How to Enjoy Alcoholic Beverages without Getting Fat during the Holidays!

 

The holidays are a time of celebration, and assuming you do NOT have a problem with alcohol and can drink responsibly, it is okay to imbibe!    The key to not getting fat from alcohol is to understand the calorie and carb content of alcoholic beverages and plan your intake ahead of time in terms of exactly what you chose to drink and how much you have.  

All alcoholic beverage drive insulin production so they are big no, no for diabetics and other people taking certain medications.  Always check for drug and alcohol interactions for any medications you are taking before you drink any alcoholic beverage.  

It is also important to understand that in addition to the alcohol content itself alcoholic beverages are often full of sugar which further drives insulin and fat production.    The good news is that there ARE alcoholic beverages that are much lower in sugar/carb and calories.

Champagne

One of the best deals for a low carb holiday beverage is champagne!   Champagnes have the lowest carb and calorie content of any wine so are a great choice – particularly dryer champagnes.   A 4-ounce serving contains just 1.6 grams of carb and only 84 calories making Champagne the best choice for holiday cheer!

Common White Wines

After Champagnes the next best choice is white wines (NOT including ANY dessert wines!)

 Per 5 Ounce Serving Size:

Chardonnay -   120 calories and 3.43 grams of carb

Sauvignon Blanc – 120 calories and 3 grams of carb

Reisling – 120 calories and 5.54 grams of carb

Pinot Grigio – 122 calories and 3 grams of carb

Common Red Wines

Merlot – 118 calories and   grams of carb

Cabernet Sauvignon – 130 calories and 3.82 grams of carb

Burgundy – 122 calories and 5.46 grams of carb

Pinot Noir – 116 calories and 4 grams of carb

Shiraz – 116 calories and 3.79 grams of carb

Low Carb Beers

Bud Select 55 – 55 calories with only 1.9 grams of carb

Miller64 – 64 calories with 2.4 grams of carb

Michelob Ultra – 95 calories with 2.62 grams of carb

Becks Premier Light – 64 Calories with 3.2 grams of carb

Miller Light – 96 calories with 3.2 grams of carb

Amstel Light – 95 calories with 5 grams of carb

Coors Light – 102 calories with 5 grams of carb

Bud Light – 110 calories with 6.6 grams of carb

Mixed Drinks

Liquor such as gin, vodka, scotch and rum, but are full of calories and to some extent act as a “super” carb driving insulin and hunger.   That being said they do not contain any carb whatsoever so as long as you mix them with no sugar/calorie mixers you can keep your carb and calorie intake somewhat under control.

One of the best choices is Vodka and Soda Water with Lime or Lemon coming in with zero carbs and about 100 calories!   Other examples are whiskey and diet coke, Seagram's 7 and Diet 7-up, Rum and diet cola, or Spiced Rum and Diet Ginger Ale.

What to avoid!

Watch those mixers when it comes to mixed drinks – most standard mixers such as all sodas, fruit juices, and tonic are full of sugar unless you use the diet versions.   All your Caribbean and Tropical drinks such as Pina Coladas, Daiquiris, Mai Tai’s, and Margaritas, etc. are chock full of sugar and calories.

Set a Budget for Your Intake!

Set a budget on your intake of alcoholic beverages and actually keep track as you drink them making a point of knowing how much you have had each hour.  Remember each beer, glass of wine, and mixed drink takes one hour to process for the average male (and longer for females) so anything above 1 per hour is getting you inebriated at some level.   

In addition to budgeting your intake drink a glass of non-alcoholic, no calorie beverage such as water or club soda for each drink/beer/glass of wine you have to slow yourself down and stay hydrated.

If you want to catch a buzz drink your limit and switch to all non-alcoholic beverages for 2 – 4 hours before driving.     

Even better – get a designated driver or use Uber or Lyft for travel to and from Holiday Parties!

How to Eat Healthy While Travelling Over the Holidays!

It is challenging if you are travelling during this season because you are out of your home and have less control over your exercise and eating habits. 

