KEEP IT SIMPLE. FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES. BE CONSISTENT.

Over the years, I’ve switched up the number of repetitions I’ve done in a set for different exercises. I’ve also changed the amount of sets. At times, I felt like there was no rhyme or reason for the changes I’ve implemented besides what I was feeling at the moment. I would look up information on YouTube, magazines, and listen to anecdotal information from others but I never found some solid information. I wanted to share some GENERAL guidelines that you should consider when lifting - and I won’t make you read my entire life’s story before I get to the recipe . . . I mean information.

SOURCE

The following information is based on the American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (10th edition, 2018) which the American Council of Exercise (ACE) also references.

NUMBERS

The factors to consider when performing an exercise are frequency, intensity, time, type, volume, pattern, and progression otherwise known by the sexy acronym FITT-VP. These guidelines can serve as a good foundation when thinking about your next workout. Note that the guidelines change for different categories of movement such as flexibility exercises, cardiorespiratory exercises, muscular strength/endurance exercises, and neuromotor exercises. Perhaps I will make a similar much more condensed post for the recommended guidelines for each different category. I said - perhaps. For now, this post will focus on muscular endurance/strength for newbies and intermediate lifters in general good health. These guidelines are different for older folks. Again, this is for muscular strength and endurance. Lets get into it . . .

FREQUENCY: Hit major muscle groups 2-3 days per week.

INTENSITY: There is a 1 rep maximum (1-RM) weight amount that we can all achieve. This is the amount of weight that a person can lift only once. It’s different for everyone. The recommended intensity for newbies and intermediate lifters is 60-70% of that 1-RM which should feel moderate-to-vigorous. For sedentary individuals just starting out, it is 40-50% of that 1-RM which should feel light-to-moderate, so don’t over do it newbies!

TIME: This refers to the recommended amount of time spent. For muscular strength and endurance there is no set amount of time which makes sense because it depends on when you max out or which muscle group you’re working and on the particular exercise.

TYPE: This refers to the specific types of exercises. Not much specific information is provided here, it is simply recommended to hit all major muscle groups. This is why people hire personal trainers or attend group fitness classes, or read cool blogs like these :). However, they do recommend incorporating both multi-joint and single-joint exercises. Exercises like squats engage multiple joints to complete the movement while a bicep curl engages only one joint to target a specific muscle.

REPETITIONS: 8-12 reps are recommended to improve strength in most adults so this would be the target amount when lifting.

15-25 reps to improve endurance (last longer, lower weight)

SETS: 2-4 sets are recommended for most adults for each exercise. To improve muscular endurance, less than 2 sets can be effective.

PATTERNS: This refers “how” you will complete these reps within a set which is with a 2-3 minute break between each set. BONUS POINT INFORMATION THAT I DID NOT KNOW - WHEN YOU WORK OUT A PARTICULAR MUSCLE GROUP, REST AT LEAST 48 HOURS BEFORE HITTING THAT MUSCLE GROUP AGAIN.

PROGRESSION: This refers to how soon should you glow up to a heavier weight or increase the resistance. The guideline is very vague, but it basically boils down to listening to your body.

Pull up this post when you’re thinking about your next workout! Get it done! Oh and please share it. Thank you.