When to Use Multiple Sets

The discussion on sets and reps with my friend Marlene continues. There's some good stuff here. 

When to Use Multiple Sets

Multiple sets work best for intermediate or advanced lifters who need a more sustainable approach to make steady gains. They're also better for athletes, because you don't have to train to failure as often, allowing you to recover before your next workout, practice or game.If you want to get better at complicated exercises like the squat, dead lift or clean, multiple sets work best. You need practice to perfect the skill necessary to move big weights—just like shooting a basketball or throwing a baseball. If you're an athlete, you know that exercises like the Squat are closely linked to your sports performance. Training barbell lifts to failure can be sketchy, so stick with multiple sets and stop short of failure.



Finally, the bigger and stronger you are, the more you can benefit from multiple sets. Beginners can use one set to failure and increase the weight each workout. But once you plateau and the weight doesn't go up each workout, you need to increase the number of sets to keep pushing your progress.


To Fail or Not to Fail?

The argument is that if training a muscle to failure makes it grow, why not do it once and be done with it? At first glance, this makes sense, but experience shows to isn't practical in the long run. Lifting to failure is only one way to make muscles grow. The body is extremely adaptive to stressors and will do whatever it needs to survive. Muscles grow in response to three types of stress:

1. Mechanical tension: heavy weight
2. Metabolic stress: lifting to failure or getting a "pump"
3. Muscle damage: microscopic tears in muscle fibers

Research suggests you don't need all three to build muscle—one usually does the trick. Which method you choose depends on your athletic goals, available equipment and how much time you can spend training. Bottom line: Training to failure may be the quickest way to spark muscle growth, but beware of soreness and reduced performance over the next few days.

Lift for Your Goal

There's a time and a place to use different combinations of sets and reps. Besides the 3x10 approach, here are a few other popular choices and how to use them:

1 Set to Failure

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Goal: Muscle gain
• Equipment: Machines
• Intensity: Failure

Using a single set to failure can spark quick muscle growth, especially in beginners. Research suggests that experienced lifters need more volume, but rookies can use machines to safely exhaust their muscles. But be careful—this method will leave you sore and tired.

5 Sets of 5 Reps

• Experience Level: Beginner
• Goal: Strength
• Equipment: Free weights
• Intensity: At least two reps shy of failure

5x5 is an old-school strength method that works incredibly well for adding pounds to the bar. Low-rep sets of five let you go heavy, but 25 total reps give you enough volume to add some muscle mass, too. For safety's sake, stop each set shy of failure to maintain proper form. 

4 Sets of 8 Reps

• Experience Level: Intermediate to Advanced
• Goal: Muscle gain
• Equipment: Free weights or machines
• Intensity: One rep shy of failure

Intermediate lifters with more muscle mass need more volume to keep growing. Four sets of eight reps allows for heavier loads to add mechanical stress, while stopping one rep shy of failure adds a solid amount of metabolic stress to force muscle growth.

10 Sets of 3 Reps

• Experience Level: Advanced
• Goal: Maximal strength
• Equipment: Free weights
• Intensity: Two reps shy of failure

Strong athletes can handle more volume with heavy weights. Ten sets of three reps allows for lots of heavy, low-rep sets to build massive strength and keep perfect form. This rep scheme works best with barbell lifts like the Squat, Bench and Deadlift.

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References


• Krieger, James W. "Single vs. Multiple Sets of Resistance Exercise for Muscle Hypertrophy: A Meta-Analysis." Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 24.4 (2010): 1150-159.

• McBride, Jeffrey M., Daniel Blow, Tyler J. Kirby, Tracie L. Haines, Andrea M. Dayne, and N. Travis Triplett. "Relationship Between Maximal Squat Strength and Five, Ten, and Forty Yard Sprint Times." Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 23.6 (2009): 1633-636.

• Schoenfeld, Brad J. "The Mechanisms of Muscle Hypertrophy and Their Application to Resistance Training." Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 24.10 (2010): 2857-872.

• Smith, Lucille L. "Causes of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness and the Impact on Athletic Performance: A Review." Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 6.3 (1992): 135-41.

• Todd, Janice S., Jason P. Shurley, and Terry C. Todd. "Thomas L. DeLorme and the Science of Progressive Resistance Exercise." Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 26.11 (2012): 2913-923.

• Winett, Richard A. "Meta-Analyses Do Not Support Performance of Multiple Sets or High Volume Resistance Training." Journal of Exercise Physiology 7.5 (2004): 10-20.

• Wolfe, Brian L., Linda M. Lemura, and Phillip J. Cole. "Quantitative Analysis Of Single- Vs. Multiple-Set Programs In Resistance Training." Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 18.1 (2004): 35-47.