BULKYHow to choose weight, reps, and sets
Guide auf Englisch — Übersetzung folgt in Kürze.
A practical method to pick the right weight, reps, and sets for strength, muscle growth, or endurance — and when to increase.
7 Minuten Lesezeit · Aktualisiert 2026-09-01
Start from your goal, not from the rack
For strength, use heavier weights for 3 to 6 reps. For muscle growth, use moderate weights for 6 to 12 reps. For endurance, use lighter weights for 12 to 20 reps.
Most beginners progress fastest in the 6 to 12 range with 3 to 4 sets per exercise, resting 60 to 120 seconds between sets.
Find your starting weight in one test set
Pick a weight you think you can lift 10 times. If you fail before 8 reps, it is too heavy. If you could do more than 12 easily, it is too light.
Your last two reps should be slow but possible with good form. That effort level is the whole workout in one sentence.
Add weight only when you earn it
When you complete all planned sets and reps with clean form two sessions in a row, add the smallest available increment next time.
For upper-body lifts that usually means 1 to 2.5 kg; for lower-body lifts, 2.5 to 5 kg. Small jumps sustained for months beat heroic jumps that stall you.
Keep total sets in the productive range
Aim for 10 to 20 hard sets per muscle per week, spread over two or three sessions. Beginners should start near 10 and add slowly.
More is not better past that range: sets done exhausted add fatigue without adding growth.