How To Work Out, Part III

In How to Work Out Part I and Part II, I've discussed workout templates and the principles of training.

In this post, I'll break down how to change the sets and reps based on your training goals.

Training Goals: Sets and Reps

Just in case, I'll mention that 1 repetition or several repetitions make up 1 set.  One or several sets are performed based on what you want out of your program.  The Essentials of Strength and Conditioning, 3rd. Edition breaks down the goal/load/repetition scheme like this:

• If your goal is strength, use greater than 85% 1RM* with repetitions equal to 6 or less
• If your goal is power, single effort, use 80-90% 1RM with 1-2 reps
• If your goal is power, multiple effort, use 75-85% 1RM with 3-5 reps
• If your goal is hypertrophy (muscle size), use 67-85% 1RM with 6-12 reps
• If your goal is muscular endurance, use less than 67% 1RM with 12 or more reps

*RM means Repetition Maximum - so, your 1RM equals how much weight you can lift for 1 repetition.  Your 5RM equals how much weight you can lift for 5 repetitions once.

For example, if you wanted to build bigger legs and you wanted to do the back squat, you would perform sets of 8-12 back squats with an appropriate weight to that rep range.

Rest Periods

Another consideration you have to make is how long to rest in between sets.

Here are the guidelines from the same text:

• Strength: 2-5 minutes rest
• Power: 2-5 minutes rest
• Hypertrophy: 30-90 seconds rest
• Endurance: 30-60 seconds rest

These are just guidelines and do not have to be followed to the tee, but if we refer back to our squat example, the break in between the sets of 8-12 will be roughly 30-90 seconds.

Variations in Sets

There are almost infinite ways to structure how and how many sets and reps to do.

The most common set schemes that I'll go over are:

• Delorme Method (Straight Sets)
• Supersets
• Pyramid Sets
• Giant Sets

The Delorme Method: Straight Sets

This method is most common and you have probably already heard of it without knowing - this is the 3 sets of 10 reps method.  It works well for beginners and is very easy to follow.

First you need to determine your 10RM for a given exercise.  You will be performing 3 sets in this fashion:

• 1st set with 50% of the weight used for the 10RM; rest 30-90 seconds
• 2nd set with 75% weight used in 10RM; rest 30-90 seconds
• 3rd and last set with 100% weight used for 10RM

All sets will be performed one after the other until all sets are completed.  If you can, in your last set, you will perform additional repetitions up to 15.  Once you get to this point, you can add weight the following workout.  The first two sets serve as warmup sets for the last set.  To be honest, I have never implemented this plan in my clients training - I normally do supersets with them, which brings us to our next set variation.

Supersets

This is one of the most comment set schemes that trainees follow.  There are many ways to put exercises together, so let's go over a few ways here.

Push/Pull Superset

Here, a pushing exercise is paired with a pulling exercise.  This is normally used with multi-joint exercises.  An example is:

• Seated Cable Row
• Dumbbell Bench Press

An "OPEN" or "false" grip used in the barbell bench press

One set of rows would be performed followed immediately by the bench press OR followed by a short break and then the bench press.  It depends one what you're after.  For fat loss, you would want to take no break.  A short break can be taken in-between sets, but no break will be taken in-between exercises.

Flexion/Extension Superset

Here, a flexion exercise is paired with an extension exercise.  This is normally used with single joint exercises.  An example is:

• Barbell Curl
• Supine Triceps Extension

One set of curls would be performed followed immediately by the triceps extension, OR followed by a short break and then the triceps extension.  Normally, no break is taken between these exercises because they aren't as taxing as multi-joint exercises.

Upper Body/Lower Body Superset

Here, you guessed it, an upper body exercise is paired with a lower body exercise.  Here's an example:

• Overhead Press
• Goblet Squat

Just like with the other supersets, a break or no break can be taken in-between the exercises.

Giant Sets

Giant sets are a version of superset that involves 3-5 exercises all targeting one muscle group.  A Giant Set I like to do is for the back muscles and consists of:

1. Heavy Neutral Grip Chin Ups - 5-7 reps and weighted if possible
2. Bent Over Dumbbell Row - 10-12 reps
3. Dumbbell Pull Over - 15-20 reps

Weighted Chin

Bent Over Row - Dumbbell

Dumbbell Pull Over

This Giant Set consists of 3 back exercises all performed with different weights in different rep ranges.  This is a great method for putting on size because the time under tension is huge!  Time Under Tension or TUT for short is how much time a muscle is under load or tension.  It is written out in 4 numbers like this:

• 3020 OR
• 10X0

The first number is how many seconds during the eccentric stage (the down phase) of the exercise.  The 2nd number is the pause after the eccentric stage.  The 3rd number is the time in seconds of the concentric (up phase) stage and the 4th number is the pause after the concentric contraction.  If an "X" is written, it means EXPLODE.

So, to be more specific with the example above, we can add a TUT specification to each exercise:

1. Heavy Neutral Grip Chin Ups - 5-7 reps and weighted if possible, 20X1
2. Bent Over Dumbbell Row - 10-12 reps, 2020
3. Dumbbell Pull Over - 15-20 reps, 4130

Pyramid Sets

This is a set scheme that changes the weight used and the number of reps performed every set.  An example could be:

• 1st set 10 reps
• 2nd set 8 reps, more weight
• 3rd set 6 reps, more weight
• 4th set 8 reps, same weight as 2nd set
• 5th set 10 reps, same weight used in set 1

This can be performed in reverse as well:

• 1st set 6 reps
• 2nd set 8 reps, less weight
• 3rd set 10 reps, less weight
• 4th set 8 reps, same weight as set 2
• 5th set 6 reps, same weight as set 1

This is a great way to high all training zones (strength, hypertrophy and endurance) depending on what rep scheme you use.  It's a great idea for someone who only gets to the gym once a week.

I hope that has added more knowledge into your "How To Work Out" memory bank.

In Part IV, I'll go over how to modify reps.

Thanks for reading,

JK