More traditional guidelines for weight lifting (e.g., ACSM Guidelines) have been in the neighborhood of 1-2 sets of 8-12 repetitions. This is what I was taught and what most beginners often do. For a general musculoskeletal fitness (i.e., a general improvement in muscle strength and endurance with a modest muscle hypertrophy), this is fine. There are, however, other (perhaps, more effective) schemes. Indeed, it should be recommended that the repetitions ranges and exercise volumes be cycled over time (i.e., “periodized”) to promote adaptation.
5 x 5. The basic 5 x 5 scheme is popular and effective. It is especially effective for building beginner strength and hypertrophy. Simply, after performing warmup sets, the exerciser performs five sets of five repetitions at a weight that should leave 0-2 repetitions “in the tank” on the final set. The weight is increased 5-10 pound the subsequent workout (as long as the five sets can be completed). For a beginner, the weights will increase rather quickly and technique can be properly mastered. Eventually, though, intermediate-to-advanced lifters will see progression stall or plateau (one cannot add 5 lb a workout indefinitely). An alternative would be to progress the five sets within the maintenance to maximum recoverable volume (MRV) range over the course of the workout and cycle (i.e., the start of the cycle would be in the maintenance to moderate range—with the final set being 3-4 repetitions in the tank—and finishing a cycle closer to the MRV with 0-2 reps in the tank).
Pyramid. Building off of the advanced 5 x 5 above, I will often perform (after warmup sets) sets ramping up to a near maximum (0-2 reps in the tank) on the third set, lighten the load for a fourth set, and performing the final set at an again-lightened load for as many repetitions as possible (usually 8-12). I find this beneficial for both strength and hypertrophy while not overwhelming recovery.
Waves. Wave sets are becoming popular. Essentially, the lifter does “wave” of sets of increasing weight and decreasing repetitions. For example: 8 reps at 225, 6 reps at 250, and 4 reps at 275. One might add volume and intensity to the workout by doing multiple waves (e.g., 8 reps at 225, 6 reps at 250, 4 reps at 275, 8 reps at 230, 6 reps at 255, and 4 reps at 280). The waves can be set from high (8 to >12 reps) to low (1 to 5 reps) according to goals.
For hypertrophy, volumes need to be high and the intensities are generally moderate. Rather than straight sets of 15 to 20 (or more) repetitions, I like to play with some of the following schemes:
100s. One-hundred repetitions is seemingly a “magic” number for (sarcoplasmic) hypertrophy. One-hundred reps can be accomplished by doing sets of 3-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-3 at a constant load—keeping the rest between set short (e.g., less than 10-15 seconds; I prefer rests equivalent to the duration of the set—100s are great to do with partners).
40-30-20-10. Another 100s scheme is the 40-30-20-10. This can simply be as many reps as possible until the 100 reps are performed, but I prefer having the targeted reps and setting the weight accordingly. I will often increase the weight from set-to-set to increase the overall load. I love these for calf raises, face pulls, cable crunches, and, well, most all accessory exercises.
10-15-10. These involve a 10-second isometric hold on the first and last repetition. The middle number is the repetition target and can be any number (I would suggest a 10-20 range). This are particularly effective for calves, trap, and ab exercises.
Myo-reps. These are relatively new for me, but I like them for certain bodyweight exercise (e.g., dips and chin-ups) to which weight can be added as I progress. The idea is to do as many reps as possible in the first set (ideally, 15-20), rest 15 seconds do AMRAP and repeat for 4-5 sets. I usually find I can do (and often plan to do) sets of 15-20+5+5+5+5. These sets are quick and effective. A Myo-rep workout (e.g., dips, chin-ups, and overhead presses) might take me 20 minutes. These are great for nearly any exercise and effectively stimulate muscle growth without long workouts.
There are many more options, and the ones detailed above have considerable flexibility in how they are performed. The key is to have more tools in your belt than just the basic guidelines and to be cycling your programming to optimize the benefits.
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Carpe momento!