However, where there is a will there is a way.   Here are some key tips to prevent weight gain during travel: 

1.   Plan your meals and your exercise.    This is probably the most important tip because with a little planning you CAN eat healthy and get in your exercise.

2.   Start by looking at your travel schedule and planning your meals during travel.    We all know how lousy the food is on an airline so instead of being subjected to the lousy and unhealthy food bring your own.     In many airports today, there are plenty of healthy options that you can purchase and carry on the plane.  Great options include:

a.    Nuts – see below

b.    Ready to drink shakes like Muscle Milk (even starting to see this in an organic option in airports!).

c.    Nutrition bars – see below

d.    Hard boiled eggs

e.    Salads with chicken

3.   Buy non-perishable food before you leave home.  Excellent choices for meals and snacks that are easy to travel with include:

a.    Nuts – come in cans and pouches with smaller packages being ideal because while nuts are healthy they are high in fats and even healthy fats have lots of calories!    No honey glazed and if you need to be concerned about salt stick with unsalted, roasted nuts.    Best choices include pecans and walnuts and brazil nuts followed by almonds, then peanuts and cashews in terms of sugar content.

b.    Nutrition bars – there are a ton of healthier bar choices now, and they have actually figured out how to make a healthy bar that tastes pretty darned good without a ton of sugar that have high levels of fiber, healthy fats, and protein.  Several variety of Kind bars fit this bill including Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt; Caramel Almond and Sea Salt; and Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan.  These bars taste great and will satisfy you and travel well.

c.    Ready to mix shakes – there are many great options for shakes that are low in sugar and high in protein that taste great and come in packets that are easy to mix in a plastic shake bottle after you add water.  Gone are the days where these options must be blended in a blender.  Experiment a bit and you can find shakes that come in single serve packets that mix quite well in a plastic shaker bottle.

d.    If you are driving, consider bringing some pre-made meals in a cooler that are either ready to eat cold or can easily be microwave or baked when you arrive.     When you bring some of your own food and healthy desserts you know you will have good options!

4.   Focus on a great breakfast because you can get eggs in every town in America both at restaurants and in people’s homes.  Eggs are fantastic nutrition that really satisfies, and they can be prepared in many different ways.  Starting the day off with 2 – 3 whole eggs along with some sautéed vegetables, some cheese and some berries will keep your hunger at bay and provide a healthy meal that is easy to come by!

5.  Get your exercise in!  Plan before you leave – worst case you can use resistance bands and get a great workout in a very small physical space such as a hotel room.  You can also do highly effective body weight workouts while on the go.  Here is a nice bodyweight workout: https://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-three-best-bodyweight-exercise.html

6.    Go for a walk and check out the neighborhood or go see some nearby sites.  Sitting on your butt all day while food is being prepared all around you is asking for trouble!  Get up and get out and active for part of the day or offer to do some shopping for the group or pitch in with some of the physical chores if you are staying at someone’s home. 

    While it is easy to gain weight during travel over the holidays – with a little planningyou can come through with little to no weight gain or even lose a pounds or two over the holidays!

Proven Ways to Avoid Putting on Weight During the Holidays!

As we head into the holidays many Americans will gain 10lbs between Halloween and New Years Day.    However the good news is that there are ways to prevent this weight gain!

Here are some tips:

Eat before you drink and before holiday parties.     Going into a holiday party on empty and hungry is a sure-fire way to overeat.    Alcohol intake boosts appetite to begin with and if you start out without anything in the tank it just gets worse!    This does not mean overeating – eat a sensible meal about 2 hours before you go to the party.

Try to choose higher protein foods first because protein helps with satiety (feeling satisfied and not hungry).

Fill up on Fiber Rich Foods – which also help with satiety and help create a feeling of fullness when consumed with water.  Focus on the raw veggies and yes you can dip them in some dip that has some fat because together fiber and fat can really assist in managing hunger along with protein.

