“How many calories should I be consuming per day?”
“How long should I be resting between sets?”
Possibly the most frustrating answer any coach/trainer can give to their clients is “it depends.” However, it is the necessary and correct pre-tense to 99% of questions us trainers are fielded by clients.
People want a one size fits all answer, one that is succinct enough that they no longer have to give it a second’s more thought. Nevertheless, as will hopefully become apparent, “it depends” is the response you should hear more often than not preceding most trainers’ explanations. A few examples:
Client: “James, how long should I be resting between my sets?”
Answer: “it depends (ID). What are your current training goals?
If you’re training for strength, it would be prudent to allow at least 3 mins rest between sets so that you are sufficiently recovered in time to smash your next set at the required high intensity. But if you’re training for hypertrophy (muscle gain), whilst 3-5 mins definitely wouldn’t rob you of all your gains, it is worth considering shorter rest periods, say 60s-120s. This will usually allow you to accumulate more volume (total amount of work – THE key component of hypertrophy) in a given time compared to 3-5 min rest periods, whilst also increasing the amount of “metabolic stress” (another factor in hypertrophy). Furthermore, since you’re likely training at a slightly lower intensity (more reps), you can afford to shorten your rest periods and still recover sufficiently to perform your next set. For fat loss, the same considerations apply as for those in hypertrophy rest times – more volume = larger kcal output. Lastly, if your goals are to increase aerobic/anaerobic thresholds or any other CV related improvement, your rest times should be more specific to the improvements you’re looking to make i.e. 30-60s or less when looking to improve anaerobic thresholds.
Client: OK, that makes sense! But I have another question – how many reps should I be doing per set?
James: I’m sorry…It depends!
Are you looking for improvements in absolute strength? If so, consider keeping reps below 5 in the main (various reasons including developing neural efficiency and technique under heavy loads).
Or is hypertrophy (muscle gain) your primary concern? In this case, you may want to consider slightly higher reps, perhaps 6-12. In brief, this is because the NUMBER ONE determinant of improvement in muscle size is total VOLUME (the number of reps x the number of sets x the load lifted). Using slightly lower loads but offsetting this with higher reps usually results in more volume for the following reasons:
– Since the load being lifted per set is lower in the high rep group, they fatigue less quickly and are more likely to be able to complete subsequent sets at a given intensity and hence accumulate the necessary volume.
– Time – in order for the low rep group to accumulate the same volume as the high rep group they will need to rest a lot longer between sets and at the end of the day, not everyone has 2 hours to spend on a gym session!
Moreover, the higher rep group also benefit from increased time under tension (TUT – how long the muscle is being contracted for per set) and metabolic stress (think “the pump”), both of which seem to be important components of hypertrophy.
Lastly, as would seem obvious, if you’re training for improvements in muscular endurance then use in the main…HIGH REPS!
Client: Ok im bored of all this training talk, what abut my nutrition – I’ve heard of these things called macros – what should mine be?
James: Ok well here things are bit more straightforward, however the answer still begins with “it depends”. Since you’re talking to a personal trainer, it’s safe to assume that you are interested in improving body composition, some type of performance or health. With all of these goals, at the very least the preservation of current muscle mass is crucial for many reasons. So a protein recommendation of between 0.8-1g/lb of bodyweight is applicable to most. Nonetheless, if your current intake is down at 0.2g/lb, is it realistic to shoot for 1g/lb straight off the bat? Probably not. You may be better served beginning by aiming for 0.5g/lb and working your way towards the golden 0.8g/lb.
Client: And what about my carbs and fat, should I cut one of those out?
James: ID. If your primary goal is performance or sport related, then it would be wise to use up your remaining calories (after protein calories), primarily from carbohydrates since they are your bodies go-to source of energy for activity requiring intensity. Perhaps go for 50% of calories from carbs and 20% from fats in this situation. However, if your goal is purely aesthetic based, you can perhaps afford to be more flexible with your carb/fat make up, since total calorie intake and sufficient protein trumps carb:fat ratios in importance level. Personal preference and experimentation with this ratio are both acceptable justifications for a high fat/low carb or high carb/low fat approach.
Right folks, I think that’s enough ranting from me for the time being!
TAKE HOME: rather than seeking to answer all your fitness related questions with a black and white answer, understand that there isn’t one most of the time, and that you and your trainer should instead dedicate some time towards figuring out personal answers to these questions that you can implement and sustain to fit your lifestyle.
James Kenny, Personal trainer
Better Body Group Blackheath.
