Get Stronger, Build Muscle, or Boost Stamina: Your Guide to Weight Training
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
Have you ever wondered how people get really strong, build impressive muscles, or run for miles without getting tired? A lot of it comes down to something called weight training, and it's not as complicated as it sounds! Let's break down some key ideas so you can understand how to get the most out of your workouts.
Reps and Sets: The Building Blocks
When you lift weights, you'll hear terms like "reps" and "sets."
Reps (Repetitions): This is simply how many times you lift and lower a weight in one go. If you pick up a dumbbell and curl it up and down 10 times, that's 10 reps.
Sets: This is a group of reps. So, if you do 10 curls, rest for a bit, and then do another 10 curls, you've completed 2 sets of 10 reps.
The number of reps and sets you do really depends on what you're trying to achieve:
Building Muscle (Hypertrophy): To make your muscles bigger, you usually want to do a moderate number of reps, like 6 to 12 reps per set, for 3 to 5 sets. This amount of work helps your muscles grow.
Getting Stronger (Strength): If your main goal is to lift heavier weights, you'll do fewer reps with heavier weights, often 1 to 5 reps per set, for 3 to 5 sets. This trains your body to move maximum weight.
Boosting Stamina (Endurance):: For better endurance, like being able to do more push-ups or keep going longer, you'll do many reps with lighter weights, typically 15 or more reps per set, for 2 to 4 sets.
How Heavy Should I Lift? (1RM and RIR)
It's important to lift weights that are challenging but safe. Two ways to think about this are:
1 Rep Max (1RM): This is the heaviest weight you can lift one time for a specific exercise. You don't always need to test your 1RM, but it's a way to understand your maximum strength. When people talk about percentages of 1RM, they mean lifting a weight that is a certain percentage of that heaviest single lift. For example, let’s say you’re goal is building muscle (hypertrophy) and your 1RM on bench press is 225lbs, today you’re lifting at 70% of your 1RM means you're lifting about 160lbs for 3 to 5 sets of 6 to 12 reps with a 30 to 90 second rest between sets.
Strength: Often involves lifting at 80-100% of your 1RM.
Hypertrophy: Typically done at 60-80% of your 1RM.
Endurance: Usually involves lifting at 50% or less of your 1RM.
Reps in Reserve (RIR): This is a simpler way to gauge how hard you're working. It means how many more reps you could have done before your muscles completely gave out.
Going to Failure (0 RIR): This means you lift until you literally can't do another proper rep. Your muscles are completely tired. For some people, this can be good for building muscle, but it can also be very tiring and might not be safe for every exercise or every workout. Be sure to use a spotter when going to failure!
Near Failure (1-2 RIR): This means you stop your set knowing you could have done 1 or 2 more good reps if you pushed really hard. This is often a great sweet spot for building muscle because it's very effective without being as draining or risky as going to full failure every time.
3+ RIR: You could have done several more reps; this is good for warming up, practicing your form, or building endurance.
Rest Between Sets: Giving Your Muscles a Break
How long you rest between your sets can also make a big difference in what you achieve:
For Strength: When you're lifting really heavy to get stronger, your muscles and nervous system need a lot of time to recover. You'll usually rest longer, typically 2 to 5 minutes between sets. This lets you be ready to lift those heavy weights again.
For Building Muscle (Hypertrophy): To get your muscles to grow, you want them to feel a good "pump" and stay a bit fatigued. Shorter rest periods help with this. You'll usually rest for 30 seconds to 90 seconds between sets.
For Endurance: When you're working on stamina, you're training your muscles to keep going even when they're tired. Very short rest periods, often 30 seconds or less, are common here to keep your heart rate up and build your muscles' ability to resist fatigue.
Different Types of Weight Training
People train for all sorts of reasons, leading to different styles of weight training:
Powerlifting: This focuses on getting as strong as possible in three specific lifts: the squat, bench press, and deadlift. It's all about moving maximum weight.
Bodybuilding: The goal here is to build muscles that are as large and defined as possible. Bodybuilders focus on making their muscles look symmetrical and impressive.
Strongman: Think about lifting huge, unusual objects like stones, logs, or carrying cars. Strongman competitions test overall functional strength and power.
General Fitness/Lifestyle: Many people lift weights just to be healthier, feel better, and improve their everyday strength. This might involve a mix of exercises and goals, focusing on overall well-being.
No matter your goal – whether it's to be super strong, build bigger muscles, or just feel more energetic – understanding these basic ideas about reps, sets, and how heavy to lift can help you get started on your weight training journey. Always remember to lift safely and consider getting guidance from a coach or trainer!
