how many sets per day to grow the most

MooseJam

I started lifting weights, looking to increase my strenght and put on some muscle, how many sets per day results in most growth ?

rubadub

Check out www.exrx.net that is too vague a question to be given a simple answer. Depends on many factors.

When starting out I stuck to 3 times a week, full body workouts with 1-2sets 10 exercises. As a beginner 1 or 2 sets is usually said to be enough, after a while most increase to at least 3. But you could have crossover exercises, e.g. pullups and chinups- very similar.

You need rest days for muscles to allow them to recover and grow.

MooseJam

Currently I'm doing a set every 45 minutes, I amn't taking any rest days I'll have to do some reading on the matter, though I do notice an improvement every day, every day since I started I can do more reps than the day before and I'm two weeks in

rubadub

Not sure what you mean be set every 45mins? Your entire workout is best done in around 60mins in total.

Where did you get your workout plan? What exercises are you doing? Are you working out at home? If so what equipment have you got?

It may be working for you, but it can probably be a lot better, and you get better results with some changes. When starting out strength increases will be dramatic, even if not doing it in the best way.

davyjose

You won't grow without taking appropriate rest, and calories. You need to rethink your regime if you have no rest days.

MooseJam

rubadub wrote: »

Not sure what you mean be set every 45mins? Your entire workout is best done in around 60mins in total.

Where did you get your workout plan? What exercises are you doing? Are you working out at home? If so what equipment have you got?

It may be working for you, but it can probably be a lot better, and you get better results with some changes. When starting out strength increases will be dramatic, even if not doing it in the best way.

I mean every 45 minutes I lift the weights as many times as I can, I didn't get a plan anywhere I just bought a set of dumbells and started lifting them I read here that you increase the weight if you can do 12 reps so thats what I'm doing, they are 20 kilo dumbells though I'm only up to 8 kilos, i'll increase when I can do 12 reps, can only do 10 at the mo, I'm not very strong hence I started with the weights as to what exercises I'm doing well I do a bicept curl thats the only one I know the name of , I lift them straight over my head, I lie on my back and lift them straight up, I lie on my back with my arms open wide and then bring them together, last one is standing up with the weights by my side I bring them up to make a big T.

davyjose

No offence, but do you not think it's foolish to start hauling around weights without doing any research into it? Its a one way ticket to injury.
Sure, it seems like peope who do this are just going through the motions, but they are not. They are following very specific technique. You, by your own admission, don't even know the names of the exercises you are doing.

BTW lifting them every 45 mins is just plain wrong. Read the stickies, do some research.

Froot

MooseJam wrote: »

I mean every 45 minutes I lift the weights as many times as I can, I didn't get a plan anywhere I just bought a set of dumbells and started lifting them I read here that you increase the weight if you can do 12 reps so thats what I'm doing, they are 20 kilo dumbells though I'm only up to 8 kilos, i'll increase when I can do 12 reps, can only do 10 at the mo, I'm not very strong hence I started with the weights as to what exercises I'm doing well I do a bicept curl thats the only one I know the name of , I lift them straight over my head, I lie on my back and lift them straight up, I lie on my back with my arms open wide and then bring them together, last one is standing up with the weights by my side I bring them up to make a big T.

Firstly, well done on making a move on self improvement, I hope you get what you want from it.

Secondly, you will most likely damage yourself doing what you're doing at the moment.

I would say you are not stretching/warming up, based on your explanation, this is the first mistake which will only make it easier to injure yourself and compound any existing injuries you may have.
If you want size and strength then lifting a weight 9999999 times is a sign of nothing except for the fact that the weight is too light and you have no idea what you're doing.
You, of course, do not have to follow any plan and you didn't even in fact have to post on the internet about what you're doing but the simple fact is the people who stick to the correct methods, use the proper form (standing/sittign correctly and holding the weight correctly) improve faster and better than those who do not.

EXRX is a great website which even has a little gif image of somebody doing the exercise in question. Working out three days a week, 45-60 minutes at a time is far more effective than lifting a weight every hour or so 7 days a week. The idea of lifting weights, to put on size, is that you lift them to break down your muscles so that your body rebuilds thm stronger so it can cope with the strain of the exercise more (your body literally says "I'm not going to put myself under that pressure again, better build more muscle").

So working out for 45-60 minutes at a relatively high intensity (example being 3 sets of 12 repetions where you are close to failure if not failing to lift on the 12th repetition (failure = you cant perform the exercise in its entirety, like bench pressing and only getting the weight half way up is a failure). This stimulates muscle growth and will get you much stronger and bigger than working out throughout the day every day. Anyway I did not just give you a workout so make sure you read the exrx website, the forums here and maybe (if you want) even pick up a copy of Muscle+Fitness or Men's Health or some similar magazine once or twice to get an idea of the kind of workout that helps you to achieve you specific goals.

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MooseJam wrote: »

I lift them straight over my head, I lie on my back and lift them straight up, I lie on my back with my arms open wide and then bring them together, last one is standing up with the weights by my side I bring them up to make a big T.

Straight over your head: Shoulder press
Lying down lifting them straight up: chest press
Lying down arms wide: flies/flyes (however you spell it)
Standing up, making a T: Lateral raise.

You do any of the first three incorrectly and you can f*ck yourself up pretty good. The last one isn't that dangerous I guess :P