Eat some fat – that’s right eat some fat!   Fats also are key for satiety.   That being said a little goes a long way!

Bring your own food to a party.   Rather than having only high calorie, high sugar and high fat foods bring something you enjoy that is also healthy along with you!

Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly – seems simple and it is.    It is also very effective for limiting food intake!

Use smaller plates, bowls and glasses – all of which help to slow down food and beverage intake and make you more conscious of how much you are consuming!

Try to Minimize Sugar and Starch Intake – both sugar and starch wind up as glucose (blood sugar) and high intakes drive insulin which results in rebound hunger.    High sugar and starch intake drives hunger – particularly when drinking alcohol because alcohol acts like a super sugar and also drives insulin response.

Pause before getting seconds – as with slower eating and deliberately chewing food this can give your body time to realize it is no longer really hungry.

If you are hosting an event have extra Tupperware so you can give away excess foods to guests!

Try not to eat in front of the T.V. which distracts you from how you feel and results in mindless eating!

Consider planning a cheat meal but have a plan for how much you are going to eat!   One meal can knock you off course but most of the holiday weight gain comes from completely giving up on healthy eating for many meals.   Planning one cheat meal every week and planning on eating a set amount of the foods you may be craving can work for many people rather than mindlessly eating.   If you plan your meal including your portions of alcohol, sweets, fat and sugar you can limit the damage and still have a great time!

Drink Water.   Often quoted and still true - water is the best beverage and avoiding sugar laden drinks in favor of still or sparkling water can make a big difference in minimizing holiday weight gain.

Workout!   Working out improves mental outlook and burns some calories while reducing stress levels!    When we are stressed we overeat!   Just 10 minutes a day can make a big difference!

Get Your Sleep.   Lack of sleep is terrible for your health and particularly bad for driving appetite and overeating.   Lack of sleep causes hunger and excessive eating because the normal feedback mechanisms that tell you that you are full do not work properly when you are tired.   Basically, a tired brain tells you to eat to feel better and it is VERY hard to resist these urges when tired!

How Much Exercise Does it Take to Burn Off Halloween Candy?

 

In the big picture of weight loss it is not what do on the occasional holiday that determines our weight - it is the week in week out eating and drinking habits that determine our weight and level of bodyfat.   That being said if you are not careful you can eat/drink a ton of calories in one day which turns into weeks of too many calories during the holidays starting with Halloween.

The key is to plan and know what you are eating!   Candy can be confusing because of all the different snack sizes that are so prevalent during Halloween.  It is very easy to assume because you are eating snack size candy that it is not that bad, and this is true if you are not eating many pieces!    Before you eat candy see how many calories you are eating – it takes less than a minute to google calorie, sugar, and fat content for just about any common Halloween Candy.

Here are some examples:

Nestle’s Crunch Bar (60 calories) - 6 minutes of brisk aerobic exercise to burn off!

Kit Kat Bar (70 calories) - 8 minutes of brisk aerobic exercise to burn off!

Four Snickers Mini Bars (170 calories) - 18 minutes of high intensity exercise to burn off!

 Full Size Twix Bar (80 calories) - 6 minutes of continuous kettlebell swings to burn off!

 4.2 Oz Candy Corn (450 calories) - 4 – 5 miles of walking to burn off!

 2 Peanut Butter Cups (210 Calories) - 2 miles of running to burn off!

So eating a little candy is no big deal, BUT if you are not watching how many pieces/containers you eat you can quickly rack up a ton of calories that would take more than an hour of vigorous exercise to burn off!

Plan your candy intake and know what you are going to eat and enjoy it!   The other key is have candy after a meal so you are not really hungry – candy and hunger make for a really bad combination!

Is Diet Soda Really Worse For You Than Regular Soda?

 

A study looked at this question and was all over the media.  What did the study conclude?  It concluded that drinking 2 or more sodas per day (of any type of soda) was associated with a 17% increase in mortality.  Further the study concluded that regular (non-diet) soda drinkers were 8% more likely to die at follow-up than those that consumed less than one glass per day.

