How Many Sets Should I Do?

Last week, we looked at the difference between training for muscle growth, strength, and endurance—and how the type of training you do should influence your number of reps.

But what about sets?

Most people shoot for three sets of each activity, but you can actually vary the number depending on how your body feels during training. Paying attention to your muscles is key, especially when determining whether to add a fourth set or move on after three.

If you finish 3 sets doing a moderate amount of reps (8 to 12), you can do additional sets (possibly even with a heavier weight) until your muscles are fatigued.

You can also warm up your muscles by doing 1 to 2 initial sets with a lighter weight. This activates your muscles and helps you get into form, but the 1 to 2 warm up sets should never count toward your 3 sets at full weight.

Whatever you do, it’s important to keep track of your numbers so that each time you do an exercise you can challenge yourself appropriately. I would shoot for increasing the weight you use by 5 pounds each time. Doing the right number of sets and reps with the right number of weight will help you see faster results.

Another way to get results faster is to work with a personal trainer. As you can see from this blog, there’s a lot of knowledge that goes into developing a strong, toned body. You could spend hours researching fitness online and end up with conflicting information about how to meet your goals. You could also just jump into training and not get any return on your effort or even risk injury.

Or you can invest in your health and work with someone like me who can fast track your success. Contact me to schedule an assessment.