Need advice on Back Off sets.

[Dastardly]

I have read the brief explanations of back-off sets SS&PP, which suggest that they might be done to make up volume (like total tonnage) when working lower reps & sets, or if form has been poor on the work sets.

I was wondering if a back off set (or a similar assistance exercise) is wise to do in the event of unfinished workset reps?

Say if I got 4, 3, 3 on my worksets because I was not strong enough. If I still have plenty of energy to do 1-2 sets of 10reps on a lighter weight, would it be a bad decision to do it?

Will the use of higher rep sets train endurance capability at the expense of total strength?

The same goes for doing them as Rip suggests, in the event of poor form on worksets. I have often had some breakdown of form on squats & deadlifts when weight has felt very heavy. I have never done a back off set though. Should I? Again, do I risk the possibility of training in less maximal strength qualities?

Recently there was a post in Rips Q&A where somebody was showing how successful their trainee (an old man) was doing with SS. He described the workout which included a mandatory back off set of 10 reps, after pressing exercises. Rip contratulated the guy and seemed to approve of the programming.

I have since lost the thread, but it seems that regular back off sets would go against the guidance in the books?

I have recently broken a plateau on my press which was stuck for many months. I did this mainly by cheating/relaxing form. The first rep is a push press and I try to maximise rebound, where before I was aiming to breathe at bottom and work from a deadstop.

This is non-ideal technique too, so should I technically be doing a back-off set afterwards with stricter form? I have enough energy to do so.

I also want to learn to snatch, so would find it useful to do a few very light overhead squats at the end of workouts ocassionally. But might these lighter squats affect maximal strength on workset squats?

[Greg C]

Why not just experiment a bit? It's not like it'll kill you.

[Alex Bond]

Overhead squats won't work at the end of a workout. They are too technical, you'll be tired and you'll develop bad habits. Better to do them at the end of your warmup. If they negatively affect your other stuff by tiring you out early, then that's the price you have to pay to add in a new exercise.

[gzt]

Overhead squats won't work at the end of a workout. They are too technical, you'll be tired and you'll develop bad habits. Better to do them at the end of your warmup. If they negatively affect your other stuff by tiring you out early, then that's the price you have to pay to add in a new exercise.

If he's doing light ones (ie, not much heavier than his press), he should be able to manage them at the end of the workout without too much worry or too many bad habits. They won't be perfect for whatever adaptation you're supposed to get from overhead squats because he won't be going heavy, but they'll get him used to the movement and it'll probably be good for the shoulders after a bench workout. Though they're also good as part of the warmup. Hit 135 or something for a few reps while warming up the squats (adjust downward based on your press).

[SamGriffin]

If I miss reps I normally keep the weight on the bar and do an extra set or some singles unitil I get my full fifteen with that weight. I find it really takes the sting out of a bad workout and builds confidence for the next one.

[Namo4184]

Back off sets have worked for me, to progress my upper body exercises. Give it a try, and see if it works for you. Personally, this is what I've done.

I only do back off sets if I failed reps. When I do do them, I lower the working weight to 70 - 80%, and do 2sets of 8-10. This has the effect of raising volume to cause more hypertrophy. Since your muscles are in a fatigued state, you should still get maximal muscle contraction.

Best of luck.

[Smiler Grogan]

I do the same as Sam, if I miss my reps I hit it again to finish up, maybe even a couple of extra singles. It hasn't negatively affected anything and like Sam mentioned, does some psychological good.

I do basically 5-3-1 with my own assistance stuff. I do backoffs each workout for volume and just recalculate each time I start a new cycle. Week/wave 1 I do 5X10 @ 50%1RM, week 2 55%, week 3 60%. I do them as explosively as I can and limit rest to 1.5-2 minutes. Loosely. If I don't do extra volume, I get stuck. That's just how it works for me. Relatively light backoff sets and heavyish (for me) dips and pullups.

Play around with it, but be smart so you don't just end up confusing and frustrating yourself. I think it was Dan John I read as saying that he knows for sure how he feels on one big lift a day, and if he adds a variable, he knows if it works or not. Too many variables and you have no idea what's doing what. Something like that.