

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
@pet'

The trap/hex bar DL is a different movement than the regular one. It wouldn't be my first choice. And because it's closer to a squat, whatever precautions one might want to exercise regarding not gaining much muscle would, I think, apply here, although less than with a barbell squat.

If I was to pick an alternative to the barbell deadlift, I think I might pick a front squat or a zercher squat.

Also, speaking as a fairly small human, which I know you are, too, I find the spacing between the grips of a trap bar too wide for me - it feels a little awkward, and I'd rather have the grips be closer to my body. This isn't an issue when it's not heavy, but I can trap bar deadlift as much as I can regular deadlift, and I don't love how it feels on my elbows. I usually reserve my trap bar deadlifts for AWA competitions and don't train it much. I've tried training it as an assistance exercise for my regular deadlift, but I haven't found it helpful in that way.

The 1A1L pushup, OTOH, is a tremendous exercise and I could see picking that as opposed to an overhead press. My reason for choosing the overhead press is that it tends to be easier to perform without injury than the bench press for a lot of people. I love the 1A1L pushup.

-S-
 
Hello,

@Steve Freides
Thank you for your answer ! Does the rep / set remain the same if I use the Zercher squat ?

Is there a "transfer" from trap bar DL to regular DL ?

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
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