If your goal is to get as strong as possible, you may need to resort to a sophisticated strength training program, but the vast majority of your gains can be accomplished without complicated training schemes. After years of training, I believe that the simple way is the best way for most people because simple training is much easier to master, while complicated training often requires much more trial and error before you can fine tune all the training variables to the degree that it works better than simple training.
Four Types of Sets
In my experience, you can select three to four basic strength building exercises and apply four types of sets to each exercise. The four types of sets include:
- Warm up sets
- Speed sets
- Heavy sets using 75% to 85% of your single rep max for 3 to 8 reps
- High rep sets using 60% to 70% of your single rep max for 10 to 15 reps
The Basic Exercises
If we apply the four types of sets to a basic workout, the exercises would consist of:
Squats or Deadlifts (choose one or the other for a given workout)
Bench Presses
Seated Pulley Rows or Barbell Rows
A Sample Workout
When you understand the four types of sets, you can create a sample workout that would be carried out as follows for each exercise performed:
Warm up sets
1 set x 10 reps 30% of your single rep max
1 set x 8 reps 40% of your single rep max
Speed Sets (Perform every rep forcefully)
2 sets x 3 to 5 reps with 50% of your single rep max
2 sets x 3 reps with 60% of your single rep max
1 set x 1 rep 70%
Heavy Sets
1 to 2 set x 5 reps 80%
High Rep Sets
1 set x 10 to 15 reps
Extra Exercises for 1 Set of 8 to 10 Reps
If you want to do more exercises in order to include deltoids, biceps and triceps, you can do one set of 8 to 10 reps using the following exercises:
Overhead Press: 1 set x 8 to 10 reps
Triceps Press-downs: 1 set x 8 to 10 reps
Barbell Curls: 1 set x 8 to 10 reps
Training State Is Key
The key to any training program is to train in the right physiological state that is hard enough to stimulate strength gains without training so hard that it eventually leads to overtraining and a sticking point. This applies most directly to your heavy sets and your high rep sets. When performing these sets, if you push to the point where the speed of your last rep slows down a little compared to the previous reps of a set, you will be training hard enough to stimulate strength gains without training so hard that you are straining and overtraining. As you gain strength, the same amount of sets and reps should start to feel easier and you should be able to add 5 pounds without straining to lift the added weight for the same amount of reps.
Adding weight at the right rate will allow you to remain in the right training state to keep making progress. If you start in the right state and get stronger without adding weight, the training will become too easy to keep stimulating strength gains and progress will stop. In the same manner, if you start in the right training state but keep adding weight before you are ready, the training will become too hard and progress will stop.
This simple workout discussed in this article should be performed two to three times per week for each exercise. The simplicity of your training boils down to three things that you must master. These three things consist of:
- Master your technique for each exercise
- Perform 4 types of sets for each exercise
- Train hard enough to make progress without training so hard that you stop making progress.
Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of simplicity that is applied with precision. Best of training to you.