Those people that drank two or more artificially sweetened sodas were 26% more likely to die at follow up than those who drank less than one diet soda per day.   Seems pretty simple right – clearly diet soda is WAY worse than regular soda and all soda is bad, but is that really the story?

When we look at the study itself in more detail the picture is not so clear!   First of all, the study involved giving people ONE questionnaire on their average daily soda intake at the beginning of a 16-year study.   This is a big problem because self-reported intake is notoriously inaccurate and assuming that people kept their soda intake fixed for 16 years is a whopper of an assumption as well.

Another problem is that the study cannot account for what are known as “confounding variables” meaning things like smoking and alcohol use or other unhealthy behaviors.  The study attempted to “guess” at the levels of these unhealthy behaviors by using statistics, but the fact is that no one knows who did what in the observational study.     

This is a big problem because it may in fact be the case that most people drinking soda were engaged in unhealthy behaviors like smoking, high alcohol consumption, and/or lack of activity.   So, it could be that people who drink sodas tend to have more unhealthy behaviors and the increased death rates may have nothing to do with soda!

Last but not least lets take a look at “absolute risk” rather than relative risk which is ALWAYS important.  Here is how that works.  In the study out of 225,543 people who reported less than a glass per month of artificially sweetened beverages at baseline, there were 21,032 deaths at follow-up.  In other words, 9.3% died.  For the 6,292 people that reportedly drank two or more glasses of Artificially Sweetened Beverages per day at baseline, there were 737 deaths at follow-up.  So in this group 11.7% died.

This works out to a RELATIVE risk increase of 26% calculated as follows: subtracting the lower death rate of 9.3% from the higher death rate of 11.7% (11.7% - 9.3% =  2.4%).   Then dividing the 2.4% absolute difference by 9.3% (2.4% divided by 9.3%= 26% difference in RELATIVE risk).

Sounds like a big deal right?   Not so fast – lets take a look at the ABSOLUTE risk or raw numbers.  The absolute risk is the difference between 11.7% of the heavy soft drinkers died vs 9.3% of those who drank less than one per day.   As above 11.7% - 9.3% is 2.4%.   So the ABSOLUTE risk is only 2.4%.   Pretty insignificant isn’t it?

So long story short soda should probably be treated like other lifestyle issues – in moderation!  By the way calories DO count and sugar has real calories, but diet soda does not.  Is this a license to drink lots of diet soda – NO!

Your Genes are NOT your Destiny!

 

We all see that specific genes from our parents produce specific characteristics such as eye color, hair color, and height.  Based on this experience many people believe that our genes determine our destiny, but is that really true?  The short answer is an emphatic NO!  While there are genetically determined characteristics that are fixed from birth, gene expression is actually quite variable and changes based on your lifestyle.

The process of gene expression is what determines which genes are actually expressed by cells in your body.  The key to gene expression is epigenetics which consists of physiological mechanisms that silence or activate genes, and encompass processes which alter gene function without changing the sequence of nucleotide base pairs of our DNA.  There are many such physiological processes which are activated by changes in our environment caused by many factors including exercise, diet, medications, sunlight, smoking, meditation, etc.  

All of your lifestyle choices play into your risk of disease through epigenetics.  Nearly all cancers, respiratory illnesses, autoimmune disorders, and cardiovascular diseases are controlled through epigenetic changes.  Simply put – genes load the gun but the environment (your lifestyle) pulls the trigger!

Most disease-causing gene expression is activated by epigenetic factors meaning you CAN control it!   In fact, the Centers for Disease Control states that genetics account for only 10% of diseases.

Transgenerational Inheritance of Epigenetic Change

Amazingly epigenetic changes that occur in one generation can be passed down to future generations.  For example, it is known that changes in fertility initially caused by chemical exposure cause epigenetic changes to be handed down to the next generation.  This is also true of traumatic experiences.   

