If you want to get really strong, the “3-to-5” approach works well:

  • 3-to-5 reps per set (80-to-90% of one-rep max)
  • 3-to-5 sets per exercise
  • 3-to-5 exercises per workout
  • 3-to-5 minutes of rest in between sets
  • 3-to-5 workouts per week

A few more brain droppings for would-be strongmen and women:

  1. Some people claim that the deadlift is impractical because it wears your nervous system to a frazzle, impairing your performance in other workouts. However, studies show that even intense deadlift sessions don’t produce a meaningful amount of CNS fatigue.
  2. The safety bar squat isn’t “better” than the barbell back squat, but it’s one of my favorite substitutes for the back squat because it produces comparable levels of lower-body muscle activation with less stress on your shoulders, knees, and lower back.
  3. For an easy strength boost in any exercise, grip the barbell, dumbbell, or machine handles as hard as you can and clench your jaw muscles and push your tongue into the roof of your mouth.
  4. Having a spotter on the bench press can increase the number of reps you can perform and make you feel more confident in your ability to successfully complete each set.
  5. Don’t bother about how many calories you burn in a strength training workout. Energy expenditure has no connection to the effectiveness of the training, and in some ways, optimal programming burns fewer calories, not more (longer between-set rest periods, for example).