Plan sets and reps for a goal.
Rep range follows the goal — around four reps for maximal strength, eight to twelve for growth, fifteen or more for endurance — and load follows the rep range at roughly 2.5% of one-rep max per rep. Weekly sets are then divided across sessions, because distributing volume over two or three sessions produces better quality sets than one long session.
Sets, reps and load
Reps per set = 4 strength / 9 hypertrophy / 15 endurance; load = 1RM x (100 - (reps - 1) x 2.5)/100; sets per session = weekly sets / sessions per week
Load prescriptions are estimates based on population averages. Warm up thoroughly, progress gradually and seek qualified coaching or medical clearance if you are new to resistance training or have existing injuries.
Ten to twenty working sets suits most trainees for growth, with strength-focused plans often lower and higher volumes reserved for advanced lifters who recover well.
Load and proximity to failure matter more than the exact range, but heavy low-rep work is more specific to strength and moderate reps are easier to accumulate volume with.
Yes. Two or three sessions per muscle per week generally beats one, because set quality declines sharply late in a long session.