How much weight to load, how many sets and reps to do?

In principle, we can define training load using these three parameters:

• training intensity
• training volume
• duration and quality of rest periods

Note: Training frequency can also be added as a variable, but it depends on the time period in question — whether that's a week, month, year, etc. For now, intensity, volume, and rest period length will serve us perfectly well.

Training Intensity

In resistance training, intensity is expressed as the weight on the barbell, or the number of weight plates on the cable machine. This value can be defined in absolute terms (kilograms) or relatively — i.e. as a percentage of your maximum. Your maximum is commonly referred to as 1RM (one-repetition maximum) and represents the heaviest weight you are capable of lifting for a given exercise exactly once. In addition to the one-rep max, other rep maxes are also used — for example 3RM, 5RM, and 8RM — where the number defines the maximum number of repetitions you can complete with a given weight.

In other sports, intensity may be expressed as speed, height, pace, and so on.

Training Volume

Training volume refers to the total amount of work performed during a training session. In resistance training, volume can be defined by the number of sets, repetitions, or total weight lifted. The most commonly used measure is the total number of repetitions for a given exercise or session. You may also come across what is known as relative or normalised volume, which restricts volume to a specific intensity zone — for example, volume performed within the 80–90% range.

So how do you choose the right weight, and then the appropriate number of sets and reps? There are several well-established reference tables that can help you select the right number of repetitions, sets, and load at any given time.

One such tool is the Prilepin Chart — the result of many years of experience among Russian coaches. It is named after Russian weightlifting coach A.S. Prilepin and provides guidance on the ideal number of repetitions and sets for a given weight, or more precisely, the range within which you should be working if your primary goal is strength development.

Prilepin's Chart

To better understand how to apply this, let's walk through a practical example. Say you want a training session focused on strength development, and you know that the most effective method is maximal effort training, which uses loads of 85% 1RM and above. At 85%, the appropriate rep range is 2–4 reps per set. If you're just starting out with strength training, you might begin with 3 reps per set. The optimal total rep count is 15, which gives you 5 sets. So at 85%, you would perform 5 sets of 3 reps to achieve the ideal training stimulus for strength gains. The total range tells you that you could also do 3–4 sets of 3, or even 6–7 sets of 3. Choosing the right volume takes a little practice and experience. To begin with, simply follow the recommended optimal rep count.

Basic Recommendation Table for Beginners
(Supertraining, Verkhoshansky, Siff)

Alongside intensity and volume, there is one more concept worth understanding — known as intensiveness or effort. This refers to a subjective assessment of how hard a given set felt. To illustrate this clearly, let's look at an example. Compare lifting a 100 kg barbell for 6 reps versus 8 reps. Which feels harder? The intensity is the same — 100 kg — but the effort is different; logically, it is greater for 8 repetitions.

The perceived effort factor is abbreviated as RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion). RPE is measured on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is the easiest and 10 is the hardest perceived effort. You may also encounter the original scale ranging from 6 to 20, known as the Borg Scale.

Borg's research in 1993 demonstrated a relationship between perceived exertion, heart rate, blood lactate, %VO2 max, and breathing rhythm in athletes. In strength training, you can gauge RPE by how many more repetitions you feel you could STILL perform with a given weight — in other words, how many reps you have left in reserve before reaching complete failure.

RPE Values
(Michael Tuchscherer, The Reactive Training Manual)

RPE is used in so-called autoregulatory training, where the number of sets is determined more or less during the session itself, in conjunction with fatigue markers, fatigue percentages, and similar indicators.

There is also a conversion table for translating RPE values into percentage-based loads for a given number of repetitions.

Finally, let's define the 3 main training functions — development, maintenance, and recovery — along with the key parameters relevant to structuring and planning individual training sessions from the perspective of recovery and training load/intensity.