Strength training- If you lift heavy...

[cransplash]

I have lifting heavier with less reps, but am wondering:
a) How many reps do you do per set?
b) How many sets do you do per exercise?
c) How many seconds do you rest in between sets?

[emilyinchile]

It depends on exactly what the goal is and how heavy I'm going, but generally speaking it looks something like this:

- 2-3 sets of 10 reps with minimal weight to warm up
- 75% of total weight: 4 sets of 4 or 6 reps
- 90% of total weight: 4 sets of 2 reps
- 100% of total weight: 4 sets of 1 rep
I might jump straight from 75% to 100% and do 6 sets of 2 reps. If the total weight that I'm using is lower, allowing me to do more reps, then I might do 4 sets of 6 at 75%, 4 sets of 4 at 90% and 6 sets of 4 at 100%.

I don't do my own programming, so I don't know the strategy behind it all, but this is the gist of what my CF coach will have me do. I rest a minute or two between sets.

[finallykrisb]

The heavy weight program I followed a few years ago was 4-6 reps, 4 sets, 60 second rest.

[breezy8407]

When I do lift (my goal is once a week right now) it depends on the exercise, but for big things like squats and deadlifts, I will do 3 sets of 6-8 reps. Some stuff like abs or lunges I will do more like 3 sets of 10-12 depending on the weight.

Here's what I did last week as an example:

Superset 1

deadlifts 8 reps x 95#
(rest 1 minute or so b/t each...I usually just wait for my heart rate to get down a little)
overhead press 8 reps of 45#
deadlifts 8 reps of 95#
overhead press 8 reps of 45#
deadlifts 8 reps of 95#
overhead press 8 reps of 45#

Superset 2
Bulgarian split squat 8 reps each leg x 40#
lat pulldown 10 reps of 60
Bulgarian split squat 8 reps each leg x 40#
lat pulldown 10 reps of 60
Bulgarian split squat 8 reps each leg x 40#
lat pulldown 10 reps of 60

finished with abs on roman chair