Characteristics of parents' sensory environment that occur before conception can remodel the sensory nervous system and neuroanatomy in future conceived generations.  An example of this is the fact that descendants of holocaust survivors show abnormal stress hormone levels which put them at greater risk for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

Lifestyle Choices Count for You AND the next Generations

Realize that the air we breathe, the food we eat, the thoughts we allow, the toxins to which we are exposed, our activity levels, and the experiences we undergo may be passed on to our descendants.  Our genes are not our destiny – the choices we make are!

How to Prevent Sleep Issues from the Fall Time Change

 

It’s that time of year again – time to fall back and set our clocks back one hour.  Resetting clocks in devices is simple.  Unfortunately, your body clock is not nearly as easy to reprogram.  This comes with some serious health consequences.  An hour time shift does not seem like a lot, but your body runs on a tight schedule and this one-hour change throws us off.

Scientists have documented that the shift to daylight saving time in the spring, when we lose an hour of sleep, is linked to an a much higher rate of attacks and car accidents.  Although we gain an hour to sleep – the change throws off the sleep cycle and that is where all the problems come from.

Over the last 20 years, scientists have documented that, in addition to the master clock in our brains, every cell in our body has a circadian rhythm and time-keeping mechanism. The body and cell’s circadian rhythm help regulate important functions such as sleep and metabolism. And increasingly, there's evidence that when our habits — such as when we eat and sleep — are out of sync with our internal clocks, it can harm us.

When we disrupt our routines with erratic sleep or eating habits, it can increase the risk of metabolic disease. For instance, overnight shift workers are at much higher risk of developing diabetes and obesity. Research also shows that kids who don't have set bedtimes and mealtimes are also more likely to become overweight.

As days get shorter with less daylight, it's easy to fall into bad habits, and regulating light exposure is key to regulating circadian rhythm.    

Maximize Exposure to Bright Light During the Day

Maximize your exposure to daylight in the morning hours since it gets dark so early in the evening.   This simple step is every bit as powerful as avoiding blue light at night.   Ideally get outside immediately upon waking – just five minutes of outside light can do the trick!    

Outdoor sunlight is about 1500 lux on a cloudy and 100,000 lux on a sunny day while indoor lighting typically maxes out at 500 lux!    Bright OVERHEAD light is the primary signal to shut-down melatonin production and wake up.    

If it is too cold to go outside consider buying a 10,000-lux UV free light – ideally one that you can set to shine down on your face from above you.    

Minimize Evening and Nighttime Light

Exposure to light and electromagnetic fields from computers, phones, tablets, and T.V.’s all act as a stimulant, so it is important to minimize nighttime light exposure and blue light exposure in particular.  Blue light comes from artificial lighting.   Blue wavelengths – which are beneficial during daylight hours because they boost attention, reaction times, and mood – are disruptive at night.   Energy efficient lighting is packed with blue light as are our electronics.

Turn off lights or dim them as much as possible.   If you must use a computer or your phone install blue light filtering programs on both that will adjust the amount of blue light emitted by your computer, phone, and tablets.    Flux – https://justgetflux.com is a free program for your laptop or tablet and the Twilight app for your phone.   Both allow you to set times and adjust blue light output of your devices automatically based on time of day! 

You can also buy blue blocking glasses to use in the evening.   This may seem gimmicky but there is very well-done research supporting the effectiveness of reducing blue light in the evening through these and other measures!

For night-time bathroom trips use a red-light nightlight as redlight does NOT disrupt sleep which is why you see it used by the military on ships and submarines!

Avoid Alcohol!

Alcohol intake is extremely disruptive to sleep and for many just eliminating it results in much higher sleep quality within a week. Consider cutting down or completely eliminating alcohol intake particularly during the work week!

Stop all food and beverage by 8pm!

Ideally stop all food and beverage intake 3 hours before bed – late food intake can create digestive issues and late beverage intake can force bathroom trips disrupting your sleep.

Stay on a consistent sleep/wake cycle!

