You may have heard the saying that too much of a good thing isn’t good either? I consider exercise to be medicine. Activity and exercise are effective in helping to provide good health and longevity. I frequently tell people that strength solves a lot of problems but spending all day in the gym and never taking a day off to recover is a simple recipe for over-training, which can lead to injuries. I’ve written about the benefits of recovery in the past. What we should consider is using the minimum amount required or the minimum effective dose if the goal is to improve strength.
I’ll admit that early in my training career I tended to do too much and too fast in my own training program. Youth was on my side and my friend. As I got older and north of 40 years of age, I started to embrace recovery methods. Once I turned 50, I learned I had to substantially cut back the volume of exercises I once considered my norm.
The minimum effective dose (MED) has been used for years in the medical realm. Of recent, strength and conditioning coaches have started to throw the term around. This is due to the filled schedule of both collegiate and professional athletes. Strength coaches must beg and negotiate to get their time with the athletes in the weight room. The discussion has grown on what’s the minimum I need to do to make someone stronger. This has piqued my interest, because I may not have a studio full of professional athletes, but I do have a place filled with people who are busy and view time as a premium commodity.
MED is the lowest dose level that provides a beneficial response. An example is a kettlebell goblet squat. What is the load, number of repetitions, sets (volume), and frequency of workouts required to improve someone’s 1 repetition max? I have adopted the idea that we should approach workouts as practice. Each practice may have a different objective. An improvement in 1 rep max can be considered a physiological adaptation. This response is from an application of a stress, followed by adequate recovery which can lead to an adaptive response. I’ve taken the approach to have people first establish a base of mobility, prime the neurological system, and then have the person apply force which translates to tension. When the goal is strength, 5 reps has become a gold standard. As far as total sets for beginners and intermediates, 3 sets have been proven to provide good results. As strength increases and the load being used increases, more sets may be necessary for priming the body. An example is a person working up to pressing a 26-pound kettlebell overhead may start with an initial 2 sets of 10 reps with 18 pounds before moving on to the heavier load. Another person using a heavier load of 61 pounds in the overhead press, may need to start with an initial set of 10 repetitions with 44lbs, followed by 2 sets of 8 reps with 54lbs, finishing with a final set of 5 with 61lbs.
You must also remember that there is a level of skill acquisition in all exercises. Think about the first time you performed a row. The awkward feel of the movement. It takes people time to learn how to stabilize their spine before they can focus on the pulling of load. In those early days, you may have spent your three sets learning how to maintain a level of tension.
What you must dismiss are all the sayings in the past about working towards the burn. We’ve all heard the “feel the burn” chants in the gym. The burn is a sensation associated with the build up of
lactic acid. Lactic acid is counter productive for strength gains. Famed trainer, Pavel Tsouline has a saying about the burn. If you want a burn, light a match. Not to create confusion, we have members at the studio who may experience a burn from time to time. In those moments, we are working in either a muscular endurance or fat burning capacity. When striving to improve strength with the minimal effective dose, try 3 sets of five and I think you’ll like what you experience.
I’ll see you at the studio.