Another of the most popular questions power form sports, especially among beginners, how many reps and sets to do. In order to study it most effectively, you first need to ask yourself a number of other equally important questions, the answers to which will help you understand the basic principles of drawing up a training program - correct and effective. You will be armed with scientific data that will help you improve and allow you to intelligently guide the less experienced in the gym.
And here is the list itself:
- Your level physical training?
- Body type?
- What are your goals?
Each of them has direct relationship to the answer, how many approaches and repetitions need to be done. Let's start with the very first question and analyze each of them in order to better understand its importance and significance.
Your fitness level
This is a very simple question. Do you have any experience in physical activity And strength training in particular? At this stage, you need to clearly define your level: unprepared, beginner, amateur, professional.
If you have been training for 45 minutes 3 times a week, then you are a beginner. Maybe you visit the gym 4-6 times a week for 45 minutes? Then you are an average bodybuilder (amateur). When you participate in workouts lasting more than 45 minutes, more than 6 times a week, then you are participating in competitions and are considered a professional athlete.
Completely "green" must start with aerobic exercise and some strength exercises with lighter weights to prepare your body and mind for more extreme workouts. It is very important to be patient and start small. The most unrestrained risk getting to know overtraining and injuries, after which they are unable or simply unwilling to continue to improve. Training is effective only when the body has time to adapt and recover. Beginners need to work at near-limit intensity in order to recover from physical activity. For the first 3-4 weeks, you should leave the gym feeling like you could have done so much more.
Beginners with little experience in bodybuilding should stick to high reps of 10-15 and 2 sets per muscle group (1-2 exercises per muscle group - mostly basic). This is necessary to create muscle coordination and chemical reactions in tissues. After 3 weeks, it's time to move on to the next step.
body type
Our bodies are divided into 3 main shapes: lean, muscular and full. In fact, they have scientific names, but for a change, let's leave it as it is. Most people who have a muscular physique will benefit the most from doing 6-8 reps. Naturally skinny people will benefit by only doing 6 reps. Well, the last group, full people, it is better to do 12-20 repetitions.
To find out how many approaches and repetitions you need to do, you need to decide on goals - they must be achievable and measurable.
There are three important moments that need to be taken into account:
- Strength and endurance cannot be optimally developed at the same time, as they are opposite to each other.
- By developing maximum strength, you increase the potential for maximum endurance.
- Strength takes longer to develop than endurance.
The repetitive continuum has STRENGTH at one end and ENDURANCE at the other. Strength is achieved by performing heavy reps in a low quantitative range, where 1 rep produces the most strength. Endurance, on the contrary, is achieved by performing repetitions with small weights in a high range, where the ability to do, for example, 100 push-ups - will be great example extreme endurance.
- The program, aimed at developing strength, consists of 1-5 repetitions in the approach. This range allows you to use Weight Limit weights and perfectly load the muscles. This type of muscle growth is called myofibrillar hypertrophy.
- If used in a set of 9-12, then sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is maximized, which causes an increase in muscle volume.
- Beyond 12 repetitions, anaerobic endurance is mainly developed, and muscle hypertrophy is reduced to a minimum.
- Ideally, a growth program muscle mass, should consist of 6-8 repetitions in each approach. Such training has an excellent balance between myofibrillar (strength) and sarcoplasmic (mass) hypertrophy, developing both types. muscle fibers(fast and slow) and perfectly raise testosterone levels.
- To maintain good shape, it is enough to train the whole body 3 times a week, doing 2-3 sets (from 2 to 3 exercises per muscle group) of 12-15 repetitions. You will get a basic level of fitness, become more experienced and be able to set new, higher goals to achieve.
All of the above figures are generally accepted, well-established and have proven their effectiveness in bodybuilding more than once. But science does not stand still and offers us new knowledge about muscles, forcing us to reconsider our views on certain things. And this is true for reps and sets. Therefore, on this topic, you can talk for a long time, and study even longer.
From this follows a completely legitimate question - "So what to believe?". Basically, it's not that important. After all, there are NO USELESS repetitions and approaches! Each person is unique and differently genetically arranged and gifted. So, don't get carried away with theories, focus on strenuous and varied workouts in the gym, experiment and make mistakes, because that's how you can find out what works best for you.
I think one of the most “rhetorical” questions in bodybuilding is how many sets and reps to do in a workout. And it's not for nothing that this question is so popular - specialization and the result in bodybuilding directly depends on the amount of work performed in training.
