The variables you can change in a workout — sets, reps, load, rest, order — and what each one does.
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4 lessons · ~11 min · in this order- 1Training Guide for BeginnersStarting prescriptions for new lifters — about 2-3 sets per exercise in the 60-70% of 1 RM range, 2-3 minutes rest, training 3x/week and hitting each muscle every session.Begin →
- 2Repetition Maximum (RM)The maximum weight that can be lifted for a specific number of reps to exhaustion — e.g. a 6 RM is the load you can lift for exactly six reps.3 min
- 3Number of SetsHow many sets you perform for an exercise — 3 to 6 sets are most productive for strength, and the total interacts with workout time.2 min
- 4Rest Periods Between SetsHow long you rest between sets: trained lifters gain the most strength with more than 2 minutes, muscle grows a little better with more than 60 seconds, and short rests (under a minute) suit muscular endurance work.4 min
Every Program Design topic
30 topics
- Bodybuilding Quadriceps Routine (Example)1 minSample Program · A three-exercise quad example illustrating the structural → supplementary → body-part sequence and the 10-set, 23-minute workout-length calculation.
- Exercise Categories — Structural, Supplementary, Body-Part1 minProgram Variable · Exercises classify into three types — structural (compound, multi-muscle), supplementary (a substitute for a structural exercise), and body-part (isolation of one muscle).
- Exercise Order / Order of Exercises2 minProgram Variable · The sequence of exercises in a workout — typically large to small muscle groups (structural → supplementary → body-part), with pre-exhaustion reversing this for advanced lifters.
- Exercise Selection and Choice2 minProgram Variable · Choosing which exercises to include — strengthening all 12 major muscle groups, and picking exercises based on goals, sport movements, and injury-prone areas.
- Frequency of Training2 minProgram Variable · How many days per week you train — don't work the same muscle two days in a row, and generally not more than three times a week.
- FSU Basic Strength Fitness Program2 minSample Program · The Florida State University Fitness Center beginner-oriented strength template, low in volume and time, specified across 12 numbered variables.
- FSU COMBO (Hypertrophy & Strength) Program1 minSample Program · The Florida State University Fitness Center template combining hypertrophy and strength goals, specified across 12 numbered acute program variables.
- FSU Endurance Program1 minSample Program · The Florida State University Fitness Center muscular-endurance template, using high reps (15-30) at up to 60% of 1 RM with slow tempo and short rests.
- FSU Hypertrophy / Bodybuilding Program2 minSample Program · The Florida State University Fitness Center bodybuilding template, with 8-12 RM loads, high volume, and high training frequency.
- FSU Power Program2 minSample Program · The Florida State University Fitness Center power template for advanced/competitive lifters, using very heavy 2-3 rep loads at 90-95% of 1 RM with long rests.
- FSU Strength Training Program1 minSample Program · The Florida State University Fitness Center strength template (athletic strength training), with heavy 4-6 RM loads, medium volume, and long rests.
- Intensity2 minProgram Variable · The amount of weight (resistance) lifted — also shaped by speed, reps, sets, rest interval, and workout duration.
- Length of Workout2 minProgram Variable · The total time a session takes — calculated from the number of sets plus the rest between sets; e.g. 10 sets works out to about 23 minutes.
- Number of Sets2 minProgram Variable · How many sets you perform for an exercise — 3 to 6 sets are most productive for strength, and the total interacts with workout time.
- Program A vs Program B — 6 RM Strength vs 12 RM Mass2 minSample Program · A side-by-side bench-press example showing how a 6-RM load with long rest emphasizes strength, while a 12-RM load with short rest emphasizes muscle mass.
- Repetition2 minProgram Variable · One complete movement of an exercise, from the start position through the full motion and back, made up of a concentric, mid-range, and eccentric phase.
- Repetition Maximum (RM)3 minProgram Variable · The maximum weight that can be lifted for a specific number of reps to exhaustion — e.g. a 6 RM is the load you can lift for exactly six reps.
- Repetition Maximum Continuum3 minProgram Variable · Low reps with heavy loads build the most maximal strength, but muscle grows across a broad rep range (about 2–4 to 20–30+ reps) when sets are taken close to failure; the classic strength/size/endurance continuum is a rough guide only.
- Resistance Exercise Selections for Different Training Levels3 minSample Program · A 14-muscle-group table mapping novice → intermediate → advanced exercise choices, generally progressing from stable machines to freer, more technically demanding movements as training level rises.
- Resistance Training Variables — Four-Program Comparison2 minSample Program · A single comparison table laying the acute program variables of four sample programs side by side: Basic Strength Fitness, Athletic Strength Training, Bodybuilding, and Combo.
- Rest Periods Between Sets4 minProgram Variable · How long you rest between sets: trained lifters gain the most strength with more than 2 minutes, muscle grows a little better with more than 60 seconds, and short rests (under a minute) suit muscular endurance work.
- Rest Periods Between Workouts2 minProgram Variable · Muscles need roughly 48 to 72 hours to repair and grow between sessions; too little rest causes chronic fatigue and strength loss.
- Rest-Period Programs — ATP-PC vs Lactic Acid System2 minSample Program · Two identical seven-exercise programs that differ only in rest placement and length, one stressing the ATP-PC system (4 min rests) and one the lactic acid system (under 1 min rests).
- Rotational System Workout Split (Example)1 minSample Program · A sample weekly split for the GNL rotational system — three muscle groups per workout (one large, two small), with five rules for assigning them.
- Routine1 minProgram Variable · A combination of exercises assembled to work a specific muscle or muscle group.
- Set2 minProgram Variable · A specific number of repetitions performed consecutively without resting.
- Strength Conditioning Program (Full-Body Exercise Map)2 minSample Program · A full-body template listing each of the 15 muscle groups (with antigravity/atrophic-weakening ones flagged), the exercises that train them, and the equipment.
- Tempo / Time Per Repetition3 minProgram Variable · How long each repetition takes — a controlled tempo of roughly 1.5 s concentric and 2.0 s eccentric, because slow movement produces more tension, force, and fiber recruitment.
- Training Guide for Beginners2 minSample Program · Starting prescriptions for new lifters — about 2-3 sets per exercise in the 60-70% of 1 RM range, 2-3 minutes rest, training 3x/week and hitting each muscle every session.
- Volume2 minProgram Variable · How many — not how heavy. Volume is the total amount of exercises, sets, and reps performed, and moves inversely to intensity.
Explore connections
How Program Design links to other categories — line thickness is link density in the graph, not an editorial rating.