Want to know fitness’ favorite number? 10. It’s clear to see when you look around the gym and see everyone banging out 10-rep-sets. Usually three of them. But I have news, effective workouts go beyond sets and reps.
Ever done three sets of ten? Maybe five sets of five? Me too.
Most people have. Simple sets and reps are a great way to get started in the weight room. Plus, they get results. And with countless set and rep ranges, everyone can fine-tune their programming to meet specific goals. Pretty awesome, right?
Losing fat, gaining muscle, getting stronger—you name it, the right sets and reps can help. But sets and reps aren’t the only way.
In fact, implementing advanced training strategies that go beyond sets and reps will help you supercharge your success and lead to better results. Why? Because sets and reps have a major shortcoming.
Three Sets of 10 Is Great, But…
You—and your body—need more. Thanks to our physiological friend, homeostasis, our bodies are always adapting to reach an equilibrium. Homeostasis is why we lose weight when we cut calories. It’s why we gain weight when we consistently overeat. It’s why we lose fat, gain muscle, or get stronger. But it’s also why simple schemes of sets and reps aren’t enough.
As your body adapts, so should your training.
Even the simplest set and rep ranges will get results. At first. That’s why three sets of 10 or five sets of five are ubiquitously popular. They work—until they stop working. The plateau struggle is real. Odds are you’ve experienced it first hand. If you haven’t, rest assured it’s the worst. You’re still at the gym, still crushing your program, but the results won’t come.
That’s when you need to take your training beyond sets and reps.
Following the same old routine will get you stuck on a plateau. Here’s why:
When you start a new program, you get results. Huzzah. That’s what we’re looking for. But most people don’t realize what those results mean. (I mean, beyond fitting into your favorite pair of jeans again and looking fantastic in the mirror.) It means your body has adapted to your workout program. Past tense. Using the same program won’t yield the same results because your body has already adapted to them.
Thanks a lot, homeostasis.
When Adding More Weight Isn’t Enough
The simplest fix is to add more weight. You don’t have to retool your program, you can keep the same sets, keep the same reps, and keep seeing results. Sweet.
But there’s a problem—increasing the weight will become less and less effective with time. #lawofdiminishingreturns
The longer you go, the slower and slower you’ll progress. Eventually, it stops altogether and adding more weight won’t be enough to break through your plateau. That’s when you need to go beyond sets and reps. Better yet, take your training beyond sets and reps before you get stuck on a nasty plateau.
Because gains.
Simply put, mixing up your program with advanced strategies provides a different training stimulus. And different is exactly what your body needs to keep adapting (read: get better results).
Going Beyond Sets and Reps, Getting Better Results
Good news. Taking your training beyond sets and reps with advanced training strategies is simple. Advanced doesn’t mean they’re complicated. The more simple and easy-to-follow your program is, the better your long-term results will be.
But before we get to my favorite strategies, I want to explain the biggest benefit.
We already talked about how these strategies will help you shatter plateaus and get better results. Obviously, that’s awesome. But amazing progress isn’t even the best part.
It’s more fun. That’s the clincher.
Monotony bores me. Relentlessly. I get miserably bored when I’m doing the same exact thing day after day. If my training program is the same set and rep scheme day in and day out, I’ll get bored with it. Which usually leads to decreased effort and worse results. And I know I’m not the only one that slacks off when a program gets boring.
Training that goes beyond sets and reps, keeps people engaged, self-competitive, and moving forward.
I’ve experienced it myself. But I also see it all the time with people in my online coaching program. They enjoy their workouts and even get better results when we use these strategies.
What’s my favorite way to take workouts beyond sets and reps?
Timed sets.
Here are four simple ways to implement time-based training, take your workouts to the next level, avoid plateaus, and crush your goals:
Four Simple Ways to Go Beyond Sets and Reps
EDT
Escalating density training, or EDT, is one of the best bang-for-your-buck training techniques around. It’s also one of my favorite ways to take training beyond sets and reps. I do it, I put it in my coaching programs, and it consistently helps people build muscle and lose fat.
