Reps: How Many?

G'day sports fans, I hope you are all well,

Today we'll be looking in depth at sets & repetitions and what sort of weight we should be pushing.
We all know of the traditional 3 sets of 10 reps, which is the basic guide to free weights at the gym. This is a great way to gradually build up strength, size, tone and endurance. But what happens if you have good tone but lack size or strength. Or you may have good strength and size, but lack tone/definition.
Well your in luck, here we have a guide which should give you the solution to your problem!

3 Sets, 1-3 Reps - Strength
This work out is purely for strength. What you should be lifting here is the 'maximum amount'* of weight that you possibly can for the 1-3 reps, without risking form! For this exercise it is very important that you have good posture and support otherwise you can easily cause damage to yourself. There is also a long recovery time between sets. This type of work out is one used commonly by weightlifters who aren't overly worried about muscle definition.

8 Sets, 4-8 Reps - Size
If your looking to gain muscle size, this is the one for you. Here you should be lifting your maximum amount of weight that you can sustain for the 4-8 reps. This should be less then your maximum for the 1-3 reps. There is again a long recovery time between sets. This workout is one used by body builders and certain athletes looking for size and an increase in speed and explosive power. I find that 5 sets of 5 reps with a normal-long recovery to be a great workout to increase size.

3 Sets, 9-15 Reps - Tone
This is primarily a toning exercise which adds a little strength and size secondarily. You want to be lifting your maximum you can sustain for the 9-15 reps. There is an average recovery between sets. This is another workout used by body builders as a way to shape and 'perfect' their muscles, while getting the added secondary benifits.

6 Sets, 16-20 Reps - Endurance
If your finding yourself fatigued easily from different activities, you may need to build up your endurance. Your looking to lift the maximum you can sustain for 16-20 reps. There is a short recovery between sets. The endurance workout is one used by marathon runner, boxers and other athletes requiring stamina for repeated actions. This workout also offers limited strength as a secondary bonus.

*You may be wondering, 'how do figure out my maximum weight for that amount of reps?' Well what you should be looking for is you should be at failure on the second last or last rep. You can calculate your Reeitition Maximus, (RM) this here: RM Calculator, (this should give you a ball park figure to work with), but it all comes down to feel.

Remember form and posture is everything, and there is no shame in starting at a low weight and working your way up to ensure good form. Other wise you could be risking injury, leading to time off work and away from things you would rather be doing.

Keep working hard and stay motivated

Eye Protection

G'day all and welcome to another week at Jimmitys H&F,

Now, it is no secret that UV rays cause damage to your eyes, however most people believe this is only when you look directly at an extreme light source, (ie. the sun), or from glare off the water/snow. While this is true, it is not the only way that your eyes can be damaged. Our eyes are always exposed to UV, if they weren't we wouldn't be able to see. The problem occurs when we expose our eyes to unregulated UV, for long lengths of time. Though we are in winter in OZ, UV rays can be just as strong, if not stronger on overcast days, as if there were blue skies.

Those of us who are out skiing, motorbike riding, exercising outdoors, gardening or even driving are exposing ourselves to these UV rays and you should take just as much care with your eyes as you would with your skin. I am of course talking about wearing sunglasses, but a set with polarized lenses and a wrap-around style frame as these offer the best all-round protection. Polarization blocks a lot of UV from entering the lense, but the UV that is let in is filtered into a softer and more linear stream, effectively blocking harsh light and giving a very clear picture. The wrap-around style helps stop any UV that may enter from around the sides of your sunglasses.

To anyone that asks, if there is a 'brand they should go with?' I have always recommended 'Oakley' not from favoritism or anything, but because they genuinely are one of the best, if not 'The Best'. The styling and shape is not only attractive but extremely comfortable, I don't think I have ever come across a set of Oakley's that wern't comfortable. Every individal has a different face shape, but there is definitely a set, (if not multiple sets), for everbody.

The lenses are pure quality in every perspective and second to none. The arms, lenses and frame are very strong and durable, which they need to be if I own them, surviving many drops, fishing adventures, and extremely hard impacts, (ie. the rim of a scope from a high powered rifle). They still look as new, (aside a couple tiny scratches on the frame, none on the lenses), and they are over 5 years old.

After trying many different brands and styles I have found, that most others slip of your face easily, put pressure behind your ears causing a headache, break and scratch easily, the lenses pop out or arms come loose/fall off or they just aren't comfortable. Here are a couple styles and some goggles:


Radarlock Path (top left), Mayhem MX (top right), Crowbar Snow (bottom left), Antix (bottom right)

Of course with all good things, it comes with a price and these are no exception. However what your are really buying is an investment. For example I was spending about $100 a year on sunglasses, (if not more), but since I bought my Oakley's, (around $250) I haven't spend any cash on sunglasses, so really I saved about $250. Besides is your eyesight worth anything less then the best!

Visit Oakley Australia here: Oakley Aus
Or if your outside Australia: Oakley

Keep working hard and stay motivated