Sets and Reps: What type of training am I doing?

Talk around the gyms lately has brought something to my attention: how little the typical user (recreational lifter) understands about resistance training.  This is no fault of their own.  I attribute it to the apparent simplicity of picking up something heavy, putting it back down, picking it up again, then putting it down... All the BS in the muscle, fitness, and men's and women's magazines complicates things.  There you get journalists and writers (not biomechanists, nor exercise physiologists) trying to explain something they don't comprehend, using the simplest form of language, to a target audience  of readers who have an interest in but no knowledge of exercise science.

This post will be a primer on resistance training for the recreational gym member.  Everything that follows is a simplification to for the sake of brevity.  Expect a more detailed explanation in a later post.  Better yet, hire a strength and conditioning coach to work with you.


First, let's clear up a few terms:
Weightlifting is an Olympic event that involves two lifts: the clean & jerk, and the snatch.  (Both are more accurately described as power movements.  In fact, weightlifters exhibit the highest power outputs of any athletes.)  Powerlifting is also a competitive event, but involves the deadlift, squat, and bench press. (All three are more accurately described as strength movements.)  Resistance training involves deliberate repetitive movements against (and usually overcoming) some sort of opposing force, such as: barbells, dumb bells, cables, bands, chains, rocks, sandbags, medicine balls, training partners, and countless other implements.


How many reps?
Resistance training to increase lean muscle mass is called hypertrophy training.  These types of protocols generally promote local muscular endurance, therefore endurance training is synonymous with hypertrophy training and is not a separate entity.  Hypertrophy training is most effective when each set is comprised of 8-12 repetition (reps), and with  60 to 90 seconds of rest is provided between sets.

Strength training is done to improve strength.  The majority of the improvements here come from improving the co-ordination of a number of muscles (and their respective sub-units called motor units) to produce force in unison.  Strength training is best done with sets comprised of 4-6 reps for recreational exercisers, with 2-4 minutes of rest between sets.  (For experienced athletes training under a strength and conditioning coach, 2-4 reps may be ideally prescribed for large movements –still using 4-6 reps for smaller actions– but this carries far too much risk for recreational training and minimal reward.  In fact, probably no reward, since they are training for health and/or cosmetic reasons.  If they were training for a competitive goal they would employ a certified strength and conditioning specialist to coach them.)

Power is the product of speed and force.  Therefore power training is based on fast movements.  Power training can employ a broad range of repetitions per set, and a myriad of loads depending on the training outcome.  Typically these training outcomes are performance driven and apply to athletes, but not to recreational exercisers, therefore power training doesn't need to be discussed any further in this post.


How many sets?
For any given workout, the number of sets per exercise doesn't really seem to matter a whole lot.  What does matter is the number of sets for a given muscle group.  If you think about it, this makes sense.  Whether you do three sets of one exercise for the chest, or one set of each of three different exercises for the chest, your chest is going to be tired.  You've provided the desired training stimulus to the chest in both cases.  They differ slightly, in that the first is focused, and the second a bit more broad, but if the relative loads are the same, the body will respond and adapt similarly (if not identically).

The number of sets per muscle group per week is more important than the number of sets per muscle group per workout.  For novice recreational exercisers 2 sets/week for each muscle group in the upper body and 3 sets/week for lower body muscle groups is appropriate.  For advanced recreational exercises with more than 6 months of consecutive training history, 6 sets/week for each muscle group is usually optimal.  What's great about this is that it allows all sorts of variety in designing a training plan!   Provided the a minimum 48 hours is provided between working out the same muscle group, almost anything goes.   Whether...

• two sets of a total body circuit on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays;
• or a 5-day split routine with 6 sets of one exercise per muscle group per day;
• or a 5-day split with 1 set of 6 exercises per group; 
• or a 2-day alternate split where days 3 and 4 are similar to days 1 and 2 but use dumb bells for the 3 sets instead of a barbell,

 similar (not identical, none better than others) training outcomes can be expected.

Pasta with Tomatoes and Basil

Time for another quick, flavourful, nutrient-dense, recipe easily modifiable for weight gain or weight loss:

pasta
1-2 cloves of garlic
handful of grape tomatoes
small bunch of fresh basil (or pinches of dry)
olive oil
parmesan cheese

Bring a pot of water to boil, then add the pasta when it is ready and cook following package directions.

Meanwhile, place a few drops of oil in a frying pan and spread it around with a spatula.  There should be barely enough to just moisten the base of the pan.  Turn up the heat to medium-high.  Place the whole garlic cloves, still in their skins, into the frying pan.

As the oil warms, place the whole tomatoes into the frying pan with the garlic.  When the skins begin to change colour, toss the contents of the pan, being careful to not break the skins.  Turn off the pan.

Drizzle some olive oil into the serving dish. Chop the basil and stir it into the serving dish along with some parmesan cheese and some salt.

Squeeze the garlic out of its skin then chop it.  Mix the garlic into the oil-basil-cheese mixture.  Cut the tomatoes into halves or quarters.

Drain the pasta and add it along with the tomatoes to the serving dish.  Stir to coat.  Add more oil, cheese, and basil to taste.

Chickpea Salad

This is ridiculously simple.  Hot or cold it's a quick meal on it's own, or a filling for a pita, or a side dish.  You can beat in some eggs and turn it into an omelette, or leave it alone and serve it as a a steak topping (seriously).

1 can Chickpeas
4-6 green onions
1 clove of garlic
handful of baby spinach (or parsley)
roasted red pepper strips
salt and pepper
cumin, cayenne, and turmeric (or curry powder)
1 lemon
olive oil

Rinse and drain the chickpeas.  Finely chop the onion, spinach, roasted peppers, and garlic.  Add salt, pepper and spices to taste.  Add lemon juice.  Drizzle a bit of oil on top, stir and serve.

Supplements III

Here's a good example of the risks of supplements.  Though being investigated to determine if there is a cause and effect relationship, Dimethylamylamine (DMAA) is a common thread linking multiple deaths from heart attack in young adults during exercise.  You can read about it here.

The manufacturer maintains that there is no medical proof yet (and since the industry is unregulated, the legal responsibility is on others to prove they are unsafe, rather than the manufacturer/retailer proving they are safe) so these products are still being sold at GNC and other retailers.

According to warnings issues last summer by the US Anti-Doping Agency, DMAA appears on labels under a number of names, including: Methylhexaneamine; 1,3-dimethylamylamine (DMAA); dimethylpentylamine (DMP) 4-methylhexan-2-amine; Geranamine; and geranium oil, extract, or stems and leaves.  There are many good point made in this document –I recommend everyone read it.

Super Bowl XLVI

There is much talk about Super Bowl 46 being a rematch of Super Bowl 42.  Much of the promotional material I'm seeing is really trying to play it as the Patriots seeking redemption from the 3 point loss to the Giants after a perfect 2007 season.

Less than 1/3 of the New England coaching staff remains from 4 years ago, and -get this- only 6 players!  That's right, just over 11% of the guys who suited up in Arizona on February 3, 2008 will be wearing a New England Patriots helmet this Sunday in Indianapolis.

Plaxico Burris, who scored the winning touchdown with 35 seconds left in Super Bowl 42 is no longer with the Giants.  (Eli Manning, who threw the pass still is.)

Couldn't the enormous marketing department at the NFL come up with a more relevant hook for this game?