As with reps, not all sets are created equal. There are many different kinds of sets all with their own set of pros and cons. The kind of set or sets you end up using during your workout will depend on the exercise, the goal of the session, your overall goals, and your ability to recover from the stress of the session along with being respectful of the rest of your week.
Straight sets
Straight sets are doing an exercise on it’s own to completion of the set, resting the prescribed amount of time and then going again. These can be very useful when training specifically for strength, since all of your attention and energy is going towards one movement at a time. A downside to these is if you are in a bind for time, you might end up spending too much time on one exercise before moving on to something else.
Supersets
Supersets are two different exercises done back to back, often with minimal rest in between them until you finish the second exercise, then you’re allowed to rest before going back to the first again. A big benefit to these is they are very time efficient and allow you to produce more of a metabolic response compared to simply performing one exercise at time. A consideration would be that if you’re pairing exercises, one might be slightly impaired by the other, meaning you might have been stronger at each of them had they been done separately and with adequate rest.
Tri-sets
Tri-sets are similar to supersets, but with three exercises done consecutively instead of two, before resting and repeating. Obviously a huge pro here is that you can create an even larger metabolic response with longer periods of work before taking an overall rest and then repeating. Another being you can now get creative with tapering the exercises and making sure they compliment each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Most cons would be the same as supersets but magnified to be proportionate.
Circuits
For our purposes here today the final layout of sets that I will briefly cover is Circuits due to how popular they are within certain groups. As with everything else, there is a time and place for it. Now you may be wondering when it would be appropriate? It depends. What I want you to consider however is the lesson from the Reps video where we went over the trap that should be avoided in most cases. If your goal is in some way Body Composition related (lose fat, put on muscle aka toning or getting lean) then don’t make the mistake of only doing workouts that provide you with more metabolic benefits. There is A LOT of value in taking advantage of the full spectrum and dedicating periods of time to getting stronger. That way when you do more metabolic style workouts you will be able to lift more weight and get more out of the same amount of work
Quality over Quantity
As always, when in doubt look to our north star: Quality over Quantity. When planning your workouts consider everything we talked about today and tailor the structure of your workout to be as conducive as possible to your current goals. Lay down the foundation for yourself to work smart, and then when you know you can do so safely and efficiently, push yourself to work hard
In the next part we’ll go over how we can use the tempo of your exercises to get the most out of each and every exercise and turn your weaknesses into your strengths. See you there!
Asad Sayal
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Join personal trainer Asad Sayal, as he looks at essential factors to consider when designing your workout. From reps to rest periods, Asad explores how taking these variables into account, and using them in unison with each other can help you reach your goals quicker, avoid plateauing and progress your fitness journey.
Asad answers this not-so-straightforward question by defining what exactly a rep is, introducing rep ranges and how you can use this method to optimize and progress in your workouts. He also touches on the relationship between reps and load.
Did you know that the order in which you perform your sets is critical to your performance? Asad explores how to organize your sets in a certain sequence, in terms of intensity and difficulty, to get the best results and avoid injury.
Asad reviews the various types of sets that exist and which you should use depending on your workout type and goals. He discusses straight sets, supersets, tri-sets and circuits.
Setting a tempo for your workout is one of the most overlooked variables. Asad defines what setting a tempo for your workout really entails, and how you can use it to make the exercises you already know, feel completely new.
Did you know you can change how an exercise feels and what it does to your body just by varying the tempo? Discover how altering the tempo can produce a different kind of result and can bring about potential weaknesses and imbalances.
Rest and recovery are commonly misunderstood and misused. Asad explores common mistakes in regards to rest periods and different considerations that need to be made to ensure you are getting the biggest return on your effort.
Asad reviews general guidelines you can implement into your training, to ensure you are getting optimal rest. He discusses how the amount of rest is dependent on what your goal is at that time, and how you're performing the exercise.
Asad defines load and how it directly relates to the other variables covered thus far: reps, sets, tempo and rest. He highlights the value of thinking beyond just the amount of weight you lift in any given exercise.
Have you ever been stuck on a certain weight and can’t seem to go heavier? Does this mean you’ve reached the ceiling to your strength? Asad explores how you can combine variables, like tempo and reps, to avoid plateauing and increase the weight in your exercises.
To sum up this series, Asad recaps all the variables you should consider when designing a training program. He defines progressive overload and emphasizes the importance of the variables covered in this series and how to use them in synchrony with one another.