How Many Sets Should I Do?
A set is the amount of times you perform a sequence of reps.
With extra numbers of sets, more blood gets pumped in to a muscle, stimulating growth and changes to your physique.
Let's Get Started Beginners When you first start lifting weights it's advised that you perform one set of every exercise for every muscle group.
This "wakes up" the muscles and helps them adapt to a new activity.
This is usually called a straight set program.
You start with a big muscle group like the chest, back or glutes.
Then work your way down to smaller muscles, like the triceps, shoulders and calves.
Intermediate Soon after you master the straight set program you should add an extra set to major muscle groups.
From there you can start split training.
This is where you work upper body one day and lower body the next.
Or chest, triceps and shoulders one day and back, biceps and forearms the next.
Performing up to 3 sets for major muscle groups and 2 for the smaller ones, is in the scope of the intermediate ability.
This is the kind of workout you should be doing if your goals involve weight loss, strength gain and muscle tone.
Advanced If you have advanced goals like body building, that require large amounts of muscle growth, it's recommended that you perform at least 3-4 sets of every muscle group.
Sometimes athletes will have over 10 sets per muscle group.
This would also be the time to break down your routine in to a 5 or six day split with only 1-2 muscles being worked a day.
This works out to training each muscle group at a high intensity once or twice a week.
It's important to note that the more exercises per muscle group in your routine, the less sets you need to do.
For example, if you are only doing a bench press, then you can do 6 sets.
If you are doing a bench press and then pec flyes than do 3 sets of each exercise.
When performing sets you can switch up the routine by starting heavy and lightening the load as you go.
Or starting light (warm up sets) and working your way to heavier weights.
Adding multiple sets to your routine triggers growth and results.
It also takes the exercises up a notch to continually shock your body in to adjusting to a more intense work load.
Remember to rest in between sets until you feel recovered.
This way every set will be completed with maximum strength.
Progress By Adding Sets
With extra numbers of sets, more blood gets pumped in to a muscle, stimulating growth and changes to your physique.
Let's Get Started Beginners When you first start lifting weights it's advised that you perform one set of every exercise for every muscle group.
This "wakes up" the muscles and helps them adapt to a new activity.
This is usually called a straight set program.
You start with a big muscle group like the chest, back or glutes.
Then work your way down to smaller muscles, like the triceps, shoulders and calves.
Intermediate Soon after you master the straight set program you should add an extra set to major muscle groups.
From there you can start split training.
This is where you work upper body one day and lower body the next.
Or chest, triceps and shoulders one day and back, biceps and forearms the next.
Performing up to 3 sets for major muscle groups and 2 for the smaller ones, is in the scope of the intermediate ability.
This is the kind of workout you should be doing if your goals involve weight loss, strength gain and muscle tone.
Advanced If you have advanced goals like body building, that require large amounts of muscle growth, it's recommended that you perform at least 3-4 sets of every muscle group.
Sometimes athletes will have over 10 sets per muscle group.
This would also be the time to break down your routine in to a 5 or six day split with only 1-2 muscles being worked a day.
This works out to training each muscle group at a high intensity once or twice a week.
It's important to note that the more exercises per muscle group in your routine, the less sets you need to do.
For example, if you are only doing a bench press, then you can do 6 sets.
If you are doing a bench press and then pec flyes than do 3 sets of each exercise.
When performing sets you can switch up the routine by starting heavy and lightening the load as you go.
Or starting light (warm up sets) and working your way to heavier weights.
Adding multiple sets to your routine triggers growth and results.
It also takes the exercises up a notch to continually shock your body in to adjusting to a more intense work load.
Remember to rest in between sets until you feel recovered.
This way every set will be completed with maximum strength.
Progress By Adding Sets
