How to Define Sets & Reps
Weight and resistance training is an effective way to build muscular strength and endurance to enhance athletic performance and overall bodily health. For novice weight lifters, the jargon used to describe lifting activities may seem confusing. Two of the most important concepts in weight training are sets and reps. When you perform a given exercise, the number of times you perform the exercise consecutively are the reps or repetitions of the exercise. The moment you being an exercise to the moment you stop is known as a set; sets, therefore, consist of one or more reps. Recording your lifting activity can help you clearly define the number of sets and reps you do each workout.
Instructions
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1
Write down the name of the exercise you are going to perform and then write "Set 1" under the exercise name.
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2
Perform the exercise and keep track of the number of repetitions you are able to complete. Only count full repetitions. For instance, if you are doing pull ups and are unable to get your chin over the bar on your final repetition, do not count the last rep.
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3
Record the number of repetitions you complete next to "Set 1."
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4
Repeat steps 1 through 3 each time you perform an exercise during your workout. If you perform the same exercise more than once, write "Set 2," "Set 3," and so on in the same place where you recorded Set 1. By the end of your workout you will have a list of all the sets and reps you completed for each exercise.
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Tips & Warnings
After recording your sets and reps, you can quickly count up the number of sets or reps performed for each exercise.
When lifting weights it can be helpful to go into a set with the goal of performing a certain amount of reps. Planning how many sets and reps you want to perform can help you shape your workout session to meet your goals. Doing sets of 12 reps or more with lighter weights tends to promote muscular endurance while doing sets of 8 or less with heavier weights builds strength, muscle bulk and power.
References
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