Understanding sets, reps & rest time
Ready to start your fitness journey but feeling a little lost? Don't worry! Everyone starts somewhere, and the key to getting confident is understanding the basics. Let's break down the three most important terms you'll hear in the gym: sets, reps, and rest. Think of them as the secret recipe for a great workout.
Reps (Repetitions): The "How Many"
A rep (short for repetition) is simply one complete movement of an exercise. For example, if you're doing a bicep curl, one rep is lifting the weight all the way up and lowering it all the way down.
Why it's important: Reps are the building blocks of your workout. They dictate how much work your muscles are doing. A higher number of reps (like 12-15) is great for building endurance, while a lower number (like 6-8) is more effective for building strength and muscle size.
Sets: The "How Many Rounds"
A set is a group of reps performed one after the other without stopping. So, if your workout plan says "3 sets of 10 reps," it means you'll do 10 reps, take a break, do another 10 reps, take a break, and then do a final 10 reps.
Why it's important: Sets are how you challenge your muscles. Doing just one set of an exercise is good, but doing multiple sets is what really pushes your muscles to grow stronger and adapt. It's like doing a few rounds in a boxing match instead of just one punch!
Rest: The "Recharge Time"
Rest time is the break you take between sets. This is when your body recharges, and your muscles get a chance to recover before the next set.
Why it's important: Rest is just as crucial as the workout itself. Taking a proper rest allows you to maintain your form and lift the same amount of weight (or more!) for your next set. Too little rest, and you'll burn out. Too much rest, and your muscles cool down, which isn't ideal.
For strength training, a longer rest period (2-3 minutes) is often recommended.
For muscle endurance, a shorter rest period (30-60 seconds) is perfect.
Putting It All Together
Let's imagine you're doing squats. A complete workout might look like this:
Exercise: Squats
Sets: 3
Reps: 12
Rest: 60 seconds
This means you'll do 12 squats, rest for one minute, then do another 12 squats, rest for another minute, and finally, do your last 12 squats. And just like that, you've completed three sets!
Understanding these three simple concepts gives you the power to control your workouts and achieve your goals. If this is something that is useful and you would like to know more then my ebook on the complete beginners guide to gym will help walk you through what you need to know to get started in gym.