The basic idea of EDT is to pack as much training density into your workout as possible. Training density is the total work done in a given amount of time (think: sets x reps x weight). An increase in any of those will increase training density. Also, doing equal work in less time will increase training density.
Here’s how to start using escalating density in your training:
Pick 2–4 exercises to create a superset or circuit. I call these stations. Assign a time to the station, set a timer, and crush it. Complete each exercise in your station in a continuous, circuit-like fashion until your timer runs out. Set the timer based on the number of exercises in the circuit. Usually, a longer circuit should take more time than a shorter circuit.
DFL
This is another form of density training. Similar to EDT, your workout will be time-based. However, this variation of density training is particularly effective for fat loss. (Which is why I call it density training for fat loss, or DFL.)
Again, your goal is to pack as much training density into your workout. But instead of timed circuits like EDT, you’ll have a circuit of timed sets. A good jumping off point is 30 seconds, but feel free to play with that.
Related: Check out this full DFL workout.
To work DFL into your program:
Pick 4–6 exercises to create a circuit. Complete each exercise in a circuit-like fashion for 30-second timed sets. Instead of doing a specified number of reps, complete as many reps as possible in 30 seconds and take note of the number. After round one, rest 60–90 seconds. Then go in for a second round.
During round two, increase the training density by doing more work—more reps, more weight, or both. (Let’s go for gold and do both.)
Because the first round fires up your central nervous system, more work the second time around isn’t just possible—it’s probable.
Also, you should select a moderate weight during your first round. You want to finish your timed set with a couple reps still in the tank. Round two on the other hand? That’s when you give it 100%. Go. All. Out.
Intervals
Interval training is incredibly popular these days. It’s popularity rose as HIIT became a widespread fitness phenomena. And it’s for good reason. It’s effective. Plus, it’s one of the simplest ways to take your workouts beyond sets and reps.
Put simply, intervals are periods of work followed by periods of rest. For example, 40/20 intervals would be 40 seconds of work and 20 seconds of rest.
During the work phase of your intervals, go hard. Then rest, rinse, repeat. It’s simple. It’s effective. And it’s versatile.
Literally every exercise you can think of fits for interval training. You can do intervals in the gym, at the park, or in your living room. You can lift big weights, use a medicine ball, kettlebells, or even bodyweight exercises.
I recommend doing a few rounds of intervals with a series of 5–10 different total-body exercises. When setting up your intervals, don’t set work periods longer than 60 seconds. Shorter, more intense intervals will be more effective. Also, a 2/1 ratio is a great place to get started with intervals. Translation—your rest is half as much time as your work. (Ex: 40/20, 30/15, 20/10.)
Want to know which exercises you should be doing? Check out the five basic movements every exercise program needs.
EMOM
This one’s fun. EMOM stands for every minute on the minute. And it’s just as simple as it sounds—every minute on the minute, you perform a single set of your exercise. The quicker you finish your set, the more rest you get.
Repeat this set every minute for a predetermined amount of time—start with 10 minutes.
When it comes to exercise and weight selection, you want to choose something you can perform explosively. Light to moderate weight with high bar speed is the goal. Speed and power are perfect for EMOM. Some of my favorite exercises to use are squats, deadlifts, muscle ups, and KB swings, cleans, or snatches.
Reps can range anywhere from 2–10 and should be determined by the intensity of the exercise. Doing deadlifts? I’d recommend 2–4 reps. Tops. Something like swings could easily be 10 reps.
EMOM is a great way to go beyond sets and reps, build explosive power, improve your conditioning, and lose fat.
Ready, Set, Go (Beyond Sets and Reps)
Sets and reps are great. But eventually, your body adapts and you need workouts that go beyond sets and reps. EDT, DFL, intervals, and EMOM fit the bill—no matter what your goals may be. Each of these training styles can help with fat loss, muscle gain, and even athletic performance.
This week, take your training beyond sets and reps. Try these strategies, crush your workouts, shatter plateaus, and then let me know which one you like best.
Talk soon.