Workout plan.

Hello, I am a bit confused when it comes to reps and sets. When I workout should I have the same amount of reps for each set. I am training hypertrophy and have researched that I need to be in the 8 - 12 range. Does this mean if I do 3 sets then for the first set I should do 12 reps, then next next set increase weight and then do 10 reps and then 3rd set increase weight and then i should only be able to do around 8 reps. or should I start off with around 10 reps and by the last set only be able to do like 5 to 6 reps?

In the next few days I would love to start losing body fat too so I will implement cardio into every workout for 20 minutes or so. is this also correct?

Forget cardio. It is ineffective for fat loss. High intensity interval training is far better. Alternate short bursts of maximal effort with rest intervals. There are plenty of resources available online with decent HIIT programmes.

Ok, so I think I get it. I’m going to write an example of what I think it should go like:1 - 2 warmup sets at a low weight: then 30kg x 12, 30kg x 12, 30kg x 12 Then if I complete all that at 12 reps then next time i train35 x 12, 30 x 12, 30 x 12Then week after 35 x 12, 35 x 6 (if I can’t get to 12), 30 x 12 Is this what I understand correctly?

HIIT is great if you want to improve athletic performance, or just really strapped for time. If all you want is fat loss, it's not necessary. You can burn the same calories with low intensity steady state cardio over a longer time period, with far less impact on your muscle recovery. So since the original poster wants to build muscle as well, LISS would be preferable to HIIT.

Unfortunately, studies do not support this. Actually, quite the opposite.

There have been a number of studies that compared the fat loss effects of cardio against interval training. For example, an Australian study (The effects of high-intensity intermittent exercise training on fat loss and fasting insulin levels of young women. International Journal of Obesity (2008) 32, 684–691) looked at the effect of doing 20 minutes of interval training 3 times per week compared to doing 40 minutes of cardio 3 times per week. Despite the cardio group exercising for twice the time of the interval training group the cardio group actually gained on average 1lb of fat whilst the interval training group each lost an average of 5.5lbs of fat!

In a study (Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism. Metabolism. 1994 Jul;43(7):814-8) as far back as 1994 researchers compared a 20 week cardio programme against a 15 week interval training programme and found that, even though the interval training programme was carried out over a shorter period, it led to much greater fat loss. The researchers measured the levels of fat under the skin before and after the programmes and found that the interval training participants lost on average 13.9mm of fat but the cardio participants lost only 3.5mm.

One other thing that is interesting about this study is that the researchers calculated the total amount of calories burned during the workouts and found that the cardio group burned 28,661 calories and the interval group burned only 13,614 yet still lost much more fat.

That seems good to me. My only comment is, when you increase the weight, do it with the smallest increase possible to promote longer term progress. Basically you don't want to increase the weights far quicker than your body can adapt, or you'll stall faster. I understand if you're at a gym that has dumbbells in 2.5 kg jumps, you have to increase by 5 kg. If you're loading plates onto a bar though, use the smallest increases possible.

Ok thank you. Yeah because I think you said what I was doing before was basically working my weights up so each set increase the amount of weight. But what I will do is do two warm up sets and then go go into my main lifts. If this makes sense. If let’s say I can’t do 12 reps and I do 6, should I rest and then finish the set or if I cant do it then just leave it and decrease the weight?

A couple of warm up sets before your working sets sounds fine for hypertrophy work.

If you aim for 12 reps but only get 6, you've selected a weight that's too high. To understand what you're asking, it sounds like you're suggesting resting after your 6 reps, then doing another 6 reps to get your total of 12. Because your focus is hypertrophy, I would recommend the second option you gave. Leave it at 6 reps for that set, then reduce the weight. If you went near failure, those 6 reps will still stimulate growth. They will have more of a strength gain emphasis, but hey, a stronger muscle will help you lift more weight, which will let you lift more volume, which helps you grow your muscles, which can then get stronger... etc. It's all related!

Try not to overcomplicate it in your head. As long as you're gradually increasing what you can lift (weight and reps) over the long term, you're doing well.

Ok thank you. Yeah In my head I probably am overthinking so much. So I should just increase the weight a little bit 1.25kg lets say heavier once i get all my sets to 12 on the previous session. and then just do like 5 sets and work from there. I think it all makes sense now. Im just going to give it a try and see what happens really.

There are a lot of workout plans on the internet. My friend and I started by watching online workout videos. I suggest you start with walking, cycling, squats, jumping jacks and planks. Create a workout routine according to you and your partner. Follow a healthy diet.

If you want to workout at home, then the best workout routine for you is 15 seconds of fast cycling/rowing followed by 45 seconds of easy exercise. If you're sharing a piece of home fitness equipment, your partner will run/hold a plank in one place until you finish with the first interval. Then you switch.