This is especially important with natural training. However, here, in contrast to athletes on steroids, the principle does not work - the more the better. And these features in natural training will be discussed.
How many sets per muscle group?
Let's first find out how many sets to do for each muscle being trained, namely, how much work to do in training. Based on my training experience, I can advise what works well for me, as well as for the circle of people who train with me. Therefore, all recommendations in this article will come from my personal observations, but I cannot guarantee that this is the ultimate truth for straight people. Perhaps something else will suit you, but I do not think that it will be very different from the basic principles and rules outlined in this article.
A small but very important digression from the topic.
So, first I would like to say that for beginners and more experienced athletes, the amount of work will be very different. Beginners can endure more approaches because they not so much involved in the work of the muscles like experienced bodybuilders. For example (very conditionally), in order to work out the chest muscles approximately equally, a beginner needs to do 8 approaches, and an experienced athlete only 5. At the same time muscles in an experienced athlete will still experience a greater load than in a beginner. Even under the condition that the total tonnage of work is the same for both.
The whole point is that experienced athlete was able to squeeze a huge load in just 5 approaches, while for a beginner, the load stretched over time for 8 approaches. It is this progression of load that natural athletes should strive for - work the muscle as hard as possible in more than a short time . This is the basic postulate of natural bodybuilding.
The most popular and easiest progression is to increase the weight on the bar. Yes, it works well in the first years of training, but gradually stagnation sets in and the working weight increases very slowly, if not completely stands still. Moreover, further progress in weight is fraught with injury. Therefore, willy-nilly, over time, it will be necessary to look for another principle of load progression. And this principle is the maximum contraction of the muscle in the approach so that it experiences a lot of stress in a very short amount of time.
And do it (perhaps surprising to many) can only using a weight of approximately 70% of the maximum. Then tendons do not experience overload And the brain does not inhibit nerve signals muscle contraction . Those. in this way we deceive our body - we force the muscles to contract more strongly (without obstacles in the form of inhibition of nerve impulses).
Thus, the conclusion is the following - in the first years of training, you can progress with weights and make a base. But then when the weights stop for a long time (and the weights themselves will be large, which is fraught with injury) you will need to move on to the next principle of load progression, which I just described in the article (working with 70% of the one-time maximum with the maximum mental contraction of the muscle).
This is why top bodybuilding pros train with relatively light weights. Yes, they have days of strength training, but still the main type of training is working with a weight of about 60-70% of a one-time maximum. However, they have another type of training (with which the previous one is very often confused)- pumping. Here they work with a similar weight, maybe a little less. (50-60% of times. max.), BUT at the same time they do not strongly contract the muscles - in order not to deplete nervous system. With this training, you can train very volume (do dozens of sets per workout) and not get overtrained.
In general, it was such a digression from the main theme. But this is necessary in order to be able to show the two most effective principles training from straights, as well as separate beginners (or more correctly, athletes who have been training for less than two years) from more experienced (trained for 3 years or more).
So, the first version of the progression is an increase in working weights.
For all athletes who on this moment progress with an increase in working weights, you need to do for training no more 14 working approaches (it doesn't matter if you train one muscle group or combine two or more). That is training should not last more than an hour. And this roughly equals 14 working approaches. However, this figure is not accurate, this is an approximate guideline, it may differ by a couple of approaches. The main thing is to train no more than 1 hour.
For large muscle groups, you need to perform in a range 7-10 working approaches, for small 3-6 . For example, when I train in a strength style, I do 8 sets for the back, and 4 sets for the biceps. In total, 12 working approaches were obtained for the training. I do 7 working sets for chest and 5 for triceps - a total of 11 sets per workout.
Rep Range i keep in the neighborhood 8-9 . However, it happens that I do both a little more and a little less number of repetitions. But I don't usually go lower. 6 and I don't get higher 11 . The scheme is something like this: at the beginning of the workout I do in the region of 10-11 (first sets), then by the 5-6th set I go down to 7-6 reps, and again I do the last sets in the range of 9-10 reps. Failure is present, approximately in the middle of the workout (when rep range drops to 6-7), in other cases, i.e. at the beginning and end of the workout - there is no failure, I stop 1-2 sets before failure. Or more precisely - when the execution technique begins to be violated, I stop the approach. Rest between sets 2-3 minutes.
The second option is the progression of maximum muscle contraction.
With this variant of the progress of the load, the number of approaches can be quite different. It all depends how strongly do you feel the trained muscle group.
