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How Many Reps Should I Do? [The WCT Sets and Reps Guide]

Today you’re going to learn exactly how many sets and reps you should do every time you workout.

This weight lifting sets and reps guide will help you build more muscle, gain more strength, and improve the efficiency of your workouts.

Let’s get started.

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Okay, let’s get started.

How Many Reps Should You Do?

In general, you should perform anywhere from 4-12 repetitions per set for the vast majority of your workouts.

The precise rep scheme will depend on what your specific goal is, which can include muscle growth, strength, or endurance.

Can you do fewer than 4 reps or more than 12? Sure, but this won’t be the most efficient use of your time.

So, now let’s go over the ideal number of reps you should do for each exercise.

So the first question you must ask yourself is:

What is your goal?

The Four Different Types of Rep Ranges:

In general, there are four different ways you can split up your training:

Focus on one at a time. Trying to do more than one simultaneously can lead to mediocre results.

Let’s go over them one by one.

1) Muscular Endurance:

Muscular endurance is the ability to make your muscles work for a long period of time without fatigue.

This is ideal for you if you enjoy aerobic exercises of long duration such as CrossFit, rowing, and swimming.

Endurance responds best to high reps.

The best rep range for muscle endurance is 12-15 reps per set

2) Muscular Hypertrophy:

Muscular hypertrophy is the process of growing and developing muscle size.

If you want to develop bigger glute muscles or show some muscle definition in your back, then you need to do hypertrophy training.

Hypertrophy responds best to a moderate rep range.

The best rep range for hypertrophy / muscle growth is 7-12 repetitions per set

3) General Muscular Strength:

General strength refers to the ability to lift higher amounts of weight relative to your own body weight.

I believe that everyone should achieve a minimum baseline level of strength.

General strength training is important because it can:

Strength gains require the use of low reps and heavy loads.

The best rep range for muscle strength is 4-6 repetitions per set

4) Maximal Strength:

Maximal strength is the ability to lift the most amount of weight as you possibly can.

If you are a beginner, this is not for you.

You should train for maximal strength once you have been working out for at least 1 year, and you want to participate in strength sports such as powerlifting, Olympic weight lifting, and strong man.

Or, if you’re curious what your one-rep max is, you can dabble in this rep range 2-3 times a year.

The best rep range for maximal strength is the lower rep range: 1-3 repetitions per set

I generally recommend that you stick to the muscular hypertrophy and general strength rep ranges for the majority of your training.

What Exactly Are Reps?

Let’s define what reps are.

Repetitions (or reps for short) refers to the number of times you perform a specific exercise before taking a break.

If you press a dumbbell over your head 10 times before resting, that is considered 10 repetitions.

Is It Better To Lift Heavy Or Do More Reps?

The rule of thumb is this:

You should lift a weight that is heavy enough that you cannot easily exceed the number of reps in your goal rep range, but not so heavy that you cannot accomplish the minimum number of reps you are aiming for (with good form)!

In addition, you should aim to leave at least 1 rep in the tank on every set.

What does this mean?

It means that you shouldn’t be taking your sets to absolute failure.

Do your best to leave something on the table in each set.

We discuss weight selection in much more detail in: How Much Weight Should You Lift?

How Many Reps Is Too Many? Can You Do Too Many?

Yes, it is possible to do too many reps in a set.

As with all things, too much of a good thing can be detrimental.

I personally don’t go higher than 12-15 reps, but others may find it beneficial to do so.

Anything greater than 20 reps in a set is probably far too many.

Performing this many reps in a set will have diminishing returns.

If you can easily do more than 20 reps, then the weight you are using is probably too light or too easy to elicit any significant growth.

The only exception to this rule is 20 rep squats!

Many people have gained a great deal of strength and muscle using 20 rep squat programs, but this is not for the faint-hearted!

Going above 20 reps can also useful for beginners focusing only on bodyweight exercises.

Otherwise, stick to the rep ranges mentioned above.

Is It Better To Do Reps Or Time?

I recommend you focus on reps rather than time because you can always be objective with the number of repetitions you do.

Time is a double-edged sword. You can either

Both approaches can create sub-optimal results.

Okay, so now you know how many reps you should do.

What about sets? How many sets are ideal to build muscle and strength?

How Many Sets Should You Do Per Workout?

In general, you should do anywhere from 3-5 sets per workout, depending on the number of repetitions you are doing.

Sets and reps and inversely proportional.

Just in case, let’s go over some definitions.

What Is A Set?

A set refers to the number of times you perform a specific number of consecutive repetitions.

Let’s say you do 10 push-ups, rest for 2 minutes, and then do 10 more push-ups.

That is 2 sets of 10 repetitions, or 2 x 10.

Are 2 Sets Enough?

