Strength and Power If your objective is strength or power (think: heavy lifting or explosive movements), the textbook advice is to perform 3 to 5 sets of 2 to 6 reps per exercise.
The 3 3 3 exercise routine is a structured workout plan designed to improve strength and endurance through its unique approach of repetition and sets. This method focuses on performing exercises in sets of three, with each set consisting of three different workouts, repeated three times.
1-5 reps primarily develop strength, with more impact on muscle size and none on endurance. 6-12 reps develop a balance of strength, muscle size and endurance. 13-20 reps develop endurance, with some increases to muscle size and limited impact on strength.
Three reps in three sets is certainly more focused on myofibrillar hypertrophy, which increases your strength moreso than your muscle size. However, this still does involve muscle growth, just not as much as higher rep schemes (although that will not make you as strong).
The NSCA recommends doing 1-6 reps for strength, 6-12 for muscle growth, and more than 15 repetitions to build endurance. If lifting heavy weights to build strength or muscle mass, aim to lift heavier weights and complete fewer repetitions - anywhere from one to six per set.
The volume is fairly low so high frequency is a viable option. The 3x3 program is also great for size and strength goals or just sheer strength goals. It all depends on what exercises you pick and how the workout weeks are structured. The 3x3 protocol is also a great prelude to the 5x5 program.
The most effective range for muscle growth is noted to be around 5-10 sets per week per muscle group. The minimum effective dose for hypertrophy was found to be around 4 sets per muscle group per week, which delivered detectable improvements in muscle growth.
Low Weight, High Reps Is Good for Overall Health
HIIT workouts can also help control and improve blood glucose readings, a measure of diabetes risk. Workouts that use low weight with higher reps are also safer. If you try to lift weights that are too heavy, you are more likely to cause a muscle tear or strain.
The 30-60-90 interval training workout consists of three sets with three intervals. The first set includes three intervals of 30 seconds, followed by three intervals of 60 seconds and three intervals of 90 seconds. After each interval, rest for the length of the interval.
The rule that both NSCA and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommend is the “2-for-2 rule.” After a few workout sessions, you can increase the weight for a certain exercise once you can perform two more repetitions beyond your repetition goal for the last set for two weeks in a row.
Experienced fitness expert and author, Steven Farmer, explains how the 90/10 Fitness program—in which you get 90 percent of your results from just focusing on the 10 percent that matter—is the only way anyone should train, especially in a world with a million things that person needs to be doing.
Our results showed that 5 sets per exercise resulted in greater 5RM strength gains compared with 1 and 3 sets in 2 of 3 upper-body exercises.
A general and easy rule to follow is that your rest periods should be long enough that you're able to complete your next set of reps with good form. For most people, this is between 30 seconds and five minutes, and what is best for you largely comes down to how you're training.
If you are training the biceps directly for strength, it is recommended that you train in the 5-10 rep range, or the 8-10 rep range to minimize overloading the tendons and ligaments of the elbow joint due to the single joint nature of most biceps isolation exercises.
The ability of the motor unit to activate and coordinate muscle fibers contributes towards muscle contraction and strength, yet not size. Hence, one may have large muscles yet lack sufficient motor unit coordination or activation to produce adequate muscle strength.
So let's talk about the “correct” number of sets per exercise. The simple answer: “Do 3-5 work sets of a given exercise.” Just make sure you're not compromising your form.
Remember, health experts recommend fitting in at least two strength training workouts per week. That means you can make progress when it comes to sculpting your muscles and getting stronger, even if you're only able to exercise twice a week.
The Minimum Effective Volume (MEV) for biceps requires you to perform at least eight sets of direct bicep workouts per week. It means that you need to complete eight sets of biceps throughout the week.
Broadly speaking, beginners will gain significant strength and muscle mass early on at relatively moderate ranges of sets and reps, with progressive overload (continued increase of intensity) built into their training. Anywhere in the range of 3-5 sets for 3-5 reps, with adequate rest time, will be sufficient.
WHAT IS HYPERTROPHY? Muscle hypertrophy (known simply as hypertrophy) is an increase in the size of a muscle, or its cross- sectional area attributed to an increase in the size and/ or number of myofibrils (actin and myosin) within a given muscle fiber.
The 5×5 plan features two workouts (A and B), making it simple to train only twice per week if you can't sustain a three-day frequency.