Comments on Cranky Fitness: Strength Training: Multiple Sets or Just One?

I am the author of this paper. I would like to re...

2009-10-22T12:28:55.391-04:00

I am the author of this paper. I would like to respond to a few of the comments made here.

In response to "Arena Fitness" who said "We can probably chalk this one up under the heading of "Study That Will Soon be Contradicted then Validated and Contradicted Again."

This meta-analysis is actually the 4th that has been published. All 4 of them have found multiple sets to be superior. The reason I did mine was because the methodology of the previous 3 was weak. However, with better methodology, I confirmed the results of the first 3 papers.

In fact, the majority of studies published over the past decade favor multiple sets.

In response to "Arena Fitness"'s comment, "that this type of research is done by people in lab coats who have never curled more than a mechanical pencil in their lives....":

I have been passionately strength training since I was 19 years old (I am now 35). In fact, many researchers who perform this research are typically avid strength trainers.

HAHAHA..this is a very well done post! I would ha...

2009-10-15T10:15:31.265-04:00

HAHAHA..this is a very well done post! I would have to agree with everything you say..I do 2 sets but I am no michelle,,maybe I need to bump it to 3...either that or stop eating so darn much! love your site

I do what the book says! That is when I'm actuall...

2009-10-15T08:40:07.450-04:00

I do what the book says! That is when I'm actually doing something... although I actually haven't started yet, so technically I'm not doing anything. How's that for slack?

it depends on what I want out of the strength trai...

2009-10-15T01:21:09.277-04:00

it depends on what I want out of the strength training I am doing. If I'm looking to get stronger in a certain direction I do heavier weights, less reps and multiple sets. If I wam looking for muscular endurance I do the whole 'do as many as I can in a minute'. If I'm rehabbing I do 1 set of as many of that exersices as I can, multiple time during the day. There's varying benefits to differnt ways of strength training. I dont think its a bad thing doing just one set to fatigue.

I do three sets, when I get the chance to do any a...

2009-10-14T20:30:21.853-04:00

I do three sets, when I get the chance to do any at all, but my pauses between sets are actually about thirty seconds or less, so maybe I'm doing one v e r y looong set.

Mary Anne in Kentucky

Three sets, because that's what Harley "Oracle" Pa...

2009-10-14T17:58:27.368-04:00

Three sets, because that's what Harley "Oracle" Pasternak told me to do in Five Factor Fitness. I think you should just go with the Michele Obama arm thing.

"One Set Wonder" - love it! Congratulations on th...

2009-10-14T17:12:33.399-04:00

"One Set Wonder" - love it! Congratulations on the Gold's recognition; that's pretty significant!

Some days Crabby, I think you read my mind. All o...

2009-10-14T16:33:39.408-04:00

Some days Crabby, I think you read my mind. All of it. (But regarding no appreciable benefit after 4 sets - that made me laugh. FOUR sets? REALLY? Oh, I know people do it. I'm just saying that for ME, it's laughable. Mostly because it seems SO BORING.)

Hi Cranky. All of this math with percentages makes...

2009-10-14T15:22:03.628-04:00

Hi Cranky. All of this math with percentages makes me feel like I'm taking the SAT over again! When I first started lifing weights, the trainer at my gym told me to aim for three sets of each exercise. Have kept that up, although on my more lazy-butt days the sets might be five or six reps each instead of eight to 12.

hmm, very very interesting study. i kind of do my ...

2009-10-14T14:34:32.415-04:00

hmm, very very interesting study. i kind of do my own thing, personally and it's been working so why fix what ain't broke, right?

i do three sets of the same exercise on exercises that are pretty hard for me. on the ones i actually like feeling the burn on (usually leg ones) i do a whooooole lotta reps in the bodyforlife fashion (12 on a low weight, 10 reps on medium, 8 reps on kinda hard and 6 reps on crazyhard followed by 12 on kinda hard for a total of 5 sets.) but there are some (like shoulders) that i just CAN'T do three sets of because my arms feel like they're going to fall right out of the socket like workout barbie. (even though i wish i had her arms)

very amusing post again, crabby! i always laugh out loud whilst reading. ps. congrats on the golds approval!

I do 3 sets with the weight set so that the third ...

2009-10-14T13:33:12.890-04:00

I do 3 sets with the weight set so that the third set is a real fight to finish. Not to the "no pain, no brain" point, but I want to be working hard for that last rep.

I do alternate upper body/lower body daily.

I read something like this awhile ago and decided ...

2009-10-14T12:27:45.892-04:00

I read something like this awhile ago and decided that I would do two sets because the study said something about 3 sets not giving a measureable benefit over 2. Nowadays if I even pick up a hand weight I feel like I've accomplished something.

It's so hard with all the studies so I just do wha...

