Should the focus always be quality over quantity?

[muiye2]

I come from a calisthenics/street workout background and like many of you probably know clean reps is not the biggest concern. I have always tried my best to go full range of motion on everything exercise to the best of my ability.

 

My numbers for my exercises are still fairly low due to my inappropriate dieting and sleeping pattern.

 

Pullups ~16-17

Dips - 19

Pushups - 30

Hanging leg lifts- 10

I did a lot of experimenting my first year of doing bodyweight exercises and that created inconsistency. So my question  now is, at this point should I try to increase my maximum repetitions or should I try to work on more difficult variations?

 

 

[GoldenEagle]

Go back to strict form with a slower tempo and full range of motion.

[Jon Douglas]

Drop the numbers and move to harder variations to increase your strength.

Keep the numbers high to focus on your endurance.

 

Developing strength is harder than increasing endurance, so Coach regards it as more efficient to develop a surplus of basic (max) strength before endurance and power become primary considerations. What Coach considers a 'basic strength' is pretty much insanity for the rest of the world (see the Foundation series).

 

If you are not emphasising quality, you are leaving gains of both strength and endurance, and other qualities, on the table. Tightening up the screws from say 80% correct towards 100% will probably drop your numbers somewhat-- that is because you are essentially performing a harder variation of what you are doing now This is the place to start, rather than attempting a harder element at 80% or less. Small changes can result in quite big gains.

 

Full ROM is always a big consideration; tempo I don't find *as* useful unless I am looking to break sticking points, stuck on rep numbers, or unable to move to a harder progression despite an easier one being too easy. Obviously that assumes that you aren't swinging and kipping, because that's not tempo, that is cheating when it comes to strength training

[muiye2]

Just to clarify all my numbers are on done on the bars and a dip bar. I do my pullups dead hang to chin over bar, pushups locked out to chest to floor, and my dips shoulders to bar.  When I first started training I watched videos of people who had cleaner form and I have been trying to follow it since.

 

I have been working on L sit pullups recently and I have struggled greatly doing them without pulling up explosively. For pushups up I'm not sure if I should move on to doing ring pushups yet.

[David McManamon]

You always focus on quality; however, to test and push your limits it is occasionally worthwhile to go for reps and let quality of movement suffer slightly.  

 

Watch a few videos by the talented hand balancer Yuval Ayalon who clearly takes quality very seriously but also challenges himself with high reps on some occasions:

http://youtu.be/qRS3m0zG_co

 

Numbers like 30x or 19y really mean nothing without understanding the form you are using to complete each rep.  The person who trains for quality can often put up impressive numbers on reps but the person who only trains for reps will always look sloppy and is likely to struggle with anything but basic strength moves.

[muiye2]

You always focus on quality; however, to test and push your limits it is occasionally worthwhile to go for reps and let quality of movement suffer slightly.  

 

Watch a few videos by the talented hand balancer Yuval Ayalon who clearly takes quality very seriously but also challenges himself with high reps on some occasions:

http://youtu.be/qRS3m0zG_co

 

Numbers like 30x or 19y really mean nothing without understanding the form you are using to complete each rep.  The person who trains for quality can often put up impressive numbers on reps but the person who only trains for reps will always look sloppy and is likely to struggle with anything but basic strength moves.

 

It has been my objective to more quality focused the last month of my training. Like I previously stated I started due to street workout and they are known to "progress fast" according to the regular person. I have been training for just a year, but I get questioned why I don't have my back lever down, or why I can't front lever.

 

I have been reading foundation one and realized how much I am lacking in multiple elements, and especially SAS.

[Jonas Hohmann]

Quality > Quantity , always!

If your form isn't correct, or much rather, as much perfect as possible, you are at a higher risk of injury, aren't using the full potential that that respective exercise has and, of course, you're simply cheating yourself.

Obviously, just disadvantages, in the long term. And, of course, were all after the long term efficiency, right?