How Many Exercises Are Too Many?
How Many Exercise Per Workout? It can get overwhelming when your muscles are sore. Also, your muscles may not be ready to be pounded by several sets of heavy weights, making it impossible to do your exercises properly. Proper form is essential for good results. If you’re not sure how many exercises per workout to do, keep reading to learn more about how to maximize your workout. Here are some tips for working out with proper form.[1]
1-3 exercises per muscle group
A single exercise per muscle group is enough to stimulate growth. Larger muscle groups, however, require a higher number of exercises and sets to fully stimulate each muscle. The number of exercises needed depends on the function of the muscle, the number of head muscles, and fiber direction. Generally, one to three exercises per muscle group per workout is sufficient to stimulate the muscle groups. But if you want to maximize the effectiveness of your workout, it’s best to do more than one exercise per muscle group.[2]
To maximize results, limit your exercises to three to four. The more exercises you do, the more you’ll inevitably become overwhelmed and uncommitted. You can, however, incorporate more than four exercises per muscle group, as long as you perform enough sets for each one. The most common mistake that beginners make is attempting to train too many different muscles in one day. However, the truth is, doing more than four exercises per muscle group is counterproductive to your progress.
For example, pectoralis major has multiple heads, and its fibers travel in different directions. So, if you plan to work on the pectoralis major for four days a week, you may need to perform six exercises per muscle group. Your goal is to hit this muscle group from every angle and range of motion. Then, repeat these exercises for two more weeks. As long as you can hit every muscle in each range of motion, you’ll be on your way to building up your chest and arm muscles.
The best way to maximize each exercise per muscle group is to perform a few sets of each exercise, and then alternate them over a week. Then, you’ll be maximizing the benefits of each exercise and avoiding overtraining any muscle.[3] During the training phase, you must ensure adequate rest and recovery to maximize your workout results. After all, training volume increases in two or three weeks, you must make sure that you get enough rest.
2-5 sets per exercise
The rule of thumb is that you should do between two and five sets of each exercise in a workout. The more sets you do, the better, as more repetitions result in more strength and muscle growth. But if you’re unsure what number of sets you should do for any given exercise, follow these guidelines. In addition, you’ll feel more satisfied with the end result. Listed below are some of the key benefits of doing two to five sets per exercise:[4]
Doing two to five sets of each exercise should be enough to hit the optimal volume range. In general, you’d want to do a few sets of each exercise and alternate between medium and heavy weights. This will help you maximize your muscle-building results and keep your training sessions interesting and varied. Below are examples of typical combinations of set and reps. If you want to build muscle and build endurance, you’ll probably want to do high-rep exercises with higher weights, while low-rep exercises will target smaller muscle groups.
Adding more volume to an exercise is a good strategy if you’ve reached a plateau. Instead of doing five sets of an exercise, try adding 1 or two. In the Bigger Leaner Stronger strength training program, two-set bench presses are included in the workout, but it’s also possible to do 2 or even three sets of each exercise. It’s best to choose a program that includes these kinds of exercises.
While most muscle groups need more sets of the same exercise, large muscles require more repetitions. The amount of sets you need to do is based on the number of muscle heads, the fiber directions, and the function of the muscle. Then, you can decide on the amount of reps per exercise that will best fit your needs. This way, you’ll be sure to maximize the effectiveness of each exercise. You’ll be surprised by how quickly you’ll see results.[5]
For pure strength work, tempo is an important factor. The longer the rest period, the more muscle growth your muscles experience. You’ll probably need longer rest periods if you’re aiming for 80% one-rep max. For weaker strength workouts, a shorter rest period will work just fine. And if you’re new to strength training, don’t be afraid to experiment with short rest intervals.
1-6 reps
The benefits of completing a wider range of reps per workout are numerous, and they extend beyond just building more muscle. By combining super slow reps with fast and explosive ones, you’ll get a much wider variety of exercises that will increase your overall strength and endurance. Here are three reasons why you should perform more reps than you probably should during a workout:
As far as muscle growth goes, a good rule of thumb is between six to twelve reps per set. These numbers are not arbitrary, and can be altered based on your specific goals. For instance, if your goal is to increase overall muscle size, you can do fewer than four reps per set. In contrast, if your goal is to build muscle strength and endurance, you should do at least 12 reps.
In addition to this, you should not train for maximal strength. This is only for strength sports players.[6] You can dabble in your one-rep max for two to three times per year, but you should focus on building muscle and general strength. By doing so, you can build stronger, bigger muscles faster. You’ll be amazed at how much difference it makes! So, how do you determine whether a higher or lower rep range is best for you?
As previously mentioned, higher reps have more metabolic effects than low-rep sets. Studies have shown that high-rep sets to muscle failure recruit the same type of fast-twitch muscle fibers as low-rep sets, and they result in greater metabolic stress than low-rep sets. The Exercise Metabolism Research Group at McMaster University, Canada, and McMaster University in the United States have found that higher-rep sets of a given muscle type increase metabolic stress.[7]
