What do 'reps' and 'sets' mean in gym language?

Introduction

Lifting weights at the gym can be intimidating. Between all the growling, grunting, and putting up with people who clearly know more about this than you do, it's hard to even know where to begin. Today's lesson: reps and sets. You hear these terms thrown around a lot in the gym, but what do they mean and why are they important? Do you have to learn how to do them? (Spoiler alert: yes.) Luckily for you, we've got your back on this one.

A rep is one complete movement of an exercise.

A rep is one complete movement of an exercise. It's important to note that each set is made up of multiple reps, so "rep" and "set" are not interchangeable terms. The number of reps you do in your workout is called the training volume. For example, if you do 20 sets at 4 repetitions each, then your training volume will be 80 total reps. A common method for calculating this number is by multiplying the weight lifted and the number of sets (for example: 10 lbs × 10 sets = 100 lbs).

The total number of reps you do in your workout is called the training volume.

The total number of reps you do in a workout is the number of sets multiplied by the number of reps in each set. For example, say you did five sets of ten reps each for bicep curls. That would be 50 total reps: 5 x 10 = 50.

When you repeat an exercise for a set number of reps, that's called a set.

When you repeat an exercise for a set number of reps, that's called a set. A set is how many times you perform an exercise without resting in between the repetitions. If you do 20 pushups and then rest, then do 20 more pushups and rest again, that's two sets of 20 reps total—40 total pushups!

When you're figuring out how many reps you should do in a set, choose the number that lets you get close to fatigue but not actually feel tired by the end.

As a beginner, aim for 8-12 reps. This will allow you to develop strength and muscle mass without overworking your muscles.

As a more advanced lifter, try 6-8 reps per set. This will allow you to maximise muscle fatigue and growth with relatively lighter weights than what you'd lift at the lower end of your rep range (8-12), while still challenging yourself in a way that increases strength and size by recruiting more motor units in each contraction than during low-rep sets (1-3).

If your goal is fat loss or conditioning rather than building muscle mass, do 1-3 sets of 15-20 reps per exercise using bodyweight or light dumbbells as resistance.

The best way to figure out how many sets you need to do in a workout is to experiment and see what works for you.

For example, if you're trying to get stronger, you should work out with enough weight that it's challenging for you. It might be tempting to go heavier than your previous best, but this is a bad idea because it can lead to injury or overtraining.

Instead of increasing the amount of weight on the bar as soon as possible at every workout, try adding one more rep per set instead—or even two or three. That way, when you do increase the amount of weight being lifted over time it will actually mean something.

For example: If my goal is to get stronger and I'm currently doing five sets of 10 reps with 100 lbs., I might try five sets with 105 lbs., then 110 lbs., and so on until I hit 120 lbs.. Then maybe I'll up it again by 5-10 pounds each time after that until finally reaching 150 lbs..

You might see that after a few workouts, your progress slows down or plateaus - when this happens, it may be time to increase how much weight you're lifting or reduce how long your rest periods are between sets.

If you're lifting weights, but your progress starts to slow down or plateau, it may be time to up the ante. You could increase the amount of weight you're lifting, reduce your rest periods between sets, increase the number of sets per exercise or just do more reps with slightly less weight.

Here's an example: if you normally perform 3 sets at 10 reps each with 100 pounds on a bench press and have been able to do this for several weeks straight without any problems -- then increasing your workout by adding another set would likely help improve muscle development and strength.

Reps and sets are different and knowing the difference can help you have better workouts

When working out in the fitness gym, reps and sets are two different things. Reps are the number of times you repeat an exercise, while sets are a combination of reps. For example, if you're doing 10 push-ups, that's a single set with 10 reps.

If you're still confused about what these terms mean or how they apply to your workouts, don't worry—we'll cover it all below!

Conclusion

Here’s a quick recap of what we learned today: We can define reps and sets as the number of times an exercise is repeated in a workout. Reps are one complete movement of an exercise, while sets are multiple reps completed at once. The volume of your workout is simply how many reps you do over time - but when it comes to figuring out your training volume, less is not always more! It all depends on personal preference and what kind of progress you want to make. If that sounds confusing, don’t worry about it too much - just remember that there's no right answer for everyone. For example, bodybuilders might do fewer reps with heavier weights whereas runners usually prefer lighter weights for longer periods (10-12 repetitions).