These are pretty straightforward and can be helpful in figuring out how to set up your workouts so that you're always progressing and avoiding weight loss plateaus. If you're a beginner, start with a basic total body strength workout to build a strong foundation in all your muscle groups. Taking this time will help you figure out any weaknesses you have, as well as any issues you may need to address with your doctor and learn the basic exercises you need for a strong, fit body.
Your first step is to figure out where you're going to exercise. You don't have to join a gym to get a great strength training workout, but there are some advantages to doing so:. Of course, there is the cost of joining a gym, as well as finding one that is convenient and comfortable.
It's very easy to join a gym and never go, so that's something to consider as well. Gyms aren't for everyone. Doing your workouts at home has some big advantages. As for the disadvantages, you have to be very self-motivated to work out at home there's always something to do other than work out , and you have to try a little harder to get the variety you can more easily get at a gym.
There are several components that make up every training program: The type of resistance equipment you'll use, the exercises you'll do, the number of reps and sets you'll do, how much weight you'll lift, and how much you'll rest between exercises and between workouts. Depending on where you decide to work out, your equipment choices will vary, but the general choices include:. Once you have your equipment ready, choose eight to 10 exercises about one exercise per muscle group.
For smaller muscle groups like the biceps and triceps, you can do one exercise per weight training session. For larger muscle groups, like the chest, back, and legs, you can usually do more than one exercise. These involve a variety of equipment, so you can choose based on what you have available. Even if your focus is on a particular body part, say getting flat abs or losing fat around the hips, it's important to work all your muscle groups. What does work is building more lean muscle tissue and burning more calories.
Most experts recommend starting with your larger muscle groups and then proceeding to the smaller ones. But don't feel limited by that. You can do your exercises in any order you like, and changing the order is a great way to challenge yourself in different ways.
You've figured out the exercises you should be doing, but what about the number of sets and repetitions? Your decision should be based on your goals.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 4 to 6 repetitions with heavier weight for hypertrophy increased muscle size , 8 to 12 repetitions for muscular strength and 10 to 15 reps for muscular endurance. In general:. Choosing how much weight to lift is often based on how many reps and sets you're doing.
The general rule is to lift enough weight that you can only complete the desired number of reps. In other words, you want that last rep to be the very last rep you can do with good form. However, if you're a beginner or if you have medical or health conditions, you may need to avoid complete fatigue and just find a weight that challenges you at a level you can handle.
So, how do you know how much weight you need to challenge your body? Every day is different. Some days you'll lift more weight than others.
Listen to your body. Another important part of training is resting between the exercises. So, if you're doing 15 reps, you might rest about 30 to 60 seconds between exercises.
If you're lifting very heavy, say 4 to 6 reps, you may need up to two or more minutes. When lifting to complete fatigue, it takes an average of two to five minutes for your muscles to rest for the next set.
When using lighter weight and more repetitions, it takes between 30 seconds and a minute for your muscles to rest.
For beginners, working to fatigue isn't necessary, and starting out too strong can lead to too much post-exercise soreness. Training hard is easy, but training smart gets you closer to your goals. For example, let's say you want to build muscle. You can choose a light weight and rep it times, or grab a heavier weight and push it maybe 10 times. Both examples are hard, but one method is superior for building muscle.
Effort is important, but it has to be applied correctly. To optimize your effort in the gym, you need to understand which specific rep ranges can best help you reach your goals. Thankfully, researchers have already weighed in on the topic. Here are the basic rules of choosing the right reps per set for your fitness needs! If you're training for muscle size, choose a weight at which you reach muscle failure in the rep range. In other words, after your warm-up sets—which are never taken to failure—you should select a load with which you can complete at least 8 reps but not more than That means if you can do only reps, the weight is too heavy, so reduce it on subsequent sets.
It also means that if you can do more than 12 reps, but simply stop at 12, that's not a "true" set. A true set is one in which you fail—the point at which you can't do another rep with good form on your own—within the target rep range of If you can easily do more than 12, add weight on your next set so that you're failing in the target range. Choosing the right load for your muscle-building goal effectively targets the fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are more prone to growing bigger and stronger in response to resistance training, with enough volume to stimulate growth.
Of course, the guy who is bouncing the bar off his chest and the one who is using every lower-body muscle group to heave up a set of curls are using bad form. If you're exercising with poor form, the weight is probably too heavy, regardless of when you're failing.
Learn and practice textbook technique. However, these fibers fatigue fairly quickly, which is why you can't lift a very heavy weight very many times. Train like a bodybuilder: If you're looking to maximize muscle size, target reps per set on average and choose multijoint movements like the bench press, squat, overhead press, bent-over row, and deadlift, which recruit more total muscle mass than single-joint moves, thus allowing you to lift heavier weights.
Hit a target muscle from multiple angles with high volume sets and reps to stimulate growth. In general, your rest periods should be in the 1- to 2-minute range.
Already have a Bodybuilding. Sign In. Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos. View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot. Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time. While choosing a weight at which you can do just reps builds muscle, it also builds strength, no doubt.
But that weight is not optimal for strength building. You don't just want a workout plan; you want to understand the logic behind it. You may even check reference materials to fully understand how the author developed their theory. Instead of using workout templates, you absorb concepts and apply them to your own training. Sometimes this means you change things up with an existing workout, other times you draw up an entirely original workout based on new ideas.
Don't concern yourself with the numbers. Instead, research new theories as a way to test yourself and see what you respond to best. For most, this is a matter of setting concrete, realistic goals build muscle, increase strength, lower fat , says the Arthritis Foundation , and then seeing what strategies work well for your body.
But more importantly, focus on the mental aspect of your training. As you mature and improve your fitness, it becomes harder to make dramatic changes. Think about it: Losing the first 20 pounds feels like a breeze compared to melting the last five. So your goal is to find a rep range that maintains a higher level of mental focus. For some people that's three reps, for others it's Improving your psychological approach in the gym and having percent of your mental energy dedicated to your program will ensure that you have more intense and effective workouts.
At this level, that is ultimately what will bring you closer to your goal. Fitness Training Running. Aubrey Bailey is a Doctor of Physical Therapy with an additional degree in psychology and board certification in hand therapy. Bailey is also an Anatomy and Physiology professor.
Jon Goodman. The number of reps isn't the "be all, end all" of your workout. Video of the Day. Weigh Your Strengths and Weaknesses.
Reps and Sets for Strength. Know Your Training Style.
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