Thursday, June 10, 2010

More Sets=More Benefits?


If done right, the benefits of weight training go a long way. Besides ridding our bodies of that unwanted cellulite, it does a world of wonders in speeding up our metabolism while improving our total muscular endurance and natural body strength. When performed regularly as a part of our daily healthy lifestyle, we can be assured of having a tone, fit, and healthy physique. Although doing regular strength training suffices to provide proper muscle development, some people hold the idea that doing diversified multiple sets ups their benefits all the more. And does it really work?

According to Edward Lawkowski MD in his article in MayoClinic.com, there is hardly any proof backing-up this claim.  Using the right weights, doing a single set of 12 repetitions could develop our strength just as effectively. To maximize our benefits, doing progressive strength training whereby we increase the amount of weights as our strength works to maximize our benefits over time. Besides employing this gradual increase in difficulty as our strength develops, it also helps if we vary the exercises time and time again. The only time doing multiple sets would benefit us is if we are looking to significantly increase our muscle mass.

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