What is a set and what is a rep?
A rep (repetition) is one complete movement. In the bench press, that means lowering the bar to your chest and pressing it back up. A set is a number of reps done in a row without stopping. If you do ten reps, rest, then do ten more, you've done two sets of ten.
Warm-up sets usually don't count. When people talk about sets, they mean working sets: the ones heavy enough to count as training.
How many reps depends on your goal
When you choose a rep focus in BIP's generator, it uses three ranges for the main lifts:
- Strength: 3 to 6 reps. Heavy weights, few reps and longer rests. Builds maximal strength.
- Muscle building (hypertrophy): 6 to 12 reps. Moderate weight and more reps. This is the default.
- Endurance: 12 to 20 reps. Lighter weights, lots of reps and shorter rests.
Smaller exercises, such as dumbbell lateral raises or bicep curls, are often done for a few more reps.
Muscle grows across more rep ranges than you might think
The mainstream view today is that muscle can be built across a fairly wide range of reps, with heavier weights and fewer reps or with lighter weights and more reps. The condition is that your sets end fairly close to what you can manage. A set of 20 easy reps when you could have done 40 doesn't give you much.
In practice, very low reps call for heavy weights and solid technique, and very high reps take a long time. That's why 6 to 12 is a good middle ground for most people: heavy enough to count, light enough to keep your technique.
How many sets per exercise?
2 to 4 working sets per exercise is common. As a beginner, 2 to 3 is often enough. When everything is new, your body responds to less.
Sets per muscle group per week
You can also count sets per muscle group per week. A common rule of thumb for building muscle is around 10 working sets per muscle group each week. Beginners often get by with fewer.
For example: three sets of squats twice a week plus three sets of lunges once makes nine sets for the front of your thighs.
More isn't automatically better. Every set costs recovery, and lots of half-hearted sets give you less than fewer proper ones. How to spread your sets across the week is covered in how often should you train.
How close to failure should you go?
A set counts when it's hard work. To judge this, ask yourself after the set: how many more reps could I have done with good technique? This is called RIR (reps in reserve), or how many reps you had left in the tank.
- 0 left: you couldn't have done another one.
- 1 to 2 left: hard, the last reps are slow.
- 3 left: challenging but controlled.
- 5 or more left: that was closer to a warm-up.
For most sets, 1 to 3 reps left in the tank is a good level. You don't need to go to complete failure on every set. It takes more recovery, and technique tends to slip at the end. That matters most on heavy compound lifts such as the deadlift. If you want to take a set all the way, pick a smaller exercise where a missed rep doesn't matter.
It's hard to judge as a beginner, but it gets easier with time, and many people have more left than they think.
Rest between sets
Rest until you can do the next set properly. As a rule of thumb:
- Heavy compound lifts (squat, bench press, deadlift): 2 to 3 minutes, sometimes more when you're doing low reps.
- Smaller exercises (curls, lateral raises, triceps): around 1 to 2 minutes.
- Endurance focus: shorter rests, often a minute or less.
Resting too little costs you reps on the next set. Short on time? Cut the rest on smaller exercises first and give the heavy lifts the time they need.
How to keep track
Write down the weight and reps for every set, not just the exercise. For example: squats, three sets at 60 kg, for 8, 8 and 7 reps. Next time, you know exactly what you need to beat.
A simple rule for moving up: stay within your range, and when you reach the top of it on every set, add a little weight. You then start lower in the range again and build back up. That's progressive overload in practice.
Common mistakes
- Changing reps and exercises every week. You can't tell whether you're getting stronger.
- Doing too many sets too soon. Start at the lower end and add more when you're recovering well.
- Stopping far from failure on every set. Easy sets feel comfortable but build little.
- Going to complete failure on every heavy lift. It often costs more in recovery than it gives back.
- Training through pain. Training should be hard work, but if something hurts, stop and get it looked at by a doctor or physiotherapist.
A simple way to start
- Pick 4 to 6 exercises per session.
- Do 2 to 3 working sets per exercise, for 8 to 12 reps.
- Finish each set with 1 to 3 reps left in the tank.
- Log everything and add weight once you hit 12 reps on every set.
In the training log you record weight and reps for every set, and the log and your records are free. You'll find ready-made plans for beginners among the training programmes. If you'd rather not work it out yourself, BIP builds a weekly programme from your goal, equipment, experience, number of days and time per session, and in advanced mode you choose the rep focus in the generator. The first week is free. With Premium (99 kr a month), BIP builds your next week every week from what you actually lifted.