2 sets can be enough if you perform at least 10-12 difficult repetitions per set. This is ideal if you are training for hypertrophy and you are approaching failure in each of those two sets.

Keep this in mind.

2 sets are better than nothing. If you only have time for 2 sets, then do 2 sets.

Heck, single sets are better than nothing.

How Many Sets Should I Do Per Week?

I recommend that you perform 6-10 sets per muscle group per week.

You can accomplish this by training each of the major muscle groups two times each week.

Are There Different Ways of Splitting Up Your Sets?

Ok, so now you know how many sets and reps you are going to do.

The last thing that you have to decide is what kind of sets you are going to do.

In general, there are four different types of sets that you can do.

What Are Straight Sets?

A straight set is the standard method of lifting that everyone is familiar with. You perform all sets of a specific exercise using the same weight.

The repetitions may or may not remain the same across the sets (due to fatigue etc).

Example of straight sets:

In my opinion, straight sets are the only type of sets you need to do.

What Are Ramping Sets?

Ramping sets are when you increase the weight of the exercise on each set, for a specific amount of sets.

In other words, each set uses heavier weights.

The repetitions may or may not remain the same across the sets.

Example of raming sets:

Ramping sets have the advantage that they help you build up momentum for one top heavy set.

The disadvantage of this style of training is that it will decrease the overall volume that you perform as the first set will be “light.”

You can overcome this by performing drop sets after your top set.

What Are Drop Sets?

Drop sets are when you perform additional sets at lighter weights after doing one or more sets with heavy weight.

Drop sets can help you accumulate more training volume if your working sets are too heavy to do straight sets.

Example of drop a set:

If you are a beginner, I rather that you perform straight sets at a weight you can sustain for at least 3 sets.

What Are Pyramid Sets?

Pyramid sets are when you progressively use heavier loads on each set until you reach a top set, and then work your way back down, decreasing the weight back to where you started.

It’s almost a combination of ramping sets and drop sets.

Example of pyramid sets:

As you can see, pyramid sets allow you to accumulate a lot of training volume, however, they require you to do several additional sets.

This style of training is useful for those wanting to maximize hypertrophy.

My recommendation:

Stick to straight sets for the majority of your training, by using a weight that you can manage for at least 3 total working sets. If you have time you can throw in an additional drop set.

What About Supersets Vs Circuits?

There are two other types of sets I want to tell you about.

Supersets and circuits.

What Is a Superset?

A superset is when you alternate between two different exercises, performing a set of exercise A, followed by one set of exercise B and so on.

Advantages:

The advantage of supersets is that it allows you to perform more work in less time.

When doing straight sets, you will generally rest 2-4 minutes between sets.

With supersets, you will only rest 1-2 minutes between sets, decreasing the total time of your workout, while accomplishing the same amount of volume.

Disadvantages:

The disadvantage of supersets is that you might not be 100% fresh for each exercise since your overall rest times are decreasing.

I recommend that you use supersets only for your secondary/”minor” exercises.

Okay, now let’s put it all together and combine all this information.

Part 3: Putting It All Together

How Many Sets And Reps Should I Do As A Beginner?

As a beginner, I recommend that you do 15-30 total reps per exercise. This is the perfect sweet spot for strength and hypertrophy.

So how many sets and reps you should do per exercise depends on the rep range selection you chose from above.

Using this information, you can construct the following guide:

The WCT Weight Lifting Sets & Reps Chart

How Many Sets and Reps Should You Do For Muscular Endurance?

If you are training for endurance / metabolic conditioning, you can and should exceed the 15-30 rep sweet spot. Endurance training will require you to perform a lot of repetitions and in a short amount of time.

Here are the guidelines.

40 total repetitions of each exercise

To Build Muscle?

So how many sets should you do for hypertrophy? I recommend that you stick to the upper limit of the 15-30 rep per exercise sweet spot.

Here are the guidelines:

For Muscular Strength?

If you are training for general strength, then you need to lift sufficiently heavy weights, where you can only do 4-6 repetitions per set.

Here are the guidelines:

For Maximum Strength?

Maximal strength training is super fun, and it allows you to display how strong you really are.

Again, just make sure that you have adequate experience under your belt, and you use proper form!

Here are the guidelines:

Other Related Questions

How Many Sets And Reps Should I Do To Lose Weight?

If your goal is to lose weight and burn fat, then it is best to perform a high number of sets and reps at a moderate intensity.

Go for 12+ reps per set, and at least 3 sets with short rest periods (like 90 seconds of rest).

Training like this will improve your muscular endurance, and also improve your aerobic capacity.

You might also benefit from circuit training (which I’ll discuss later).

Do Higher Reps Burn More Fat?

The more repetitions you perform, the more calories you will burn.