Get up and go to bed at the same time each day – this trains the body and mind.   It is NOT a good idea to sleep in on weekends – this just disrupts your circadian rhythm.

Minimize Caffeine intake after 10am!

There are slow and fast caffeine metabolizers and if you are a slow metabolizer it is critical to stop any and all caffeine intake by 10am!   

Exercise!

Yes – it’s true – for many a consistent exercise habit will dramatically improve sleep quality and duration!

Finish your morning shower with a cold shower!

While this may seem unpleasant at first cold showers dramatically ramp up the secretion of norepinephrine which is the brains primary stimulant.  See this blogpost for the many benefits of cold showers:  http://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2022/04/can-cold-showers-improve-exercise.html

Sleep is Key for Weight Loss!

 

Everyone knows that sleep is important to look and feel your best, but what many people do not realize is that lack of sleep directly and significantly reduces your ability to lose weight and keep it off!  In fact a recent study suggests that missing out on just 30 minutes of sleep per day can increase your risk of obesity and diabetes. 

There are several reasons for the this phenomenon, but on one level it is pretty easy to understand.    If you do not get enough sleep you will not have energy to live a healthy, active lifestyle, and when you are tired it is very easy to skip workouts and spontaneously reduce overall activity. 

Sleep: Your Body’s Best Friend

Sleep is important for just about all the systems in your body, and lack of sleep reduces cognitive function including reduced reaction time, impaired decision making and memory.  Sleep is also essential for the repair and recovery of the body.

Even if you think you get enough shut-eye  you may still be suffering from the symptoms of sleep deprivation.   Unfortunately just a little sleep deprivation can have a significant effect on weight gain.

How Lack of Sleep Causes Weight Gain

Lack of sleep increases the levels of a stress hormone called cortisol, and cortisol increases appetite significantly.  Sleep deprivation also saps willpower and decision making ability so not only are you hungrier – you are more likely to make poor food choices.     Sleep deprivation is a stressor and when you feel stressed you tend to choose high carb foods which boost serotonin.

At the same time the body’s ability to handle carbs properly is reduced.    Your cells become less sensitive to the effects of insulin called insulin insensitivity which is what type 2 diabetes is all about.   If lack of sleep is a chronic condition you quite literally can make yourself gain weight and become diabetic!

In addition when you are really tied, a hormone called Ghrelin is boosted while Leptin levels drop.   This is quite literally a double whammy because Ghrelin increases hungers and Leptin tells you when you full and satisfied.   So you are hungrier and yet you do not feel as satisfied when you do eat so you eat more.

In fact, studies have shown increased calorie intake of over 300 extra calories per day in sleep-deprived people.

How To Improve the quality and time you spend sleeping

There are simple steps to keep lack of sleep from sabotaging your weight loss efforts.  The first step is to figure out your bedtime based on when you need to get up in the morning.    Count back a full 8 hours and set that as your bedtime.   You also want to wake up at the same time all the time because having a consistent bed-time and waking time helps set your body clock.

It is also important to avoid all sources of caffeine except for first thing in the morning.     Caffeine is not a horrible thing, but too much to late can really have a big negative impact on your sleep.     Also avoid alcohol because drinking reduces the quality of your sleep as well.    Just cutting down or cutting out alcohol and caffeine often makes a dramatic difference in sleep quality within a week to 10 days.

The other key is making sleep a priority.  Sleep is directly linked to higher quality of life and resistance to illness and disease.    Sleep is as or more important than diet and exercise so make getting a good night’s rest a priority.

How to Get More from Lunges!

 

Lunges are a staple exercise for most gym-goers, and there are many different varieties of lunges.    Most of us have been taught to keep the torso upright when we lunge.  While this is not wrong per say – there is another way to perform the lunge that can place more emphasis on the glutes and hamstrings.

When you keep your torso fully upright you tend to place more load on the knees and quads – particularly if you allow your front knee to track forward over your toes.   Instead try hip hinging slightly as you lunge allowing the torso to angle forward over the front thigh.  

