Reps and Sets: Rep Ranges,
Rest Bewtween Sets & What To Do

What are reps and sets? This page includes everything from definitions to mini-guides on rep ranges, rest between sets and how to find the best set and rep scheme for your program.

Anyone that is learning how to lift weights will come across these two terms quite frequently.

Whether your interest is in bodybuilding, powerlifting, physical conditioning or a combination of all three, your weight lifting routine will require you to perform the proper reps and sets based on your needs and goals.

By having a clear understanding of what they are, you will attain far greater results with your workout sessions.

So, what exactly are reps and sets? Just read below to find out...

Reps and Sets: Definitions and Basics

Reps (short for repetitions) refer to the number of times you perform a particular weight lifting exercise. If you were to perform a single motion of the squat exercise, that would be one rep. If you were to perform the exercise movement 5 times, that would be 5 reps.

Sets refer to a sequential collection of a pre-determined number of reps. So if we use the previous example (in the last sentence of the previous paragraph), that means that one set constitutes executing 5 reps. Going off same example, 3 sets (of 5 reps) would refer to: 5 reps, rest between sets, 5 more reps, another rest between sets, and another 5 reps.

The amount of rest between sets depends on the intensity (e.g. heaviness, or difficulty) at which you perform a given set and how many reps you complete. I further discuss rest between sets later in this article.

Rep Ranges

To list and fully explain all the different variants could take several books. In fact, there are several books on the market covering all the differences (let me know if you want me to write some reviews). But to make it simple and practical, there are three main rep schemes for the basic weight lifting goals: strength, muscle building, and endurance. The rep schemes associated with the weight lifting goals are found below:

• Strength Training. Strength training generally entails performing low reps with very intense (heavy) loads. 1-5 reps would be the range strength training falls into. Powerlifters tend to lift predominately in the 1-3 rep range (i.e. heavy singles, doubles and triples).
• Muscle Building. Muscle building is a little tricky. Generally, 8-12 reps is cited as the proper muscle building rep range. However, it's safe to say that 6-12 reps (or even 6-15 reps) can be considered in the muscle building range. Okay, here comes the trickiest part - If you're in the beginner stage and even if your ultimate goal is to gain muscle mass, you should focus on first building a base of strength using relatively heavier weights for lower reps (but you also gain plenty of muscle). Why? The answer is a bit complex. But in short, maximizing beginner strength gains gives you the potential for more rapid muscle building progress in the long-term, than what would otherwise be possible.
• Endurance. You generally target muscular endurance if you lift beyond 12-15 reps. Performing sets of 12-15+ repetitions, at least for most exercises, places you into the realm of training muscle fibers that are resistant to fatigue under stress. In other words, you get better at doing more reps of a certain weight, as opposed to getting better at lifting a heavier amount of weight within a lower rep range.

Hypothetically, if you had to choose only a certain number of reps to use for every set the rest of my training life, I'd recommend 6 reps. Based on experience as well as observation and research, this is arguably the best compromise between strength and muscle building goals, for most people...

...My point in using the hypothetical situation is to reinforce the fact that the various goal-related rep ranges are on a continuum. In other words, they overlap. So while performing sets of 3 reps will focus on building strength, it will also build muscle mass and to a much lesser extent, endurance. And while sets of 20 reps will focus on building endurance, it will also build some muscle mass, and to a much lesser extent, strength.

The lesson in all of this? You can and should utilize all the different rep ranges to your advantage. Focus on one, but whenever possible, exploit the benefits of the others.

Rest Between Sets

No matter what type of workout goals you are seeking, you need to take a rest between sets. Here are some basic guidelines:

• Strength Training. With strength training, two to four minutes of rest will be necessary considering the fact you have utterly fatigued the muscles with a heavy weight load.
• Building Muscle. When looking to enhance muscle size, you probably would be best served taking short rests. The typical recommendation is a 30-120 second break.

Again, the above are general recommendations. You may need a little more or less on some exercises and sets. The best way to guage rest time is to begin a new set as soon as you feel recovered to the point where you can physically put enough energy into to productively execute the next set. For example, if you go from doing 6 reps for the first set to doing 2 or 3 reps for second set, then you probably need more rest between sets.

The Number of Reps and Sets Depends on Intensity, Volume & Frequency

The way in which you approach your workouts in terms of the number of reps and sets to be performed will be based on (or interrelated with) the factors of frequency, intensity, and volume. These 3 factors deserve an extensive article of their own, but I'll give you the essentials as they relate to this topic...

• Intensity. Intensity technically refers to the percentage of your one rep max (the highest weight you can lift for just one rep) for a given exercise. Practically speaking though, intensity refers to a weight's "heaviness" (i.e. how heavy it feels; not the actual weight in lbs or kg). High intensity routines typically involve lower reps and fewer sets per workout. Low intensity routines are the opposite.
• Volume. Volume refers to the number of sets and reps done in a particular workout session. There is actually an equation for calculating this: Volume = Reps x Steps. High volume routines typically involve moderate to higher reps and more sets per workout. Low volume routines are the opposite.
• Frequency. Frequency refers to how often you work a particular exercise movement or muscle group(s). High frequency routines typically have lower reps and fewer sets per workout. Low frequency workouts are the opposite.

How to Find the Best Set & Rep Scheme for Your Program

To find the right structure of reps and sets for your program, you ultimately need to select the right exercise goals (strength, endurance, muscle building, or combinations) along with the proper intensity, frequency, and volume. It is also essentia to consider your experience level before analyzing and implementing different schemes for reps and sets...

...As a beginner, this is something you should be aware of. However, if you choose a good full body workout routine, it will already be integrated into the program.

As you progress and gain more experience, you should play around with reps and sets with regard to your program's frequency, intensity and volume. This experimentation let's you find out what produces optimal results you, at a given experience level and for a chosen goal.

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