So yes, higher reps can burn more fat.

With that said, it will also be beneficial for you to train for muscular hypertrophy. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your basal metabolic rate will be.

But don’t forget, exercise alone will likely not lead to any significant amount of weight loss.

You must also make changes to your diet to maximize your fat burning potential.

How Many Reps Should I Do To Tone?

There is no such thing as “toning.” You can either build muscle or burn fat.

In order to improve ” muscle tone “, you need to do both- increase your muscle mass percentage while decreasing body fat.

You can do this using the hypertrophy and metabolic rep ranges of 7-15 repetitions per sets.

How Many Reps and Sets Should A Woman Do?

In general, women don’t need significantly different sets / rep recommendations than men.

The major difference is that women on average can handle more volume than men. This can be in the form of more repetitions per set, or more total sets.

How Often Should I Change The Number of Sets And Reps I Do?

For the best results, you should change the number of sets and reps that you do every 4-6 weeks.

In general, you could change the number of sets and reps that you do per exercise

You won’t be able to continue making progress if you are always doing the same number of repetitions.

You make progress by providing your body with a progressive overload stimulus that changes in difficulty over time.

Only doing high school algebra for 5 years won’t make you a better mathematician. You have to continuously challenge yourself as you become more advanced.

One of the easiest ways for you to do this is to train for different training goals every 4-6 weeks.

This is an example of block periodization, which is the best method of training in my opinion.

What Is Block Periodization?

Block periodization is when you dedicate a specific amount of time to training for a specific goal.

Using this model, you can train for hypertrophy for 4-6 weeks, followed by general strength for 4-6 weeks, followed by maximal strength for 4-6 weeks.

Any combination is possible.

If you’d like, you can alternate between strength and hypertrophy cycles and never do endurance or maximum strength blocks.

Or you can train for endurance, and then hypertrophy, and then for strength.

Your specific goals will dictate what your training cycles should look like.

My recommendation:

A StrengthTraining Program That Uses All Of These Principles:

That was a lot of information.

You can now piece together all of this and apply it to your current workout program, or you can create a brand new program using these principles.

But why do all of that work?

I have already created a comprehensive training manual that takes all of the guesswork out of the equation.

Get the WCT Strength Program, plug in your desired compound exercises, and the template tells you exactly what to do.

P.S. There are male and female versions of the template.

How Did You Like My Weight Lifting Sets and Reps Guide?

So to sum it up:

The next step is to learn:

Now I’d like to hear from you.

Which of the four fitness goals are you going to work on first?

Let me know by leaving a comment below.

Alex Robles, MD, CPT / Brittany Robles, MD, MPH, CPT

Alex & Brittany Robles are physicians, NASM Certified Personal Trainers, and founders of The White Coat Trainer: a resource dedicated to improving the health and fitness of busy professionals using time-efficient strategies. Their advice has been featured in My Fitness Pal, Prevention, Livestrong, Reader’s Digest, Bustle, The Active Times, and more. Learn more about them here.

How Many Hugs You Need a Day and why

I have seen a movie in which the hero always gives a hug to the sad person. He calls it a ‘Jadu ki Jhappi.’

Though, a hug is indeed magical. Its magic is like working within a second. A hug is not secured for an occasion. It would help if you always had a hug when you are happy, excited, or sad. Your every emotion is expressed with the hug. Either, you can say, hug expresses your emotion.

A hug is a perfect way to comfort yourself. It speaks a lot in itself. Hug don’t have words. But, its actions say more than the words. Hugging is the universal way of making anyone feel comfortable.

Even when someone is not likely to feel confident, your hug can make the person feel comfortable. A hug makes you feel good. Scientifically, it is proven that a hug can make you feel happier and healthier.

How many hugs do you need a day?

As per the family therapist, y ou need four hugs per day for survival. You need eight hugs per day, for maintenance and you need 12 hugs per day for growth. I know, it sounds too much of hugs. But, it is great to have as many hugs as you can. A hug is a proven way to relieve stress.

Many hugs are better than not having enough hugs. But, still, how many minimum hugs you should have a day? As per a study, you should have as much to get a hug to make your day better. Without uttering a single word, a hug will spread all the positivity in you and the atmosphere.

Unfortunately, most Western people, especially the people from America, are most likely to touch-deprived. In the United States, people live solely. So, their social involvement chain has a gap in many places. They are resulting in reducing social interaction and touching.

Also, in our modern society, touching others who are not directly related to them is not considered a good sign. But, if you want to relieve your stress, want to make yourself better, improve communication, and be healthier and happier, it is seen that asking for a hug or giving a hug can be a good start.

Of course, seeking others for a hug will make you feel uncomfortable. Then, you can start hugging your family and friends. Scientific Research has proved that a regular hug from a family can fill you with positivity.

