The BEST number of Sets & Reps for YOUR Kettlebell Workouts…?
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- čas přidán 15. 07. 2024
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I got a message from Luis the other day asking about if there was an optimum (a.k.a. “best”) number of sets he should aim for on one of my programs.
Before I answer that question, researchers and coaches have been attempting to answer this question for years.
To build muscle, Brad Schoenfeld, PhD, arguably the West’s most prolific hypertrophy researcher, has found you need more than 10 sets per muscle group per week.
And the range is as wide as 10 to 45 sets, depending on the muscle group.
The larger the number of sets, the more days you should train.
Rep ranges were all over the place: 1-6, 8-12, and as high as 30.
What about if you want to get stronger?
Peterson, et. al., suggests 2-6 sets per muscle group, per training session.
The Soviets recommended 200-500 lifts per month, depending on the lift.
Generally agreed upon is the fact that you need to keep your intensity in the 75-85% of 1RM zone for the majority of the time. Occasionally venturing over 90% - about 5-7% of the time.
Reps are generally in the 1-5 range.
The one thing very few people discuss, other than Pavel, Olympic lifting, some Powerlifting coaches, and myself is, the importance of technique.
Dialing in your technique goes hand-in-hand with getting stronger.
Most people - ex jocks trying to get back in shape - miss this part and just aim for either increasing their volume (the number of sets they can do) or their intensity (load used relative to their maximum).
The end result is usually injury.
What about conditioning?
Over the last 7 years or so, we’ve seen a trend inside the HardStyle kettlebell community moving away from “MetCon Beatdowns” - similar to “CrossFit Style” toward AGT - Anti-Glycolytic Training (again, pioneered/championed by Pavel).
So, instead of training to near exhaustion on every set, with short, seemingly non-existent rest periods, there’s been a transition toward high-power, luxurious rest period based training.
Examples are EMOM/OTM training, with low reps, like 5-10 reps OTM.
Total number of sets are between 10 and 30, sometimes as high as 40 to 60.
What if you want to lose fat?
Well those guidelines are all over the board, depending on who you listen to.
I have my own based on 30 years of experience.
The short story is: Use your KBs and train like a power athlete (and eat like your grandma told you to).
So, back to Luis’ question:
How many sets should YOU do?
Well, ultimately that’s going to depend on:
[1] YOUR goal
[2] YOUR current strength levels
[3] YOUR current conditioning levels
[4] YOUR access to the right size KBs
[5] YOUR schedule
That’s why I rarely say things like, “Do 5 sets of 5…”
… Unless I’m working with a private client and I know his/her training and injury histories.
What I’ve found works best for most of us “over a certain age” is the following:
[1] Instead of following sets and reps and prescribed rest periods, set a training duration to which you can consistently adhere.
For example, “I’ll train for 30 minutes, 3 times per week.”
[2] Do as many sets of the prescribed exercise(s) for the prescribed reps, resting enough between sets to make every rep of every rep feel / look the same.
This will take some time to calibrate.
And your rest periods will most likely increase between sets as fatigue accumulates.
That’s normal.
[3] Once a week, maybe more, see if you can “underachieve” and get 1 more rep or 1 more set.
Some days and weeks will be great. Some won’t. That’s OK.
Record your progress in your training journal. (Make sure you keep one.)
That way, over the course of time - weeks, months, quarters, years - you’ll be able to measure changes and physically track your results.
How well does this work?
One of my private clients - we’ll call him “Ryan” for privacy purposes - packed on about 15 pounds of muscle - without trying - over the course of this past year and repeatedly PR’d his Military Press both in load and reps lifted, as well as his Front Squats, and Parallel Dips (which he couldn’t do previously due to shoulder issues).
This is significant because he’s brought some health issues to the table which typically make it difficult to gain muscle.
If you’ve been struggling to see results from your training / workouts, use the guidelines in this video. - Sport
If I'm not following one of your programs exactly, which I usually am, I'm using your principles to enjoy my fitness journey. 53 and best shape of my life. Cheers Geoff.
Thank you from Korea. I don't understand perfectly, but this video helps me get started anyway.
"[2] Do as many sets of the prescribed exercise(s) for the prescribed reps, resting enough between sets to make every rep of every rep feel / look the same."
I have heard you mention, in an interview, that your old coach told you to terminate you set if the bar slows down, and to terminate the session if it slows on the next set. Does this apply to the autoregulated sets of your programs? If so, how do you count the reps? Do you count the reps of a terminated set, or only the reps of fully completed sets?
@TheBanzaiBuckaroo - Yes it does. I count all the reps.
How can I go from 16 kg double kettlebell to 24 kg?
I can't buy 20 kg for now.
Would it make sense to stick a 4 kg weight plate under 16 kg?
My other question is that I want to buy an Olympic barbell and use the kettlebells as a weight plate for deadlift...I thought it would be suitable for deadlift so that my kettlebells would be extra useful and I would save money...what do you think?
@delpierro213 - On which exercise? It's much easier to move from 16kg to 24kg on Swings than Presses. And yes, you can add the weight plate as long as it doesn't fall off.
No, that's not suitable. Stick to Oly plates.
This is the question. Pavel says less with heavier weights steve cotter says reps for time?
I am not a elite athelete, just a man in his mid forties with no professional training. Hoe do I know what is heavy or if I'm doing to many reps. I have a 16, 20, and 24kg kb, and nowhere near doing 200 snatch test with the 16 nevermind the 24, so I always leave my sessions with a sense of failure
I'm of a similar age as you and own a 16 and 24kg. For me, since I have a limited time (1hr) the issue is solved by simply what I can do within that period and the weights I have available. But, I also use my post-workout body feel i.e. soreness and energy reserve as a personal judgement of the appropriateness of the workout. For example, I recently started a double KB program and was, for me, extremely sore and exhausted after the first few workouts, so I determined that I was near the limit of my ability. I reduced the frequency of workouts to only twice a week (M/F) for extra recovery time. This was opposed to my prior workout routine, the Simple and Sinister (plus added exercises) with the 24kg that I used to breeze through feeling almost energized post-workout and with zero soreness. So, I guess my points are: do the best you can with the time and weights you have available, and use your body as the feedback.
If tou follow the guidelines Geoff laid out, you'll find yourself making slow-and-steady progress with the time and ability you have. Be sure to keep a training log, or the gradual improvements can be easily missed!
@stevedavis1269 - Good question. Some guidelines:
1. Can't lift it = too heavy
2. Lift it between 1-3x = very heavy
3. Lift it between 4-6x = heavy
4. Lift it between 6-8x = pretty heavy
5. Lift it between 9-11x = moderately heavy
6. Lift it between 12-15 = moderate
7. Lift it 16-20x = moderately light
8. Lift it 20+ x = light
This is relative to the exercise, of course. For example, you can generally swing a lot more than you can press.
Hope this helps.
@@GeoffNeupert thanks mate. Really appreciate your reply
How does a power athlete train?
Low volume, high relative intensity balistic movements like swing, snatch, clean and jerk. Near-complete rest periods as above. Feels good, works better!
@hebrew67 - Heavy, explosively, never to failure. Usually plenty of rest.
Hey Geoff, I sent you an email a few days ago. Maybe you have a look at it :)
Your Kettlebell Strong has set/rep numbers for each workout. I am guessing your training philosophy has evolved since then.
@shumardi1 - Yes it does. And to a certain extent, it has.