The directions are something like this: 10 to 20 working sets per workout. Personally, I now do the number of approaches closer to 20 (usually 16-18) than 10. However, it all depends on how you feel, if there is a surge of strength, I do more, if not, less.
Of which number working approaches on large muscle groups 11-14 , into small 8-10 .
But with number of repetitions everything is much more interesting. It is in the region 5-8 . There is no failure in any approach. Those. the approach ends when the first signs of lactic acid acidification begin to appear.
Rest between approaches For large muscle groups(back, chest) in the area 1.5-2minutes. For the little ones - 1-1.5 minutes.
Thus, you need to choose the load progression option and focus on this basis, which is given above.
I will not describe about pumping, because. there you can take a meager purely symbolic weight and perform from 10-12 and up to 20-30 repetitions with a short rest at your discretion, i.e. as the pulse drops - immediately into battle for the next approach. But here we do not contract the muscles much, here the main task is to increase blood flow and blood flow to the muscles. With the right organization training process we can use pumping in light workouts, and it is needed not for muscle destruction, but for faster recovery and maintenance of creatine phosphate (energy in muscles) in the supercompensation phase.
In conclusion, I would like to note that, first of all, you should focus on your well-being. If you feel that some type of training is not suitable for you, feel free to change it and adjust it to suit you. Because everyone has a different daily routine, someone does not get enough sleep, someone is malnourished, etc. (although, of course, you need to strive to establish a daily routine) Therefore, everyone's recovery ability is different. Someone can train 5 times a week and do 15 sets per workout, and someone 2-3 times and 10 sets. Therefore, your well-being is the most important thing in training, and especially in natural bodybuilding where there is no additional recovery support in the form of artificial hormones.
How many sets?Your personal trainer online
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This issue is the subject of heated debate. Some experts believe that it is necessary to do one approach, but perform maximum amount reps, others advocate multiple sets and fewer reps.
I recommend that you use the classic proven way of doing exercises, namely 3 sets. Someone is better than 4, someone 2 approaches, but in general, 3 is the golden mean, which is convenient to navigate. The exception is newcomers. When you are just starting to train, it will be difficult to complete three sets at once. After 3-4 weeks you should increase the number of sets as your body gets more advanced.
While you are a beginner, you will need one exercise for each part of the body.
If you have average level training, you can split the workout into two parts (upper and lower for example). Each body part will require 2 types of exercises with 3 sets (6 sets in total).
If you are advanced, you should do 3 exercises per muscle group with 3 to 4 sets, for a total of 9 to 12 sets per muscle group.
Why 3 sets? Your strength training should fit between 30 and 60 minutes. In order to be on time, you must adjust the amount of exercise to this time. From a scientific point of view, your muscle fibers will not have time to work out as much as possible in one set. In addition, scientific studies have shown that several approaches can increase the production of growth hormone and testosterone, which are very important for muscle growth and fat burning.
It should also be added that the larger the muscle group, the greater the load they can withstand.
How many repetitions?
The number of repetitions is mainly determined by your goals.
I recommend taking not a fixed number of repetitions (for example, 3 sets of 10 reps), but a range of 6 to 12 so that you have the opportunity to maneuver. For example, if you are doing a back exercise, then you can do, say, 9-9-9 (three sets of 9 reps) reps. Next workout will give you the option to do 9-9-10, then 9-10-10, then 10-10-10, and so on. Those. using this system you will be able to monitor your progress. When it becomes easy to do 12-12-12, then you increase the weight to such a mark that you can do 6-6-6, then again 6-6-7, 6-7-7, 7-7-7, 7-7- 8…12-12-12 etc.,
The biggest mistake is constantly repeating the same exercises for a long time using the same weight. If you are not having a hard time, then you are not achieving something new. Only new load makes you stronger
Will High Reps Help Me Burn More Fat?
In fact, a high number of repetitions does not burn more fat, because during training, fat is not burned at all. Yes, calories are burned during training, but fat burning occurs after training due to increased calorie consumption. The faster the metabolism, the faster the fat burns, and the metabolic rate depends on the amount of muscle mass. A large number of repetitions does not give the opportunity to increase muscle mass.
How much rest do I need between sets?
The break should be about 60 seconds. Sometimes up to 120 seconds for large muscle groups in order to have time to rest and recover.
The universal duration is 60 seconds.
If your goal is to increase strength, then the break should be increased to 120 seconds.