A hug has also been a sign of emotional support. It is the fact that, when someone offers a hug, you get dynamic support. And probably, you will fully open up emotionally with the person. This is how hugging works. You find even know how essential and beneficial it is hugging.

Benefits of Hugs

1) Hugs Helps You Reduce Your Fear

Even science has proved it right. According to scientific research, a hug or touch can reduce people’s anxiety. It fills the people with new positive energy so that an individual could feel safe.

A study has proved that even a teddy bear’s touch can reduce the fear in an individual and feel comfortable for the existence. Isn’t it amazing? So, whenever you feel terrible, find the closest one around you, and have a hug. Indeed you will feel relaxed.

2) Hugs Helps You Reduce Your Pain

A hug is a therapy that is perfect for each type of problem. Whether you are happy, sad, upset, excited, or in pain, a hug can relieve your pain from you and fill the confidence and relaxation in you.

As per a survey, there were eight people with Fibromyalgia; they had six therapeutic therapy. In the end, the result was surprising.

After the treatment, it was proved that the persons were from their pain due to touch therapy. Hug works in the same way. It will also use as a medical treatment and indeed help you to remind your pain.

3) Hugs Helps You Communicate with Others

Hugging is a proven effective way of communicating. Communication is usually done through words or facial expressions. But, touch is also one way to express your feelings and share.

The scientist has stated that touching the various parts of the body is an excellent way to express your feeling. The feeling could be anything, such as love, kindness, gratitude, happiness, anger, disgust, etc.

A hug is a part of touching. It can be the best way to express your feeling if you do not find the right words to describe your feeling.

4) Hugs Can Make You Happier

If you are sad, upset, or demotivated, or less confident, have a hug and see the magic. A hug plays a role as a supporter. If you don’t want to have a word but still want to feel full of energy, find someone, like your family or friends, and hug them.

Oxytocin, which is also called a cuddle hormone in our body, is associated with our happiness or less stress. This happens because the chemical level rises when we hug or touch someone or sit closer to anyone else.

As per research, this hormone is very powerfully effective in women. Oxytocin also acts to reduce the blood pressure and the stress chemical norepinephrine.

Another study found that oxytocin’s benefits were most potent in women who had better relationships and were getting frequent hugs from their romantic partners. In women, oxytocin gives them help when they use ones that are near to them.

5) Hugs May Boost Your Heart Health

Yes! You read, write. A hug can help your heart from working effectively. An experiment was conducted. Where scientists split a few people into a group of two.

One group was asked to hold their romantic partner’s hand for 10 minutes, followed by having a 20-second hug with each other.

Another group of the romantic couple was only seated in silence for 10 minutes and 20 seconds.

After the study, it was found that the people in group one showed a more significant reduction in blood pressure level. Also, their heart rate was raised as compared to the people in group two.

So, this experiment proves that a significant relationship is right for you and your heart.

6) Hugs May Protect You against illness

Hugs in reducing stress. We all know how stress can make us sick. And, a customary hug can give you relief from this illness. A hug can help you to stay healthier than the person who doesn’t have it.

Once, a study about over 500 adults was conducted, and it found that a hug can reduce the chances of falling sick.

Those participants who had a more effective support system was likely to get less sick and having fewer illness symptoms. In contrast, the participants, who have less supporter of negligible, they were often ill.

This is how a hug works, so whenever you feel uneasy or not feeling well, have a hug. It will help you feel good and energetic.

7) Hugs Reduce Stress by Showing Your Support

Whenever a friend or a family member is dealing with something unpleasant or painful in life, offer them a hug. Hug will not solve their problem, but it will give them the strength to face the cult situation.

Expert says that giving a hug to the person can reduce stress and make the person feel comfortable. It will also reduce the street of the person who is doing this. So, hug works in both the side.

In one research, in twenty heterosexual couples, men were given an electric shock. While the shocking process, the women were asked to hold their husband’s arms.

Experimenters found that the parts of each woman’s brain related to stress showed reduced action. Whereas those parts related to the rewards of maternal behavior showed more activity.

When we hug someone, to make comfortable, these parts of the brain gives a similar response as in the experiment.

In our life, many times, a challenging situation comes where we don’t want any words of sympathy. Either we are not in the position to understand them. We want someone to support us without saying a word. A hug is the best way to say, ‘I am with you.’

Hug don’t have any language. But it speaks many things. You can express your every emotion through the hug. Don’t wait for any occasions to have a hug, either don’t lose a chance for the same.

That is why, whenever we met someone, a hug is being offered to show out our happiness. Now, you know how a hug is meaningful. So, now onwards, promise yourself to collect as many hugs as you can and give as many hugs anyone needs.