Keep the shoulders back and down.   Your upper body should not slump – we want to hinge from the hip.    When using dumbbells allow them to come forward ahead of the knees more.    By keep hips and knees back while moving weight forward more of the load is placed directly on the glutes, and at the same time you are putting the glutes in a stretched position.    Done properly there is more emphasis on the glutes and they go through a great range of motion without stressing the knees. 

It is important to keep a straight line from your tailbone through the top of your head – hip hinge but do not let the spine flex or bend.

To get a good feel for the form check out this video:  https://youtu.be/cEOoPcniNn4

How Many Sets for Size vs Strength?

While increased muscle size is associated with increased strength it is not a perfect relationship meaning you can increase muscle strength without increasing muscle size.   Research shows that the ideal number of sets for muscle growth vs muscle strength seem to differ, and the ideal number of sets definitely changes as you progress from a beginner to a more advanced lifter.

To tease apart the differences it is useful to review what happens when a person starts doing resistance training exercise and how things change as they have been doing resistance training on a regular basis for 3 – 6 months or longer.

When a person starts doing resistance training they can make very quick gains because they are going through a period of “motor learning” and “neural adaptations” meaning they are learning how to do the exercises.     This process ends pretty quickly in about 3 – 4 weeks of doing resistance training.  During this time strength improvements are not associated with much muscle growth.  Once this honey-moon period ends people start to add muscle if they continue to challenge their muscles sufficiently and this is known as muscle hypertrophy.    

How hard someone trains is measured by how close to complete muscular failure they reach during each set of exercise.  Muscular failure is defined as continuing to do an exercise until you reach a point of fatigue where you can no longer lift a weight using good form.   The closer to this point that you get the more intense the set and sets done to muscular failure are the most intense.

For beginners one set to failure can be sufficient to stimulate muscle growth and strength increases as long as the person continues to increase the resistance when they hit a certain number of repetitions in a set of a particular exercise – somewhere between 8 -12 reps is a good goal.

However, as time goes on many people begin to plateau if only doing 1 set of exercise for each major muscle group.   At this point introducing multiple sets of each exercise is often key to continuing to gain muscle size and strength.

Number of Sets for Size vs Strength

For more experienced lifters the number of sets and rest time between sets should be determined based on goals and performance during each resistance training workout (this is why it is VERY important to record all your workouts listing exercises done, weight or resistance level used, rest time between sets, etc.).  

A recent study in the Journal of Applied Physiology provided some very valuable information about sets for strength vs size.    The study had 85 people do sets of between 8 – 15 repetitions of single-leg knee extensions with weight chosen so they reached muscular failure during each set.    Each participant did one set per workout with one leg and four sets per workout with the other leg.    Muscle size changes were measured with MRI.    60% of the participants failed to gain more than a 3.3% increase in quadriceps muscle size for their leg that only did one set.    For the leg that did four sets per workout only 19% failed to gain significant increases in muscle size.

Other studies have also found that multiple sets are better for muscle size.   However, research on multiple sets for strength gains are not as consistent!   In the study above the four set legs did NOT gain significantly more strength than the 1 set legs.   This does not mean that people focused on strength should not do more than 1 set of exercise.    Most elite powerlifters do multiple sets of exercise.      However, this does indicate that for non-competitive lifters strength goals can probably be met with less sets than those looking to maximize muscle size.

What About Set Intensity and Rest Time Between Sets?

Another key point is that studies clearly show that for increasing muscle size it is very important to come close to muscular failure or actual hit muscular failure during each set.   In addition, shorter rest times tend to be better for muscle growth for more experienced lifters.

This is NOT the case for strength.   Research shows that excellent strength gains can be made doing sets that “leave something in the tank” and not reaching muscular failure while also taking longer rest times between sets.   This does not mean that strength focused lifters should never achieve failure in training.     However, as a person becomes strong it becomes more and more risky to use high loads to complete muscular failure – particularly in major compound lifts like squats and deadlifts.