Tips and Advice for Tailoring Your Training Routine Part 3: Sets, Reps, and Training Frequency Click on these links if you would like to read the first 2 parts of this series: Part 1 & Part 2 . In part one, we covered the basics of “workload” and in part 2 we covered how to “select a program” for your individual needs and goals. This essay may not make as much sense if you don’t read the first two parts, so if you just jump in here, you’ve been warned. With that out of the way, let’s get right to it. Originally, I was just going to sub-title this part “sets and reps,” but as I began to put pen to paper—I almost always handwrite my articles before I type them—I realized that training frequency must come first and it should determine the set/rep range that is then utilized. Since we have been covering primarily full-body workouts done 3 days per week, we will start with the b...
Workload as an Important Factor in the Quest for Size and Strength What follows is nothing more than some of the thoughts that have been rattling around in my training-filled brain since writing my last couple essays, the first on the “ Old School Way ” and my most recent one entitled “ Train Through the Soreness ,” both of which were also precipitated by my series on “ Tailoring Your Workout Program .” I think it’s fair to say, or write in this instance, that modern gym-goers believe gains in muscle or strength (or both) comes down to “hard” training coupled with rest, recovery, and eating enough calories and protein. I think that is true but only partially so. Since it’s not the entire truth, however, it can hold you back from achieving (potentially) even better results in the gym. The “whole truth” of muscle growth contains several factors. If you want to prioritize muscle gr...