How Many Sets And Reps Of Weights Do You Need To Gain Strength?

To gain strength , you have to train, you have to be consistent, and you have to challenge your muscles. That’s why it’s not only important to choose the types of exercises you do wisely, but also the number of repetitions and series (or sets) you perform during your workout.

Any amount and type of exercise will bring you benefits if what you want is to stay healthy, have a long life and a better quality of life, but, if you have a specific goal, such as increasing muscle mass , defining your abs or increasing strength , then you need a more specific training plan.

Within that plan you have to consider things like diet, types of training, the weight you carry and how many times you are going to perform the exercises in your routine.

The point is that the repetitions and sets will force the muscles to work properly and provide them with the challenge they need to develop, both in volume and strength.

How many sets and reps should you do of each exercise to gain strength?

To choose the right number of sets and reps per exercise, you need to consider your fitness level and your goals.

Repetitions refer to the number of times you do the same exercise, while sets refer to the group of exercises you’ll do during your routine, and how many times you’ll repeat that entire group.

According to Healthline, the general rule of thumb is that the more sets you do, the more muscle hypertrophy you’ll experience, which is what makes your muscles grow bigger, but “ for strength gains, it’s best to stick with a few basic exercises and focus your reps and sets there.”

When looking to increase your strength, it’s recommended to have a lower rep range. A low rep range of no more than 5 reps (with a heavier load) is ideal for strength, while a range of 6 to 12 reps helps achieve both strength and size gains, but for this, you should choose a challenging weight.

If you’re looking to increase your endurance, then it’s recommended to increase your rep count, from 13 to 20 reps with a weight that allows you to complete all of them without losing form (which will likely be lower than when you have a lower rep count).

“The theory postulates that heavy-load training optimizes and increases maximal strength, moderate-load training optimizes and increases muscle hypertrophy, and low-load training optimizes and increases local muscular endurance,” says a study published in the National Library of Medicine.

The study explains it this way:

• A low-rep scheme with heavy loads (1 to 5 reps per set at 80% to 100% of 1RM) optimizes strength gains.
• A moderate rep scheme with moderate loads (8 to 12 reps per set at 60% to 80% of 1RM) optimizes hypertrophic gains.
• A high-repetition scheme with light loads (more than 15 repetitions per set with loads less than 60% of 1RM) optimizes local improvements in muscular endurance.

According to VeryWell Fit, to gain strength, it’s recommended to perform 4 to 6 sets (of around 5 or 6 reps) of your exercises, although if you’re a beginner, you should start with 1 to 3 sets and increase as you gain strength and endurance.

How many workouts do you need per week?

It’s important to know that consistency makes the biggest difference, and this means you should train more than once a week. Healthline recommends doing 3 to 4 training sessions per week.