2009-10-14T12:05:45.779-04:00

It's so hard with all the studies so I just do what I like.
for me one set feels as though Im just getting started so I do more.

and I did the same with my clients when I was a trainer.
that said, other trainers I met who did one set ONLY were typically doing THREE SETS but seeming two warm ups.
When they said they did one set it was one WORKING set.

ahh, semantics.

ye confuse me.

I will normally do 2 sets too- sometimes I force ...

2009-10-14T11:43:22.568-04:00

I will normally do 2 sets too- sometimes I force a third set but then to stave off boredom it will often be a different exercise (sigh).
@ Diana- as I get older I find a gym full of 20 something muscley young men a plus - they improve the scenery!

When use of all limbs is unlimited I usually go fo...

2009-10-14T11:36:48.094-04:00

When use of all limbs is unlimited I usually go for two sets. Must be middle child syndrome.

I do strength training a few times a week. And I'm...

2009-10-14T11:36:46.015-04:00

I do strength training a few times a week. And I'm a fan of whatever my trainer tells me to do...lol I do not like to make her mad.

I do strength training a few times a week. And I'm...

2009-10-14T11:36:38.554-04:00

I do strength training a few times a week. And I'm a fan of whatever my trainer tells me to do...lol I do not like to make her mad.

I do two sets of things...when I do sets of things...

2009-10-14T10:59:43.715-04:00

I do two sets of things...when I do sets of things...which is not very often as of late.
The study was quite interesting. I'm going to look at the stats to see the variability. I wonder if the people were all of the same fitness levels at the start...and if the gender mix was half and half...stats are fun...you can manipulate them to say a lot of things with a bit of twaking. I'm curious to see the numbers...

I must say - I love the picture at the beginning...totally and completely hooked up labware in an utterly useless formation but it still looks damn cool with all the food colouring in there! Yes I am a geek...keep putting lab photos of lab equipment I use at the start and I admit, I'll read every article :)

I do whatever my trainers tell me to do...how's th...

2009-10-14T10:43:42.621-04:00

I do whatever my trainers tell me to do...how's that for lazy - I don't even have to think about it, lol! I do believe it's usually three sets, but lack of oxygen to my brain happens early in my workout and I can barely remember to breathe, much less what I've done later on (I have to ask them via email when I blog about my workouts - no joke!).

I want Michelle Obama arms too and will do whatever (well, within reason) it takes to get them!

Congrats on the Gold's Gym award - what they said about your blog is so true and you totally deserve it!

Crabby, My goal for fitness is to find out the ab...

2009-10-14T10:29:50.568-04:00

Crabby,

My goal for fitness is to find out the absolute minimum I have to do and still be able to open all the jars in the pantry.

Two sets. Anything else and I might start throwing...

2009-10-14T10:16:03.323-04:00

Two sets. Anything else and I might start throwing the weights at people. Wait, would throwing them count as a third set? eh who am I kidding? Since I never do a 3rd set, it's unlikely that I would have enough strength to throw the weights. sigh.

We can probably chalk this one up under the headin...

2009-10-14T10:13:58.963-04:00

We can probably chalk this one up under the heading of "Study That Will Soon be Contradicted then Validated and Contradicted Again." Then again, it depends what your goals are. If your goals are strictly strength increases then it stands to reason that multiple sets would be more effective. The whole "time under tension" thing and all that....

I think we overthink things. I think.

We would probably all do well to just get up and move, stop analyzing it too closely, and let the chips fall where they may. For me, I like a fast-paced circuit routine that combines strength, calisthenics and conditioning exercises and it feels right for me. If a study comes around that contradicts this methodology I'll ignore it and remember that this type of research is done by people in lab coats who have never curled more than a mechanical pencil in their lives....

It depends. If I'm going with one of my podfitnes...

2009-10-14T10:11:23.270-04:00

It depends. If I'm going with one of my podfitness workouts - multiple sets because that's what it does for me. If it's just me and Mike&Mike in the Morning? Up the weights and just do one. But then I tend to do the multip-exercises for each muscle approach.

I'm also better about doing multiple sets if I'm using the bow-flex. Don't know why that is...

I use the slimbell wimpy girly-weights (three lb) ...

2009-10-14T09:56:09.603-04:00

I use the slimbell wimpy girly-weights (three lb) and do one set each of three different exercises. One of said exercises is holding them at shoulder height for as long as I can. It works for me.

I do strength training about 3 times a week mostly...

2009-10-14T09:52:55.145-04:00

I do strength training about 3 times a week mostly upper body cause I'm trying to increase my upper body strength and also looking to get some smoking arms....I always say I'm working on my Jillian arms.

Anyway I'm a 2 set person. Kinda falls in the middle of the 1 to 3 set mindset. Although every once in a while I do a week of just one set keeps my body guessing