We’ve learned about rep tempo for fast strength training in my last blog and isolation exercises. Let’s move on and identify the different ways on how to improve your testosterone levels naturally through ideal sets and rest per workout.
How Many Sets Per Exercise Should I Do?
As another area of heated debate, which is also subject to the “One Way” pitfall, is the amount of sets you do per exercise. Some say all you need is 1 set, while others claim you need up to 6 sets to create maximum strength, muscle and power. Fortunately, studies suggest you get more bang for your buck by doing a moderate amount of sets.
For example, according to a landmark study in 1998, researchers found that there was no significant difference in strength or muscle mass as a result of single versus multiple sets. While this study revealed some interesting insights a more recent study in 2002 concluded that trained exercisers get more strength gains out of multi-set training.
Additional studies have bolstered the claims of multiple sets, most importantly a 2009 study, which found that 2-3 sets per exercise were associated with a 46 percent greater strength gain than one set in both trained and untrained subjects.
And finally, to put this debate to rest, a 2010 study showed a similar gain in muscle growth in trained and untrained subjects who completed multiple sets.
In conclusion, based on the prevailing studies, by doing multiple sets you will gain more strength but not necessarily more muscle.
So how many sets are best?
This depends on your ability level and time restrictions. While you’re not going to get all the strength gains of multiple sets, if you’re short on time or just starting out, one set could be just enough.
1 Set Per Exercise Could Be Just Enough
For example, let’s say you are short on time or just starting out on the Fired Up program and building your way up (setting your ego aside). You could do a full body routine with just 1 set of the following 8 exercises and be done in 15 minutes:
- Pull-Ups
- Chin-Ups
- Push-Ups Or Bench Press
- Dips
- Squats
- Hanging Knee Raises
- Lateral Raise
- Front Raise
2-3 Sets Per Exercise Is Ideal
Now assuming you have a good 30 minutes or more you can boost testosterone, strength and lean muscle mass to superhuman levels with 2-3 sets per exercise for both your compound and isolation movements.
How Many Sets Per Workout Should I Do?
Now that you have an optimal range of sets per exercise, let’s talk about the optimal number of sets per workout. Ideally, you’ll shoot for a range of 8-16 total sets per workout.
1 Set Workout
As just mentioned, if you’re doing 1 set per exercise, an 8 set minimum would give you a quick full body blast, which should take no longer than 15 minutes including rest.
2-3 Set Workout
If you have 30 minutes or more try pushing to a minimum of 8 total sets and up to 16. For example, let’s say you do 2 sets of 3 compound exercises and 2 sets of 3 isolation exercises. This would equal 4-8 reps of 12 total sets as follows:
Pull-Ups 4-8 reps x 2 sets
Chin-Ups 4-8 reps x 2 sets
Spiderman Pushups or Bench Press 4-8 reps x 2 sets
Hanging Knee Raises 8-15 reps x 2 sets
Lateral Arm Raises 8-15 reps x 2 sets
Front Arm Raises 8-15 reps x 2 sets
6 x 2 = 12 sets
Alternatively, if you’re feeling strong, kick it up a notch with 3 sets of 4 compound exercises and 2 sets of 2 isolation exercises. In this scenario, you would do 4-8 reps multiplied x 16 sets. Here’s an example:
Pull-Ups 4-8 reps x 3 sets
Chin-Ups 4-8 reps x 3 sets
Squats 4-8 reps x 3 sets
Spiderman Pushups or Bench Press 4-8 reps x 3 sets
Hanging Knee Raises 8-15 reps x 2 sets
Adductor Exercises 8-15 reps x 2 sets
(3 x 4) + (2 x 2) = 16
As you can see, when it comes to creating a workout routine, there are a multitude of options to choose from. So while the Fired Up program will give you several suggested routines, I highly encourage you to explore and test different routines that may work better for your circumstances.
That being said, in the interest of safety and injury prevention it’s also important you review the videos that come with the Fired Up program for proper form and detailed instruction.
How Much Should I Rest Between Sets?
It is important to understand that as you work out you are breaking down muscle fiber, which means you’ll need to allow ample time for rest and repair.
So how much time should you rest between sets?
Rest 2-3 Minutes Between Sets
Most studies prove the sweet spot is between 2 – 3 minutes, including a study at the Federal University of Parana, Brazil where researchers found that when people performed the bench press and squat with two-minute rest intervals, they were able to perform significantly more reps per workout than when rest intervals were shortened in 15-second increments (1:45, 1:30, 1:15, and so forth).
What’s significant about this finding is that studies also show the total amount of reps you perform over time is a major factor in muscle growth.
In another study conducted by scientists at the State University of Rio de Janeiro researchers found that when training with loads between 50% and 90% of one repetition maximum, 3-5 minutes’ rest between sets allowed for greater repetitions over multiple sets as well as greater increases in absolute strength, due to higher intensities and volumes of training. It should be noted that this study contrasted 3 or 5 minutes versus 1 minute of rest between sets.