If your goal is maximum fat burning, then the break is reduced to 20-45 seconds, which adds an aerobic effect.
At what speed should I raise and lower the weight?
Do the exercises slowly and carefully. It usually takes 2-3 seconds to lift the weight and 3-4 seconds to lower it. Never make sudden, jerky movements. Shocks do not allow the muscles to be thoroughly worked out. Only a slow, even distribution of load is correct for muscle development. In addition, sudden movements can lead to injury.
What should be the intensity of the workout?
If you have chosen the right weight, then the last two or three reps should be difficult to complete.
For example, 1-2-3 easy -4-5-6 normal 7-8-9 hard 10-11 limit 12 - impossible.
How do I choose exercises?
I believe that one of best books ever written in the history of bodybuilding is the "modern encyclopedia of bodybuilding" written by
The number of sets and reps per exercise is a fairly common question on various bodybuilding forums. Professionals have long learned to choose the right approaches and repetitions, so beginners are usually interested in this issue. In general, this is a very controversial issue that is dealt with in many books on bodybuilding. Each author has his own opinion on this matter, today we will express our own.
In total, there are two global opinions about approaches and repetitions. One of them is classic, developed over the years of training by many athletes; the other is scientific, more modern. You can read about them at. But for a deeper understanding, we decided to write this article - an examination of the myths created around the choice of the number of approaches and repetitions.
Repetition - the execution of movement along a given trajectory with controlled observance of the phases of the exercise.
Set (approach) - an exercise session in which repetitions are performed.
Myth #1: All exercises should be done 8-12 reps per set.
This amount is ideal in terms of muscle building.
The origin of the myth: In 1954, in one of the works of Ian McQueen ( famous doctor medical sciences and a bodybuilder) recommended 8-12 reps per set for effective muscle building.
Rebuttal: such a number of repetitions keeps the muscles in an average tension, which does not allow them to be developed to the maximum.
Scientific point of view: the highest tension occurs when exercising with heavy weights, it is they that stimulate muscle growth. If you look from the other side, then total time, during which the muscles will be tense (a large number of repetitions) stimulates the structures around the muscle fibers - which increases their endurance. Variant with the number of repetitions from 8 to 12, something between tension and weight. But if you constantly work with such a number of repetitions, you will not let the muscles high level tension, which you will get only if you work with large weights.
Outcome: vary the number of repetitions with different weights.
Myth #2: Each exercise should have 3 sets.
With such a load, you will always progress, there is simply no point in doing more.
Origin of the Myth: In 1958, a post by Thomas Delorme stated that 3 sets of 10 reps would be no different in effectiveness from 10 sets of 10 reps.
Rebuttal: This is not true. Believe me, your muscles do not care about the magic of the number "3". You should know only one rule: the more repetitions in the approach, the less approaches. That is, in general, the number of repetitions remains approximately the same, only the number of divisions into sets changes.
Outcome: Average weight? - 3 sets of 8 reps. Are you lifting heavy weights and doing 3 reps? - do 6 sets.
Myth #3. You need to perform 3-4 exercises for each muscle group.
Only in this way you will qualitatively load a specific muscle.
Origin of the Myth: Arnold Schwarzenegger's Postulate (1966).
Rebuttal: the same Arnie said that in each exercise you need to perform 8-12 times in 3 sets. After averaged calculations, there are almost one and a half hundred repetitions for each muscle group. If you are able to withstand such a load - you are hacking. It is better to make training less voluminous, but more effective. Moreover, working on such advice, your training will take a very long time, not everyone can withstand this.
Outcome: stop at 50 repetitions (maximum) for each muscle group. It is more effective to do 1-2 exercises per muscle group, but with the correct load. You won't want to do more)
In this article, we began to learn such a question about the number of sets and repetitions of exercises. The question is very important in the construction training plan. You have already figured out a little what's what, considering popular myths. To specifically find out how many repetitions and sets to do for you, read the continuation of the article.
Hi all. Welcome to a blog without lies and falsehood, bodybuilding in its purest form. In today's episode, we'll talk about how many sets to do in bodybuilding exercises. The topic itself is very important, because it is in the first place in any training complex.
Before we begin to delve into this issue, I would like to tell for the youngest inhabitants gym what exactly is the approach? (and the difference between the approach and repetitions, just in case).
