Going Multiple

T

tag0519

0
Hello,

My weight workouts are fairly simple and consist of only one set (one warmup followed by a 8-12 rep max) per exercise. I'd like to start performing multiple sets and I'd like some advice. How do I proceed? For example if my one set Bench Press is 110 lbs and I want to start doing 2 (or 3) sets how much should i lift for my first set? Should I do the 110 per set or should the first set be less than 110 (say 80 or 90)? And what if I do three sets? How much weight would I use for the first and second sets? This may be a stupid question but I'm not sure what to do.

Thanks in advance,
Tom
 
Firstly, never undermine the warm-up set/s. The average beginner's workout (at least the way I was taught) is 2 sets per exercise. Not a warm up set and then 2 sets, just 2.

Secondly, if you're only doing 1 warm-up set per exercise, then your work set is probably not as maximal as you might think.

If you want to do 3 sets total, I would recommend you do 1 warm-up set with just the bar, then another set at 50-80% of the weight you plan on working at, then a final set at the full weight to fatigue. The weight you can probably do on this 3rd set is probably more than you could do for the same number of reps if you tried to max out on the 2nd set. If you want to do 4 or more sets total, then (for now) pick a working weight that you will fatigue on upon the final rep of the final set.
 
In general you want to do 24-30 working reps per exercise. So, after a warm up set (if needed, you probably don't need warm up sets if you are doing 12 reps, which you should for a couple of months) you would do 2 sets of 12 reps, or 3 sets of 8-10 reps or 4 sets of 6 reps. For a beginner all the sets should normally be at the same weight and should be stopped 2-3 reps short of failure, or put another way, select a weight which you could do 2-3 more reps than the target reps, but always stop at the target rep count. Concentrate on form and feeling the target muscle working.
 
Goldfish and Dswithers, Thanks for the replies. You both pretty much said the same thing but in different ways - A Good Thing!!

Thanks again. Next week I'm starting with the multiple sets.

-Tom
 
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