# Singles for hypertrophy



## alex p (Dec 18, 2007)

If I did quite a high number of singles ( twenty + ) in the big compound lifts ( squats, chins, deadlifts and bench ) would this lead to appreciable mass gains? I have read time and again that singles build strength but not much mass but is that assumption nullified when sufficient numbers of singles are done per session?


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## Witchblade (Dec 18, 2007)

They can be used the way you did, but I'm not a fan. You could also try cluster sets (rest paused sets). I think it's very easy to overtrain if you perform over 20 singles with anything near your 1RM with multiple compound movements.


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## ABLQ2 (Dec 19, 2007)

that sounds extremely dangerous.


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## Big G (Dec 20, 2007)

Amidst P-Funk's list of Recommended Reading is Super Squats by Randall J. Strossen 

I recently read it. 

It recommends (among other things) "one set of 20 squats, 3x week, with 5-10lb added to the bar each workout." Initially "pick a weight you can do 10 with, then do 20 with it"

It cites numerous cases of huge gains, in both strength and size.

It's only a short book, but it was a nice read.


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## Richie1888 (Dec 20, 2007)

did Dorian Yates not do something similar ?


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## ABLQ2 (Dec 20, 2007)

Big G said:


> Amidst P-Funk's list of Recommended Reading is Super Squats by Randall J. Strossen
> 
> I recently read it.
> 
> ...



one set of 20 squats is not 20 sets of 1 squat.


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## alex p (Dec 30, 2007)

I have been doing this approach now for the last month or so and really enjoying it. I am definately seeing gains in mass. I think its a volume issue, you really need to do an awful lot of singles per session to warrant a response. The way I am approaching it currently is reducing my rest periods by ten seconds each time I go to the gym and today I had my first "failure" in the bench press at the twentieth rep so I completed nineteen reps and couldnt quite nail the last at a rest period of twenty seconds between reps. I was hoping to reduce the rest period down to just five seconds on all the exercises before I moved onto a different protocol for a short time before resuming the singles at a heavier weight for another cycle. It does go to show you though that there are plenty ways to skin a cat and lots out there that works


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## quark (Dec 30, 2007)

alex p said:


> I have been doing this approach now for the last month or so and really enjoying it. I am definately seeing gains in mass. I think its a volume issue, you really need to do an awful lot of singles per session to warrant a response. The way I am approaching it currently is reducing my rest periods by ten seconds each time I go to the gym and today I had my first "failure" in the bench press at the twentieth rep so I completed nineteen reps and couldnt quite nail the last at a rest period of twenty seconds between reps. I was hoping to reduce the rest period down to just five seconds on all the exercises before I moved onto a different protocol for a short time before resuming the singles at a heavier weight for another cycle. It does go to show you though that there are plenty ways to skin a cat and lots out there that works



I'm curious as to how you are working the timing of the exercise?


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## alex p (Dec 30, 2007)

jchappj said:


> I'm curious as to how you are working the timing of the exercise?



The way I do it is quite simple. When I first start when the rest period is to be sixty seconds between reps I just do a rep each time the second hand hits the twelve on my wristwatch ( ofcourse this means the rest is a few seconds short of sixty seconds but I dont see that as a problem ). Then I time the next session to fifty second intervals and when the second hand hits the right time I blast out another rep ( I often write down on a sheet of paper the position the second hand needs to reach so that I dont have to calculate each time ( this may make me sound a little dumb but its a practical solution because of the ease of forgetting where you are in the rep count  ) So as you can see the rest periods arent dialled in to the exact second but the progression is easier to monitor this way I think.


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