And so, repetitions are when you start doing the exercises and count how many times you have completed the movement. And the approach (aka a series, a shortened set) is when you have completed the required number of repetitions and finished the movement (well, for example, you did 10 barbell lifts for biceps and lowered) this is 1 approach (series), which means that you did 1 set of 10 reps.
If you rest 1 minute and repeat all over again (i.e. do 10 reps and lower the barbell), this will already be the 2nd set. Those. You have done 2 trips already. Do you understand?
I hope I explained it in an accessible way, now let's move on to another question, how many approaches should be done per workout, how many approaches should be done for each muscle group so that there is maximum benefit in the form of muscle growth?
The questions are very confusing, misinformation is everywhere ... one broadcasts that 1-2 approaches to failure will be enough, another says 5-6 is necessary, the third invents something else .. Everyone has their own opinion, and who is right, where the hell take it true?
There are athletes for whom 1-2 approaches are enough, for another, 5 approaches will not be enough.
This whole thing depends on:
- genetics
- psyche
I justify why. It is psychologically easier for some athletes to tune in and perform one but high-quality approach, instead of 5, well, let's say, anyhow. Usually I notice this in advanced athletes, because beginners are not capable of such a return.
Warm up sets
In any case, you will have to perform warm-up sets, of course, if you do not want to get injured and say goodbye to bodybuilding for a long time. Our muscles and ligaments need to be warmed up before hard exercises in the gym.
Moreover, warm-up sets prepare your psyche for maximum training.
So, whoever tells you that tough fighters don’t warm up, etc. this is a delusion, any athlete warms up when working with huge weights.
Personally, I performed both the maximum and minimum number of approaches, after which I decided to stop at the golden mean.
The golden mean: these are 3-4 working sets, after 2-3 warm-ups in the first exercise (quite enough). Let's see how it looks in practice in the bench press lying on a horizontal bench.
Let's say your working weight is 80kg x 8 reps.
So the golden mean looks like this:
- Warm-up with an empty bar (20kg) is mandatory (always start with an empty bar)
- 40kgX12 - warm-up
- 60kgX10 - 2nd approach again warm-up
- 70kgX8 - 3rd approach (leading warm-up)
- 80kgX6-12 - 1st worker
- 80kgX6-12 - 2nd worker
- 80kg X 6-12 3rd worker
We do warm-up approaches with a small weight, in in large numbers repetitions.
This is done in order to prepare your muscles for the maximum working weights in the exercise.
After that, a lead-in approach follows, and finally, a working approach, which is the most important one.
As a rule, when the athlete is still fresh, it is in this 1st approach that one should try to regularly increase working weights (progress the load).
You can read more about load progression in the main articlesx:
- Bodybuilding training programs (here, at the very beginning, it is described step by step and chewed on how to use safe ways progressions i.e. increasing weights and repetitions, this is a must-read).
- German volumetric training (here again, the same safe methods are described, but also about the unsafe method of load progression, for professionals).
- Natural muscle bodybuilding without steroids (here, in principle, what progression is needed for, how to carry it out, etc., but not as chewed as in the first and second articles).
The second working approach stimulates the development of the muscle, it is also strength, the only thing is that most likely you will not be able to do the same number of repetitions as in the first one, because your muscles are already tired.
And finally, the 3rd working approach: here it is more than likely that you will do even fewer repetitions than in the previous (2nd).
I think that in the following exercises on the same chest, you should not warm up.
Because our muscles are already warmed up and even more than tired.
But, if you feel that you need (just in case, so to speak), then one will be enough.
For example: if you have the 2nd exercise according to the plan bench press on an incline, your maximum is 80kgX8 then:
- 60kgX6-8 - warm-up
- 80kgX6-12 - 1st worker
- 80kgX6-12 - 2nd worker
- 80kgX6-12 - 3rd worker
Why are there multiple working approaches?
For a novice athlete, 100% will not be able to achieve a return on one approach in an exercise.
Moreover, even more advanced athletes will not be able to do this.
Because, you still feel your muscles very badly, you simply simply cannot make them work as they should. That is why, in several approaches you have a chance, unlike one.
Only professional bodybuilders are capable of such a return, but they never perform so few approaches, because they often train according to high intensity schemes (the so-called German training).
This method of training is very useful (golden mean). Perhaps sometime in the future, you will discover the most effective complex strength exercises.
But not now, that time has not yet come. All successful athletes who are now addicted limited number approaches (and there are very few of them), or those who use a huge number of approaches, started with simple training methods. You can’t just take it and jump over your head. Start small and go big.
