3×8–10. Or 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions. Reps can F off into oblivion for a minute. Let’s talk about sets. Specifically, what an effective set looks like for muscle growth and fat loss. I said and because whether the goal is muscle growth or fat loss, your training should be hypertrophy-focused.
So let’s say…
…to 4 essential elements for an effective set. I guarantee that if your sets have these four points, you’ll never have issues building muscle. Or maintaining it when dieting.
1. Proper and consistent technique
Basic technique → effort, exercise selection, progressive overload, volume, etc. An effective set for muscle growth will have you training with the technique that makes a target muscle a limiting factor. If you’re trying to target lats and you stop the set because your forearms gave out, take a step back and re-learn the technique.
Once proper technique becomes ingrained, make sure it’s consistent. Every rep you do should look the same. The only thing that should change is the rep speed (I’ll talk more about that in point 4). Yes, your technique can get loose on the last few reps when you push really hard but for the most part, technique shouldn’t change much whether it’s the 1st or 9th rep.
Anyway, people who wrote the book Scientific Principles of Hypertrophy Training have bigger brains than I have, so I’ll just leave you with this:
“You can think of your technique as the bolts that hold an engine together. Once they are tight, you can push the engine much harder without it falling apart.”
Oh, also, if you lift weights but only in the same way that a cat can tie shoelaces aka your technique sucks balls, then, uh, you know, I wrote about the three pillars of optimal training technique right here.
2. A rep range that makes the target muscle group a limiting factor
There’s no shortage of research showing that you may get similar muscle growth training anywhere within 5 to 30 reps. However, not all rep ranges are practical and productive.
Most, if not all, of your sets should be done somewhere between 0 and 3 reps in reserve (more about that in the next point), and the higher your target rep range is, the harder it is to estimate reps in reserve accurately.
That’s because the higher your rep target is, the more likely you’re to stop the set because of the “burn”/discomfort in the target muscle or because you’re gassed out rather than because you’re close to actual failure.
Feel free to choose any rep range you like but make sure the limiting factor is the muscle you’re trying to target.
From my personal experience working with clients, the most practical rep range is 6–15 for most people. For me personally, 8–10 rep range works best — it’s easy to gauge reps in reserve accurately and the cardiovascular system isn’t a limiting factor.
3. High effort
No matter how good your technique is, it won’t matter if you don’t push yourself hard enough. 0–3 reps in reserve (RIR), like I said before, should make up the bulk of your sets:
So perform a set until you cannot produce enough force to complete another rep without using wholly terrible technique. If you don’t like training that close to failure, feel free to leave 1,2, or even 3 RIR. Research shows that there’s little to no difference between training to failure and leaving a few reps in the tank.
Note: This is the part where I tell you some nuance. Even if you train with, say, 5 reps shy of failure, you’ll still gain muscle. Just not as much as you could have gained training very close proximity to failure. Also, if you’re a beginner lifter, you’ll gain muscle without pushing to very low RIRs.
4. Rep speed slowdown
As I said in the “6 signs you don’t train hard enough” post, rep speed slowdown at the end of the set is a great indicator you’re approaching failure. That 0–3RIR target again.
Watch this IG reel I made and notice how dramatically my reps are slowing down the closer to failure I get. There isn’t even the tiniest measure of enjoyment in sets like that but grinding out those last few reps is required for maximum muscle growth.
So the next time you’re in the gym, focus on your rep speed. Rep slowdown shows you’re close to failure. No slowdown suggests there’s not enough effort. Make sure there’s something in your face that shows you’re training hard. Your face should be the antithesis of beautiful at the end of each working set.
In Sum
An effective set for muscle growth = proper technique + practical rep range + high effort + rep speed slowdown on the last few reps. If all your sets have these four “ingredients,” you shouldn’t have any issues building muscle.
But if you do, apply for my 1-on-1 coaching program, pretty please? I tend to get cool results. Check my approach and results on Instagram. Or…
If you want something free, sign up for my Weight Loss Formula that’s designed to help you create the foundation of good habits & sustainable strategies that set you up for long-term weight loss success (it comes with “5 pillars of weight loss”).
Originally published by me on Medium on the 12th of March, 2025
