Strengthening exercises- Sets, reps how often?

Strengthening exercises how often and how many?

3 sets of 10, light load, high load- low reps, moderate load- high reps, to fatigue?
Isometrics? eccentrics? 1rep max, reps in reserve....
Daily, just a few times a week? 

Where do you start!!

Strength training seems simple- lift weights, get strong (say it like a gym monkey).....
but it can be very confusing, so we'll briefly try to simplify some key components.

Overall the aim of strength training is to condition and induce tissue change for the better. That may be to re-strengthen after an injury, improve your form for long distance events (endurance) or to get strong to help prevent injuries.
 

So firstly, work out what are you trying to achieve.

1. Pure strength or for more control/endurance?
2. Is it for injury rehab or just general gym work?
3. Does it need to be injury specific?- i.e Achilles tendon rehab

 Rehabilitation or General Fitness?

Injury Rehab:
Tailored exercises to the specific injury - these will be the exercises we give you to help recover i.e eccentric heel drops for an Achilles tendon injury, or specific shoulder rehab exercises.
So make sure to let us know how you’re getting on so we can update these regularly – we want to keep you on track and also make sure you don’t get bored!

General Fitness:
A balanced weight gym exercise approach focuses on using different weightlifting routines, including isometric (static muscle contractions without movement- usual longer timed holds), eccentric (lengthening muscle contractions- where you slowly lower the weight back down), and concentric exercises (shortening muscle contractions- the lifting up portion of the weighted movement), with complementary cardiovascular and flexibility exercises to build overall strength and prevent injuries.
 

How Often Should You Be Doing Strengthening Rehabilitation Exercises?

General Guidelines: Aim for 3-4 times a week to allow muscle recovery and ensure progress.
Beginners: Start with 2-3 sessions per week, increasing as strength improves.

Listen to Your Body: Tailor the frequency to your needs and also your available time- if you have a longer list of exercises then break them up over a number of sessions.
 

Figure out why you want to get stronger- i.e define Your Goals

Pure strength: Focus on moderate to heavy loads with fewer reps (e.g., 3 sets of 6-8 reps).
More endurance: Use lighter loads with higher reps (e.g., 3 sets of 15-20 reps).

During your training sessions there is a multitude of ways train and this is where it can get confusing. So what on earth are those terms (sets, reps, etc) if you're not familiar with?

Sets and Reps:

3 sets of 10: This means performing 10 repetitions of an exercise, resting, and repeating this cycle three times. This can range from any combination of sets and reps that you could think of (3x6, 2x8, until full fatigue etc)
The 3 sets of 10 is very basic and given out a lot. Some people think is very overused, but the old 3 sets of 10 is simple, easily completed and at the end of the day hard to beat!.
Your sets and reps will ultimately depend on the weight that you are using.

Load and Reps:

Light Load, Low Reps: Suitable for beginners or early-stage rehab, focusing on proper form without overloading the muscles.
Moderate Load, High Reps: Ideal for building muscular endurance and can be pushed to fatigue to enhance strength and endurance.
 

Isometrics and Eccentrics:

Isometrics:
Holding a muscle contraction without movement (e.g., plank). Great for maintaining strength without stressing the joint.
Concentric: 
Great for building muscle strength and size by focusing on the shortening (lifting up) phase of muscle contraction during exercises.
Eccentrics:
Lengthening a muscle under tension (e.g., slowly lowering a weight). Effective for strengthening and rehabilitating tendons, such as the Achilles.
 

1 Rep Max and Reps in Reserve:

1 Rep Max (1RM): The maximum amount of weight you can lift for one repetition. This helps determine the appropriate load for your exercises i.e do for pure strength you can aim for sets of 80% of your 1 rep max weight.
Reps in Reserve (RIR): The number of additional reps you can perform before reaching failure. This ensures you’re working within a safe and effective intensity range. 

Overall if you're getting strengthening exercises done 3x a week, then I think you'll be winning- 3 times is a happy medium where hopefully it won't take up too much of your time and you'll still get the gains that are needed.

As you get better and are back to normal, you can safely then scale them down or shift your focus.