3 x 10 - January 19th 2023

If you hair stylist only gave out bowl cuts, you probably wouldn’t go there. If your doctor never actually looked into your symptoms and blindly prescribed the same medication, you would probably find another doctor. You aren’t interested in just taking whatever you are given, you want service to be specific to your needs and wants. So why the hell are you following training programs that don’t take into account your training experience, age and abilities.

A common set/rep scheme I have seen programed in both expensive, personalized training programs and free programs offered up online is 3 sets of 10 reps. There is nothing wrong with 3x10 except the fact that it ignores training experience.

If I am just getting started, I need more volume than 3x10. 4 or 5 sets of 10 will help me build a little bit more muscle and, more importantly, will give me more experience with technique. As you improve technique, you learn how an exercise is supposed to feel and this will allow you to push yourself a little harder.

I have been training hard for close to 18 years now and I rarely do more than 3 sets of anything. (heavy lifts in the 1-3 rep range are the exception).  Generally I will do a warm-up set of 8 and then perform 1 or 2 max rep sets where my goal is to push until I am just about to fail. Less overall volume helps me recover and saves time. Pushing the set close to failure builds muscle. 3 sets of 10 would only add volume I don’t need and might not be intense enough to build muscle.

I don’t hate free training programs, they are probably more effective than putting something together yourself. I don’t hate trainers charging big money for personalized programs, as long as they are truly personalized. I just want you to understand that your training experience plays a big role in how an optimal program will be structured.