What Are Sets vs. Reps?

Strength training is an important part of developing a consistent and effective exercise routine. But if you want to see the rewards for that hard work, you’ll need to understand how reps and sets affect your workout program. Think of it as seeing the blueprint for your specific fitness goals. All of the pieces and components are there to be turned into fuel for your next workout.

Knowledge is a great motivator for staying on track. In fact, strength training for just 30-60 minutes per week has been linked to lowering the risk of cancer and heart disease. But what are sets vs. reps comparisons going to do for you and your workouts? How do they apply to what you want to get out of a health and fitness plan?

This guide will explain how understanding the role each plays in your exercise plan can help you achieve your fitness goals.

Sets and Reps — Understanding the Difference

Seasoned gym lovers have probably heard these sorts of common gym terms a lot over the years. But if you’re just starting out on your fitness journey, they may not be something you’ve heard before. So, what can reps and sets bring to your strength training? Learning their differences will clue you in on how long your workout should be and how much effort to put in. It provides you with an outline of how to train in your gym sessions.

Reps

Short for “repetition,” a rep is a single completion of an exercise or strength training movement. For example, doing one squat is a rep. Doing a single lift on a bench press is a rep. You may also hear the term “repetition maximum” or “1RM,” which refers to the maximum amount of weight someone can lift in one repetition.

Sets

A set is essentially the number of reps completed. If you can do 20 press-ups without resting, you’ve completed a “set.” If you’re in a training program that involves doing 50 press-ups, for example, you may split those up into five sets of 10 reps to get all of them done. A strength training plan might include various sets of exercises that increase over time — for example, you might start with just two sets of 10 reps on the squat rack and move up to more sets as your strength and endurance improve.

The Benefits of Sets and Reps

The way sets and reps are organized helps you to plan and work toward your own individual goal. Some common goals that may involve implementing reps and sets in your workout include:

• Building up and growing specific muscles
• Increasing your overall endurance
• Burning more calories
• Gaining more strength
• Improving flexibility

It’s not just a matter of physical health. Strength training-related exercises have also been shown to improve mental health and overall well-being.

How Reps and Sets Impact Your Fitness Goals

Knowing how to use these differences to accomplish your larger goals is a big part of your fitness routine. Looking past the differences in reps vs. sets and applying them to your training is a personal choice based on what you’re hoping to achieve. As part of your fitness regimen, using reps and sets can aid in:

Muscle Growth

Your muscles need a little pressure in order to grow. This means training your muscles to the point of mild internal damage. Having the right amount of rest and nutrition to repair and grow the muscle tissue is a key part of developing bigger muscles.

Each fitness plan is different depending on your objectives, but reps and sets for this goal may include between eight and 15 reps, using weights that you may struggle to complete in those final repetitions to keep those muscles challenged.

Endurance

Setting endurance training fitness goals will depend on which areas of your body need to be worked out the most. Long-distance runners, for example, will endurance train their legs. Strength training for endurance will typically include increasing repetitions to 25-30 per set, but with lighter weights.

Pure Strength

Many people assume that strength building is all about nonstop, intense heavy lifting. The truth is that the key to building strength is fewer reps, larger weights and a lot of rest time. Someone who is training for strength may aim to complete five sets of five repetitions and then take a five-minute rest.

Power

There’s an art to power training. It includes lifting lighter weights, resting for long periods and paying attention to your tempo. You may do a quick burst of lifting in succession, followed by a long rest. Power training involves pushing hard during the first part of the lift or squat to hone your ability to move it quickly.

Overall Fitness

Perhaps you’re just looking to improve your fitness levels in general. If so, a fitness program that combines a bit of everything is a good option. You’ll be able to build strength and increase muscle mass, which gives you a great baseline to work from as you increase fitness. Having around 10 key exercises that work the upper and lower areas of your body in roughly 10-15 reps for three to four sets is a great starting point.

Finding What Works Best for You

Your fitness goals are personal, and they’re never going to be the exact same as anyone else’s. Information on setting a strength training plan can help you understand what you want. But focusing on a few fundamental questions can keep you making progress and feeling inspired to push that little bit harder and achieve them.

Ask yourself some important questions to make sure you’re clear about your fitness objectives:

• What is your ultimate end goal?
• How are you going to achieve these goals?
• Who are you putting in your corner to keep you on the road to success?

There will be days when you need that support system. We all do. True success in your fitness objectives isn’t just about the body. It’s also about feeling empowered and inspired to take those first steps to build healthy habits.

Reach Your Goals With 5 Bridges Health & Fitness

Finding the right gym can be difficult. That’s why the team at 5 Bridges Health & Fitness wants you to feel welcome, understood and motivated as soon as you walk through the door. Our team of certified trainers is made up of people from all walks of life and age ranges. They’re happy to work with people one-on-one, in group classes or just offer a friendly hello as you work out in our gym.

New members receive a fitness consultation that combines innovative body scanning technology with functional movement screening (FMS) and consultation health journals. This personalized approach helps you get started on the best path for your specific needs and fitness goals.

Are you ready to launch your health and fitness transformation? Take that next step with us.