is it important to break into reps and set and why?

i can do 30 push-ups. can i do 30 in 1 go to save time or i need break into 10 reps 3 set?

any difference?

u ned train to failure or close to failure to gain muscle. so 3x10 will be useless.
Study rep ranges for str also.

i see you asking this question every where. to gain mass and build strength you need low reps. low meaning 4 to 6 per set. basically no other way.

sorry i’m beginner 😅

I'm not really pro, but try help with my understanding... High reps = toning. Low reps = muscle gain.. If wanna tone, then you can do 3 sets until failure.. Best to do incline and decline as well (3sets each).. If wanna gain muscle, then you will need to add weights or resistance band to drop down your failure reps to 8-12 per set.. And if wanna gain, incline and decline is a must.. So make sure you do 3sets each...

the hell is toning?

Their toning means getting into shape. In short, cutting.

Low reps for strength and high reps for muscle gain. For beginner I'd suggest 8-12 reps range. Reason being it is light enough that you can do it with correct form and heavy enough for your muscle to grow.

Once you are more experienced you can try lifting heavier like 5- 8 reps.

1-5 reps are usually for strength training, doesn't really build muscle but still good to lift heavy once in a while.

Breaking into sets is good because you get to rest and recover. When lifting heavier weights you need to rest enough so that you can do the next set properly.

However, your question is for push ups. If you can do 30 reps easily then there is no need for rest.

current taking dumbbell and for bicep i can do like 30 right arm 25 left arm before no strength. if i cheat and move my shoulder abit can go few more. is it consider too light for me?

30 reps is definitely too light for optimal muscle growth.

For smaller muscle group like bicep 12-15 is good.

If there is no heavier dumbbells then you make do with what you have.

Muscle will definitely grow but just slower.

Also make sure you eat enough so that there is calorie surplus if you want to gain muscle.

Maybe you should try doing the same reps for both arms so that no muscle imbalance in the long term.

One point to note, caloric surplus doesn't mean anything if your protein intake is not enough. After all, protein is literally one major component of muscles. It's commonly recommended to eat between 1.6-2.2g/kg of protein, it's better to get protein from meats/dairy to include all types of essential amino acids unless you know how to mix and match the veggies/beans to get all of the essential amino acids.

my left definitely weaker than right. how do i make it balance? stop at 25 to folllow left hand?

Always lift with your weaker side first.

If you have other activities than gym that uses alot of right arm. You can try do more reps/sets in the gym on the other side to compensate.

ok thanks!

The orthodox belief is 3 to 5 sets and based on my past education in the field through the ACSM syllabus(do bear in mind that sport science like other science is fluid and constantly changes), the number of repetitions is dependent on if you want to focus and improve on:

- Muscle endurance(15-20 reps)
- Muscle strength(3-6 reps)
- Muscle hypertrophy(8-12 reps)

All the repetitions are based on your 1 rep max capabilities(google 1 rep max) and of course theories are endless and there are also endless debates about it so perhaps the more practical method is to use perceived exertion rate to gauge it but it is always good to test your 1 rep max, I do a 10 rep test but I have gotten lazier, so theory is not always feasible in the real world.

Rest in between periods is arguably more important, for hypertrophy especially, I follow the 45 seconds to 1 minute stringently, most of us will need time to build up the neuromuscular strength and fortitude to get through all 3-5 sets of this, it is extremely taxing to the mind as you get to the end of the exercise.

Of everything, I am more of the mindset that the focus on the eccentric motion with proper tempo as of most important among everything when it comes to hypertrophy and of one’s posture health.

the 3-5th set sure cannot max anymore right? like first set u full power 12 reps then at the end maybe only able 6 reps?

12 reps per set does not mean max 12 reps per set but based on 50-75% of your 1RM which requires you to test but that’s tedious.

I try to optimise based on 8 reps and not go below 6 at the final sets of my workouts.

Also neuromuscular strength comes first, track your progress weekly, if it gets too tedious and hard, lower the weights.

Many bodybuilders I know lift crazy heavy weights in the gym but there are many too who do not do that but focuses on the correct tempo and range of motion and have got superior physique.

I always go for 5-8 reps. 3-4 sets. I used to waste so much time doing 12 reps. Found out that I progress really slow that way.

It's better to go for heavy weights. You can cheat for some reps as long as you slowly control the eccentric motion of the rep.

if can do 12 but only do 8 then ur not stressing your muscle enough. like that can get big muscle?

As long as you progress with your weight, means you get stronger.
Of course I don't cheat every rep la haha. 1-2 cheat reps. And when I can do without cheat reps, increase the weight.

