increasing the weight and hip abductors

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Hi Kerry,

1) When you feel ready to increase the weight for an excercise, how should you increase it (i.e. do you increase only on the last set, or over all 3 sets)?

2) I've read that hip abductor machines are good at reducing your chances of getting testicular cancer because they increase blood flow around the groin area. I'd use one for that reason only on my leg training days (which I do). But are they actually any good at increasing muscle size around the inner leg area? Because I haven't noticed any increase in size around there as yet, even though my inner legs hurt the next day (aswell as everywhere else).

I think it was in my last post a while a go you told me to let you know how I get on with my new training routine (alternating upper body and lower body days, 3 days a week). Well I've gotta say it does seem to be having an effect even though I've dropped from 4 days to 3 days a week.

Thanks

Sam

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kk - When you are ready to increase your weight (make sure your form stays good) one way in which you could do it is do 3 sets of 8 (first set 50% effort, 2nd set 70-80% effort, 3rd set maximum effort) as you get stronger, increase your reps not weight. First to 10 reps, then 12 reps. When you can do 12 reps increase the weight so that you can only manage 8 reps on each set and then repeat the process. This way you are constantly increasing the workload with either extra reps or extra weight.

No I dont believe the hip abductor, by increasing blood flow will stop any form of cancer, by that logic a runner who increases blood flow throughout his body could never get cancer. I also don't believe it is a good exercise for building muscle, if your inner thighs are visually weak, widen your legs slightly on your pressing movement.

Dropping from 4 days to 3 days a week (contrary to what people believe) is not a bad thing, its about quality not quantity.

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Thanks Kerry I'll give that a go then, and scrap the hip abductor. Unfortunately my gym doesn't have a leg press because It's shit (Stamford House in Audenshaw).

Sam