Total Rep Count, further discussed

I've previous posted on what I call "Total Rep Count.

The short version is, to increase the number of reps you can do, you pace yourself throughout your sets and then go all-out on the last set. This is contrary to a more typical approach of trying to go all-out on every set.

In a recent discussion on the EXRX forums, I wrote this analogy:

It's "pace yourself" versus "pace until the end" versus "go 100%". Think of it like a race:

- if you do pace/pace/pace, it's a long race you want to finish with equal split times.
- if you do pace/pace/max, it's a long race with a sprint to the finish line.
- if you do max/max/max, it's like three sprints.

Comparing the latter two, the "sprint to the finish" means you'll use up everything trying to finish well. The "three sprints" version means you'll get really tired, try to rest, go all out again, try to rest, and again...and you'll probably get less total work done.

That's the best analogy I can come up with for this approach to training - you pace yourself for each split of the race - each set - and then sprint to the finish. The pacing allows you to get more total work in because you don't do those exhausting final reps. But on the last set, with days, a week or even weeks between identical efforts...you can afford to milk out every last rep. It's a good chance to test your real limits, push up your goal numbers, aim for a PR in total reps or even one-set reps, and get the benefits of occasional training to failure or near-failure all at once. It's also a chance to see what your limit is for next time.