I find that I am rotating (un-systematically) between the following four approaches to sets and reps:
1. Super Drop Sets - described in more detail in my last post, within a category (push, pull, squat), I start with the most difficult and take that almost to failure, then move to the next most difficult, etc with no rest. I usually end up with 6-15 reps per piece and overall anywhere from 12 to 50, depending on the difficulty focus. This is good for days when you feel pressed for time or like you just can't do the volume. So, for pushing, it might be: 15 dips, 10 diamonds, 8 Russians, 8 regular pushups, 5 incline pushups, 8 tricep extensions.
2. Strength Foundation - this involves taking the main core movements (pullups, dips, pushups, squats) and doing as many sets per day of as many high quality reps I can do. Sometimes I do these all in one workout but mostly I do one round of each several times a day. If I do it all in one session I may do, for example (pullups): 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 6, 6, 6. This one is about practicing being strong.
3. "The Workout". This one would most closely resemble a weightlifting session at the gym (and that's probably why I hardly ever do it.) This would be a "pyramid" style of workout with sets and rest between sets and starting with the easiest exercise (say, pushups) and ending with the most difficult (say, slow dips). So for pulling it might be 18 rows, 15 close grip rows, 15 assisted pullups, 10 pullups, 8 slow pullups, 5 super slow pullups, 20 curls.
4. The "Fat Burner" - I have just recently added this to the rotation. We are now understanding that the best way to burn fat is NOT the slow slog on the treadmill with the heart rate in the "fat burning zone" but rather the short, intense, whole body bomb that leaves you lying on the ground gasping and panting, and that takes about 10 minutes. People commonly do jumping jacks, burpees, etc, but I prefer the big four, so I will usually stick with those but pick a rep range that I can keep doing and don't rest any between exercises and then rest, say, 30 seconds between rounds. So this may be 10 pushups, 10 rows and 15 squats, rest 30 seconds, repeat for 10 minutes of agony.
The overall goal as I have finally worked it out is to get the most high quality reps that I can per week per exercise group (while burning fat). So spending time on "warmup" type sets like a heavy bencher would do with 135 is not of much value to me.
