Basic Reps and Sets for Weight Training and Physique Transformation

Basic Reps and Sets for Weight Training and Physique Transformation

By Kerry O’Brien. E-mail: kobrien@psy.otago.ac.nz

Pick up the latest fitness magazine and you are guaranteed to find an article suggesting the best weight training repetition (reps) and set ranges to obtain that body of your dreams. It may also have come to your attention that these recommendations seem to change from week to week. Weight training is far from exact science and there is literally only a handful of reputable studies examining variations of weight training programs. From within these studies a few basic training principles emerge. Here are the basic principles that should, in general, be followed when selecting rep and set ranges.

Identify Your Goal

Before selecting your reps and sets you need to decide what you wish to achieve from your weight-training program. In general most people fall into one of three categories based on their goals.

Those people who wish to get fit and toned.
Those who want to get bigger and stronger.
Those that want to get a lot stronger but not necessarily a lot bigger.

Let’s examine how we can achieve these goals through the selection of the correct reps and sets in our weight-training program. These routines can be cycled or interchanged depending on your goals throughout the year.

Toned and Fit

Repetitions should be kept at 12-15 per set. This means that you should start to fail in your lifting as you approach 15 and you should have difficulty in lifting your 15th rep. If not, then increase the weight until you reach this desired state.
Sets should be kept to 3 sets per exercise with a maximum of 3-4 exercises per body part or muscle group (e.g. Back, Chest etc).
You should rest no more than 60 seconds between sets. This helps in keeping your heart rate within the target zone for fat burning.

This type of routine is excellent for fat burning and cardio-respiratory functioning. Recent studies suggest it is more effective than aerobics in maintaining long-term fat loss while also stimulating a moderate muscle growth enabling you to maintain firmness and shape in your muscles.

Strength and Size

Several studies indicate that maximal lifting of weight at a rep range of 6-8 is optimal for muscle hypertrophy (Muscle Growth).
Sets should be kept down to 2 sets per exercise, with no more than 3-4 exercises per muscle group.
You should rest for 120-150 seconds between sets. This allows the muscle time to receive more oxygen and energy from the blood in time for another maximal effort.
We are less interested in burning fat with this type of routine and more interested in stimulating muscle growth.
You should struggle, and may need assistance in getting that 8^th rep. If you are getting your reps easily then you need to increase the weight so that you fail at around the 8^th rep.

Absolute Strength

Power lifters are by far the strongest people on earth. To win competitions they must ensure they stay within their weight class while still being as strong as they can. This means that they want raw power and strength with minimal muscle gain. Here is the sort of reps and sets they employ to achieve this fine balance.

Repetitions are kept very low with 1-5 reps per set, this obviously means you will be using your maximum or near maximum weight.
The number sets will vary depending on the muscle group you are training. For large muscle groups, such as chest, back, or legs, you should use between 5-8 sets. For small muscle groups such as arms and shoulders, you should limit yourself to 3-4 sets.
Only 2-3 exercises per muscle group are required.
You should rest for 150-240 seconds between each set. This allows you time to have a good stretch and to gather your thoughts before attempting another massive lift.
When lifting the big weights required for this type of training, the connective tissue requires a long time to recover between workouts, so allow 9-10 days before attempting to train the same muscle group.
People attempting this type of training should have a good 6-12 months training experience behind them.

General Points for Success

Always warm up thoroughly before your workouts.
The gym is where you break down muscle; resting at home and sleeping is where you build muscle. Stimulate the muscle don’t annihilate it. Curb your enthusiasm and avoid over training.
A builder can’t build a beautiful house without wood, bricks and mortar. And you won’t build the body of your dreams without the right building blocks, good food and nutrition.
Always remember you get out of life what you put in, for your best gains give your best effort.