The heavier the weight, the bigger your muscle will get.

Sometimes I do go back to lighter weight to do 10 reps if I feel like I'm stalling.
Doing a lot of reps is also good once in a while to feel that muscle-mind connection. Cos lighter weights, easier to focus on the isolated muscles.


In any case, don't stress about it.
It's just a matter of optimization. I learned the hard way doing less reps save time.
You can be more efficient or you can take a more relaxed route with more reps.

This post has been edited by nightshade_nova: Jul 15 2020, 04:38 PM

You will never get good answer. Depends on your body structure, mind muscle connection, training type, etc. You need to train long enough to know your body and adjust accordingly.

Hi guys.

I have some questions to ask here.

My background; Im very new to gym-like joined them a week ago and Im a girl.

My goal: to lose weight and I don't want to lose my muscle, most of my girlfriend lose weight but their skin quite flabby

I started my weight loss journey last months and hit plateau for 2 weeks because what I have been doing only control my portion and brisk walking. Then I discover that, I might loss a muscle since I focused too much on brisk walking. That is when I decided to join the gym.

So, at the gym, I lift dumb bell and use all the machine with the black plate weight 5kg each. Im not sure their name but here is the machine description:

(this is the machine function)
1. I sit in the chair n lift the weight using my calf/feet
2. I have to lift weight using my stomach by bending my body to the front
3. I lay down and use my calf/back to lift the weight(I heard it focus on hamstring)
4. I have to pull the weight to my body and push it back
5. I have to pull the bar from the top to my stomach and release it back to the top

So for all this machine and dumb bell(I lift 2.5kg each)-my routine is to do 12reps and 4 sets in one round(my plate is 15kg for upper body/machine that use hand strength, but for those using leg, im doing 10kg and 15kg)-taking break for about 30 seconds after each set

After that, I do cardio-jog, run, brisk walking on treadmill for 20 minutes; before repeat those thing above.

Total cardio/daily: 40-50minutes(2-3 sets;20 minutes each)
Total training with machine: 12reps(4 set)-in one round; will do 2 rounds everyday

Doing squat without weight-50(10 reps in one go)

My question:
1. Am I doing it right(on sets and reps?)as I want to keep my muscle and at the same time losing my body fat?Or my reps n sets is too little?

2. Im doing atkins whereby my calorie intake is between 1,200 daily(protein range 70-90gm), but I heard I have to eat more protein since I workout more than 1 hour every day. So, should I increase my protein intake?(I just want to be careful to not interrupting my diet)

3. Im not rushing in losing weight, 1-2kg is my weekly goals. But I want to do it right(not yoyo diet and want to have active lifestyle)

4. Im taking probiotic, multivitamin, omega oil and BCAA for my supplements. I just bought BCAA-2-3 days ago as I read it is good in keeping the muscle.

Thanks and sorry since im totally noob🙇🏻‍♀️

You just started no need go so much on rep/set. Maybe set 8reps x 3 sets each exercise with light weight. Learn how to use the machine and feel your muscle. Let say the machine stated its for calf then you should feel it on your calf. Try control/use that particular muscle. Beginners very easy to tell cause you'll be sore for few days. If sore on other parts then you either doing it wrong or you unable to make use of that muscle yet. Other body parts compensated. Once you know how to use it then progressive overload can be rep range / sets / time under tension / difficulty / weight / etc

Whatever diet plan you follow make sure its sustainable for you. Thats good protein range already for girl so don't worry about protein for now.

You don't need BCAA. Other supplements for your health so no comment.

You have a very good goal and mindset there. Keep it up.

Thanks for the motivation
I have sore muscle after 2 days join gym and has to stop doing squat for 2 days after start doing it. I see, will finish BCAA and focus more on eating a good food. I enjoy doing atkins because I don't have carb craving. I don't eat rice and bread, all food with santan is not my favourite as well.

So far, I feel good doing those reps, maybe will slow down during my rest day.

One more question if you are free to enlighten me
I read about arm day, leg day where they focus on 1 muscle group every two days at gym and as for now Im doing all exercise for whole group of muscle in my body daily. Should I continue with my routine or focus on arm in one day and leg on the other day?

That's the whole purpose of doing progressive overload. You don't go gym and throw in 12reps x 4sets even though you can do it. You'll be sore for days or weeks then lose motivation or risk of injury. Slowly increase without overdoing till severe DOMS.

You can always eat banana, take hot shower, stretch, proper warmup, etc to lighten the soreness.

You don't have to do bodysplit routine. Push pull leg would be better.

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This post has been edited by DeAct: Apr 9 2024, 11:20 PM