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You can reduce rest times between sets (for extra calorie burn). Still sticking within the guidelines above, not to exceed certain number of sets and reps, you must turn up the intensity on these exercises. To lose fat you should be doing a high volume of reps per set. Remember we are trying to stay at/under 20 sets per muscle group per week if you're working the same muscle group twice a week. Or you could be doing 7-12 exercises if you're doing two sets of each exercise. This means you should do around 5 to 8 different exercises during that single workout if you're doing 3 sets of each exercise. The rep range should be 6-12 reps.Īs mentioned above you should aim for 15-25 total sets per workout with each exercise being 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps.
Good rest time between sets full#
Full body: As the name implies you will targeting all major muscle groups during each workout with a full body workout plan. 5 x 5: In this program you will be doing 5 sets of 5 reps for the big compound lifts such as deadlifts, squats, rows, overhead press etc. Upper body/Lower Body: The upper-lower split will have 2 days of upper body workouts and 2 days of lower body workouts weekly. Then you will do pulling exercises the next day think rows, deadlifts, pull ups. Push/Pull Split: The push pull split will have you doing push exercises on the same day, think bench press, overhead press, squat. Reps to increase Endurance: Over 15 reps of smaller compound and isolation movements using 30-60% of your 1 rep max. Reps to Build Muscle: 8-15 reps of compound and isolation movements using 65-75% of your 1 rep max. Reps to Increase Strength: 4-6 reps of compound movements at 85-90% of your 1 rep max. Reps to Increase Power: 1-3 reps of big compound movements at 70-95% of your 1 rep max. The number of reps you do per set should be aligned with your end goals. For example, a total of 10 hard sets comprised of squats, deadlifts and lunges will be more taxing on your muscles than leg extensions, quad curls and calf raises. Take this with a grain of salt, as the exact effects can vary depending on the person’s fitness level, how long they’ve been training and the type of exercises being performed. If you’re doing more than 10 hard sets of a particular muscle group in one day you might be doing more harm than good as this “junk volume” can hinder your recovery. The same researcher from the aforementioned study, James Krieger, studied the meta-analysis and concluded that 10 sets per muscle group seems to be the upper limit of beneficial outcomes. There is however a limit to when higher sets/volumes are beneficial and can actually become detrimental to your gains. This study in 2017 reinforced the results that the more sets you do the better the results. This study in 2010 saw that people who did 4-6 sets per week per muscle group had around 80% more muscle growth compared to those who completed one set per muscle group per week. Numerous studies have been conducted in this area with the majority agreeing that more volume/sets leads to more growth.
How many sets per muscle group should I do per week? Is this for a beginner or advanced lifter? Do you want to build mass or lose fat? How often does this person workout? The answers to all these questions will help guide you to an answer that fits your situation.Īmerican College of Sports Medicine recommends 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps to be the sweet spot coming close to failure on the last rep of each set.
To drill down to a halfway decent answer, you must first set the parameters to which the question is being asked. How Many Sets per exercise Should I do?Īsk this question to 5 different personal trainers and you will get 5 different answers. For example, if a workout calls for 3 sets of bench press with 12 reps in each set, then you would be expected to do 12 reps three times for a total of 36 repetitions.
Sets, means the number reps you’re completing before taking a rest. Reps stands for repetitions, or the number of times you do a specific exercise. The fitness world comes with its own vernacular, and two of the most common words you will hear are sets and reps.