Physical Fitness: Sets And Reps

If you want to promote muscle growth, you have to isolate the muscle group you are wokring on. So, My routine breaks my exercses into muscle groups. After you finish working on a muscle group, take about at least a ten minute break if you plan on working on another muscle group. This time allows the blood to flow to the area you were working on and begin rebuilding muscle tissue.

Workout plans boil down to sets and reps. Reps are the number of repetitions in a row you do for a particular exercise. For example, I do 100 crunches in a row, that would be 100 reps. A set is how many times I do a set number of reps. I need to get 600 crunches done in a day, so I do 6 sets of 100 crunches, or in other words, I do 100 crunches 6 times.


There are many theories on sets and reps. There's the pyramid theory, which has you do 5 sets. Increase weight or reps gradually each set, and the third set is the maximum you can do. Then you lower the weight or reps for the last two sets. Some people do 5 sets, always increasing the weight or reps. Some people keep it constant weight but vary the reps.

I always do 4 sets. My first set starts at a manageable weight and I increase it for the next two sets. The final set is either my max or I go back down to the weight I used for the second set. The important thing is to find the best combination that works for your body. Don't be afraid to experiment.