When designing your weight training program, you are faced with questions about how many reps/sets to perform, how long to rest between sets or how long/how often to train. There is not a unique answer to these questions, but there are some basic guidelines that must be respected. This post intends to provide you with these basic guidelines in order to properly decide your workout details.
The number of reps is usually a cause of concern. As a general guide, the 1-5 rep range is more appropriated for strength training, the 6-12 rep range for hypertrophy training (i.e. muscle growth) and above 12 reps for endurance training. However, optimal training combines cycles of different rep ranges, stimulating in this way both fast-twitch and slow-twitch fibers. In any case, always perform a strict movement (mastering the weight during the whole rep and using a full range of motion) with a prolonged contraction (feeling the pump and the burn in the muscle).
The number of sets can also vary greatly. On one side, it depends on your recuperation. Doing more sets than you can recuperate from is a shortcut to overtraining. On the other side, the amount of sets should stimulate as much fiber as possible and should be enough to train the muscle consistently (using different exercises to target all muscle sections). Depending on the muscle, the number of working sets per muscle (excluding warm-up) can stay between 3 and 10. When deciding this value, don’t forget that you have to keep your workouts short (preferably less than 1 hour) because after that time cortisol secretion will inhibit GH/testosterone output, causing muscle breakdown and limiting your gains. Your goal should be intensity. Focus on each set and give always 100% (don't save yourself for the next set).
Rest between sets determines also the intensity of your workout. As a rule, take the time your muscles and your nervous system need to recover. Attempt to keep the time as short as possible. Nevertheless, take into account that the time needed for recovering when training with heavy weights and lower reps can be longer than the time needed when using light weights and higher reps. Similarly, big muscles recover slower than small muscles. Finally, take care to do some flexing and stretching between sets to keep the muscle warm and avoid injury.
Workout frequency is another important decision. A muscle grows only when recovering from intense training. Don’t train again a muscle until it is fully recovered (this can take several days). Go to the gym 3 o 4 times per week and train each muscle once a week. Going more often stresses the body, impedes recovery, and can lead to overtraining.
To conclude, I want to provide you with some links where you can find additional advice on how to decide the appropriate values for the workout details discussed in this post. Check the article “The Sets and Reps of It” included in the I.C.E. Training Program developed by Big Cat, the article “The Complete Guide to Beginning Bodybuilding” by Bill Geiger & Larry Shackelford, and finally the “Workout Details” section of Muscle 101 site.
The number of reps is usually a cause of concern. As a general guide, the 1-5 rep range is more appropriated for strength training, the 6-12 rep range for hypertrophy training (i.e. muscle growth) and above 12 reps for endurance training. However, optimal training combines cycles of different rep ranges, stimulating in this way both fast-twitch and slow-twitch fibers. In any case, always perform a strict movement (mastering the weight during the whole rep and using a full range of motion) with a prolonged contraction (feeling the pump and the burn in the muscle).
The number of sets can also vary greatly. On one side, it depends on your recuperation. Doing more sets than you can recuperate from is a shortcut to overtraining. On the other side, the amount of sets should stimulate as much fiber as possible and should be enough to train the muscle consistently (using different exercises to target all muscle sections). Depending on the muscle, the number of working sets per muscle (excluding warm-up) can stay between 3 and 10. When deciding this value, don’t forget that you have to keep your workouts short (preferably less than 1 hour) because after that time cortisol secretion will inhibit GH/testosterone output, causing muscle breakdown and limiting your gains. Your goal should be intensity. Focus on each set and give always 100% (don't save yourself for the next set).
Rest between sets determines also the intensity of your workout. As a rule, take the time your muscles and your nervous system need to recover. Attempt to keep the time as short as possible. Nevertheless, take into account that the time needed for recovering when training with heavy weights and lower reps can be longer than the time needed when using light weights and higher reps. Similarly, big muscles recover slower than small muscles. Finally, take care to do some flexing and stretching between sets to keep the muscle warm and avoid injury.
Workout frequency is another important decision. A muscle grows only when recovering from intense training. Don’t train again a muscle until it is fully recovered (this can take several days). Go to the gym 3 o 4 times per week and train each muscle once a week. Going more often stresses the body, impedes recovery, and can lead to overtraining.
To conclude, I want to provide you with some links where you can find additional advice on how to decide the appropriate values for the workout details discussed in this post. Check the article “The Sets and Reps of It” included in the I.C.E. Training Program developed by Big Cat, the article “The Complete Guide to Beginning Bodybuilding” by Bill Geiger & Larry Shackelford, and finally the “Workout Details” section of Muscle 101 site.
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3 comments:
Great blog as for me. It would be great to read a bit more concerning this topic. The only thing I would like to see on that blog is some pics of any gadgets.
John Trider
Block phone
Thanks for your comments. I take note of your kind suggestions
I try to do about 16 sets per body part for a total of around 500 reps. But, to look younger and feel younger, my goal is muscular endurance not strength, so I keep my rest to a minimum.
Darren@moreprimetime.com
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