Similar findings were demonstrated in a study conducted by scientists at Eastern Illinois University where researchers demonstrated large squat strength gains could be achieved with a minimum of 2 minutes’ rest between sets, and little additional gains are derived from resting more than 4 minutes between sets.
As you can see, the sweet spot is around 2-3 minutes but unlike most trainers who will tell you to take a break and do nothing for 2-3 minutes, in Fired Up you’ll be using this time to maximize your superhuman powers with isolation exercises as well as incorporating the synergy of Yoga, which will keep you occupied, energized and protected from injury. By watching the videos from the Fired Up Video Program this will become much more clear.
To get a 50% discount on the Fired Up Video Program just follow this link:
https://chadscottcoaching.com/fired-up-50-off-for-readers/
How Much Should I Rest Between Workouts?
Although our goal of this program is to literally get you Fired Up so you can do things you never thought possible there is a point where too much Fire can lead to a burnt forest that may not ever recover. This could be one of the most dangerous pitfalls of not just strength training but all forms of exercise including HIIT and YOGA. Of course this relates back to our “Overkill” trap, so pay close attention here.
Many people who start getting benefits from strength training tend to think that if they just do more of the same thing the benefits will just keep multiplying. Sadly, this strategy is set up to fail.
Basically, without getting too scientific, it’s important to understand that similar to a wound, when you workout, you are tearing down muscle fiber, which needs time to rest, recover, and build more muscle tissue than you had before. This process is called supercompensation (you compensate a little to get a lot more).
When you strength train, you are not increasing the amount of muscle fibers you have; instead, you are increasing the size and overall mass of the fibers you already have, which is called hypertrophy.
While you’ve most likely heard of “anabolic” as in anabolic steroids, which builds muscles to monstrous proportions, you may not have heard of “catabolic,” which is the process of breaking muscle fiber down.
While both of these processes are crucial for strength and muscle development if for any reason you’re wondering about or considering taking anabolic steroids to leapfrog your way to the top, I can say first hand that you’ll most likely regret that decision.
When I was playing D1 college football at San Diego State University, I broke my sternal clavicular joint when I was blindsided by a 260-pound Samoan linebacker as I jumped up to catch a pass. The pressure to recover quickly and get back on the field was so great that I was willing to do anything.
Interestingly enough, it just so happened that another linebacker friend of mine was pedaling steroids to about 20% of the entire team.
After caving in to pressure and completing one cycle of jamming painful needles full of anabolic steroids into my ass, I saw a major leap in strength and muscle growth. Unfortunately, it did not do anything for my injury and the side effects of emotional turbulence and a massive outbreak of acne made it simply unsustainable.
The good news is that with the Fired Up program you won’t need anabolic steroids to get the most out of the anabolic phase.
In regards to the catabolic phase of working out, it is critical that you understand that by continuing to do the same exercise, without time for proper recovery, you are basically digging a deeper wound, which could actually set you up for a major injury. And while it may seem logical to attribute most injuries in strength training to overly intense workouts, studies show the real reason to be inadequate recovery time.
Because of this, how frequently you do a particular exercise will always depend on how long it takes for that wound to heal itself and complete the anabolic phase of rebuilding. More specifically, your frequency will depend on two primary factors and four secondary factors as follows:
The 2 Primary Factors That Determine Rest Period
- Volume – The volume represents how much weight you’ve lifted during the course of a workout.
- Intensity – The intensity represents how many reps and sets you do during the course of a workout.
Studies confirm, the higher the volume and intensity of a workout the more muscle fiber is broken down (the deeper the wound) and the longer you’ll need to wait until you exercise the same muscles.
If for instance, you choose to do 1 hard set of pull-ups and chin-ups, the intensity and volume will be low enough to repeat these exercises 3 times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. But if you do 3 hard sets of pull-ups and chin-ups the intensity and volume will be too much to repeat these exercises 3 times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
As a general rule of thumb, depending on volume and intensity, I recommend the following:
Train Major Muscle Groups 1-3 Times Per Week
We’ll go into detail on exact recommendations shortly, just know that if you’re feeling weak during a workout, like you can not lift as much as you could before, then you most likely need more rest. The bottom line here is this:
Listen To The Warning Signals From Your Body!
And don’t be afraid to take more than 7 days of rest or more from a particular exercise and associated muscle group. Furthermore, depending on your circumstances, you may need 10, 14 or 21 days off a particular exercise to fully recover the muscles associated with that exercise. And remember, you’re not going to be twiddling your thumbs during this rest period, you’ll be engaging in the other elements of Fired Up, Yoga and HIIT, which will help you create the synergy of superhuman power.
Now that we’re engaging in the other elements, I suggest checking out the Fired Up program here.
