Are you still doing 3 sets of 10 in your physiotherapy programme? 

April 26, 2023 Tom Heeley

Exercise prescription is one of Optimum’s best tools to improve your problem for both short and long term.

This is something Optimum endeavour to get right depending on what you want to return to after your rehabilitation plan, what sports you want to play and what specific phase of rehabilitation you are in. These are areas Optimum’s physiotherapists and sports therapists can guide your unique rehabilitation with.

We agree, 3x10 is better than 0x0, but could it be more specific?

3x10, 3 times a week is something optimum staff have heard over and over again throughout the years in gyms, training grounds and coaches giving specific programmes. While it may be a common technique, this isn’t specific enough for you and your needs.

Effective reps and sets

So, what reps and sets should I be doing?

Something often overlooked is that without the right reps, sets and rest, this will lead to reduced rehabilitation progressions, not primed to return to sport and possible risk of re injury or further injury.

3x10 sets and reps is not sufficient for optimal loading. Delivering the incorrect reps and sets is like a doctor providing medicine but with no details of dosage. This could have a propounding effect, either too much for the current condition or not enough to break the line and make a difference.

Specific ranges to utilise

Building robustness and resilience in Optimum’s patients is key and the correct rep range is vital to this. Therefore, highlighted are some of the specific ranges you need to be utilising.

Muscle Hypertrophy.

This basically means size and bulk. Simply any muscular training and strength work will build size and bulk but there are a few specific guidelines to follow.

High weight and small reps have been shown to be just as effective at producing hypertrophy gains, as 20-25 lower intensity reps. However, due to the time and risk of exhaustion and injury both incur, a rep range of 8-12 for 3-6 sets is greatly accepted. Rest periods here can be between 30-90 seconds. This can be achieved through lifting weights between 65 and 80% of your maximal.

Muscular Endurance.

Here we are training to build a good base and long lasting stability for the muscles with fatigue resistance. Therefore rest periods are short with an aim to stimulate faster recovery and training to failure with moderate loads is required

Repetitions above 12 are key and sets of 2-3 with less than 30s rest between is key to a chive sufficient muscle damage to encourage muscular endurance benefits.

Muscular Strength.

Strength or maximal strength would mean an approach of lifting to failure, but this isn’t always achievable and can be detrimental towards overall gains and benefits.

An approach of 80-100% of 1RM is acceptable and 1-6 reps of 2-6 sets with rest ranging from anything between 2-6 minutes. These rep ranges can be modified to suit the specific demands and modifications required.