No. of Sets and Reps

Boarder

Hey,
I guess this is somewhere else on the site and i know its a bit of a noobies question (so dont shout at me too much). But, what actually is the right number of sets and reps? Ive read many many many different ideas across the web. Not sure what to believe to be honest. Build Muscle, Six Pack Abs and Lose Fat Fast. Natural Bodybuilding blog i read that 4-6 reps is for muscle strength and 8-12 is for muscle growth...is this true? also, i dont have a clue about how many sets to do. i generally do a routine of 3 - 4 sets of doing 12 - 10 - 8 reps. any good?

Bodyworks

tough one to answer bud. there is no correct answer as everyone trains in their own style. if it works for it's the right way is the general rule. i'd say, for new trainers and novice trainers that 3 sets of around 10 reps on 3 exercises per bodypart works well. the main thing is getting the target muscle to do the work rather than just moving the weight ( this is bodybuilding not powerlifting remember ). When your experience of training with correct form increases, then i'd say opt for a pyramid principle in your training whereby each set uses a progressively heavier weight than the last, but for fewer reps. stick with 3 sets of this and 3 exercises per bodypart. in time, you'll know your own body well enough to determine if you are doing too many sets or exercises, too few reps, training too frequently etc. bear in mind that as you progress in bodybuilding, your body is put under even greater stress, as the weights you use increase and the intensity of your training increases, so less volume or frequency may be needed to avoid over training. in the early stages of your training however, i would say this is highly unlikely so get yourself in the gym and get some experience behind you.

Boarder

oh ok thanks man. thats pretty much what im doing at the moment. i have seen some good gains but was wondering if i should be doing it differently for better results. ive already got a stretch mark on my right tricep so i must be doing something right lol. Thanks for the info Bodyworks. Much appreciated.