Okay I am going to begin working out in a gym very soon I want to get as much information as I can some things that have me confused are Reps and Sets also Im confused on when is the appropriate time to increase the weight being used correct me if I’m wrong but if I can do 15 or more reps and I only need to do 12 the weight is to light an I need to increase. As far as Reps and sets go I hear alot of things about how many Sets and Reps are effective. I think I will start doing 3 Sets and 12 Reps for just about everything. But for larger muscles I have read 6 Sets and 8 to 10 Reps would be better. Also I was looking at option 1 or 2 on strength progression options 3 and 4 seem confusing to me.

You might give Anoops article on the home page on strength.  I think you’ll be fine to start with his suggested cycle.  You can always adapt from there, but the most important thing is to get started.
Good luck!

I think that a beginner must concentrate on learning the exercises.
After month or two he might start to add progression

Hi Al,

The more you read in this field, the more you are going to get confused.

I would say first learn the exercises: Take the time to really get the form right and feel the muscles. Don’t worry about progression for a few months. You will have planety of years to progress and worry about progression.

1. Do 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps.
2. Stop short of failure. Have atleast 1-3 reps left in your tank
3. Do a full body workout 2-3 days/week.
4. Once you feel comfortable about your form, we will worry about progression and periodizaation
5. Enjoy your workout, enjoy the feeling in your muscles. When you start out, it’s more important to enjoy what you are doing

And you will still progress with the above. Beginners just have to show up in the gym.

Ask if you have any questions

You don’t think 6 to 8 reps is too little I hear 12 reps is better but the sets sound about right. As I advance more should I increase my sets and your right as a begginer I should just get out there and work out instead of worrying.

Hi Al,
There are lots of local authorities out there and you are going to have to distinguish between fact and myth. Now 12-15 reps will work, but not as well as 6-8. Why, well in physiology (which Anoop is is well educated in, see his about me section) there is something that is called the “size” principle in that the body wants to do as little work as possible to accomplish a task. So if you lift a weight is light it will use fewer and smaller fibers. However, that same principle applies when lifting heavy loads (say 6-8 reps) and it recruits the smallest first but then calls on the bigger and faster fibers , ergo all of the fibers are working.

Now having experience as a personal trainer I will tell you why they would recommend 12-15 reps. 1. The burn you feel with high reps make you feel a pump and that you are really working the muscle. 2. Safety of light loads, however high reps often lead to poor form and light headedness in beginners.

Good luck,
Jim

Hi Al,

I was out of town for the thanksgiving. Hence the late reply

Check this article: http://www.exercisebiology.com/index.php/site/articles/how_many_reps_sets_for_a_beginner/

As the Jim said, the lactic acid accumulation and the form deterioration are the main reasons why I stick with lower reps for beginner. And often beginners find it hard to focus on breathing, feeling the muscles, getting the frm right and counting reps It’s too many tasks for a beginner and what usually gives is the form. So I try to minimize the variables and make them focus on the most important aspects. I would care less if you don’t count reps the first few weeks.

And for a beginner, progression is guaranteed. You just enjoy working out and the feeling of weight in your hands. Most begiiners quit working out in 6 months. Working out is more important than progression.

This is some good info thanks guys. As a beginner would I be doing to much doing 3-4 exercises per muscle group. The areas I would like to focus my workouts are my arms,chest,legs,abs. And I will work out 3-4 days a week some people do 5 or more but I don’t know if that effective your muscles do need rest.

Al - 02 December 2009 03:39 AM

This is some good info thanks guys. As a beginner would I be doing to much doing 3-4 exercises per muscle group. The areas I would like to focus my workouts are my arms,chest,legs,abs. And I will work out 3-4 days a week some people do 5 or more but I don’t know if that effective your muscles do need rest.

3-4 days is very effective for almost everyone and 2 exercise per bodypart is plenty. Just try to train each muscle group a minimum of 2X per week. Splitting your workouts into Upper body one day and lower the next is very flexible and higly effective. As a time saver you can alternate exercises. So do a set of one exercise than do a set for an opposing muscle group and the repeat. So if you did a bench press, you might wait a minute than do a set for your back, then wait a minute and go back to the bench press and so on.

You know I’m gonna have to ask this but I thought u are not supposed to workout the same muscle group more than one time per week.

Al - 02 December 2009 10:14 PM

You know I’m gonna have to ask this but I thought u are not supposed to workout the same muscle group more than one time per week.

This section is designed for these types of questions and how are we going to learn if we don’t ask. Actually, I enjoy your questions because I can answer some of them and don’t have to rely so heavily on Anoop’s brain power lol.

One time per week is in vogue these days, but highly inefficient. 3x week is good for the first six months usually( and possibly much longer), then a lifter would need to increase volume and drop down to 2 times which they should be able to carry on the rest of their career except when preparing for an event maybe.

Magazines and pro bbers promote once a week, well many of them. But, they are often “enhanced” and hardly scientists or educated athletes. Power lifters, Olympic lifters and most other athletes who have brilliant coaches recommend training each muscle group 2-3 times per week. Why? Because the body adapts better to repeated bouts of lower volume than one big infrequent session.

Wow I learned something new today I thought u was suppose to only work a muscle group once per week glad I found this site and forum.

Al - 04 December 2009 11:15 PM

Wow I learned something new today I thought u was suppose to only work a muscle group once per week glad I found this site and forum.

Glad you did to.

Make sure to read thru all of Anoop’s articles and you will become an authority at your gym lol.

Yeah I might become a future personal trainer too lol.

Thanks for post. It’s really informative stuff. I really like to read.Hope to learn a lot and have a nice experience here! my best regards guys!

This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I love seeing websites that understand the value of providing a quality resource for free. It is the old what goes around comes around routine