There are 6 primary types of Sets

1. Straight Set; this is where you do 2 or more sets with the same amount of weight.  The common set and rep routine is 5 sets of 8-12 reps.  That means for each set you will do 8 to 12 reps of that workout and weight.  You can increase the weight and lower the reps for Heavy Lifting (5 sets, 4-8 reps) or reduce the weight and increase the reps for Muscle Endurance (5 sets, 12-15 reps) and calorie burning.  Good for beginners and intermediate people just getting into a workout regiment.

• Basic skill level
• Simple
• Heavy Lifting, builds muscle
• Muscle Endurance

2.  Pyramid Set; this type of set is where you increase the weight and decrease reps as you progress through the workout.  This is like mentioned above and is good for heavy lifting and muscle building.  Where you would do 5 sets of 5 reps at a +15% weight increase.  This is for more intermediate and experienced gymrats.

• Intermediate skill level
• Builds Muscle

3.  Super Set; this is where you perform another workout instead of resting between your initial set.  There are variations of this as well:  An agonist super set is where you do another workout of the same muscle group (chest bench press to push up).  antagonist super sets is where you do anther workout of an opposite muscle group (Lat Pulldowns to Shoulder Press).  A upper body / lower body super set is when after doing an upper body workout, you then do a lower body workout or vise versa.   Super sets are very good for keeping your heart rate up and having a more intense workout than normal (straight sets).  BUT, you can essentially combine two workout days into one slightly longer day.  Where if it is Chest day, you can super set leg workouts and combine chest and leg day.   It takes some thought and planning to arrange a successful Super Set program.  This is for more intermediate and experienced health nuts.

• Intermediate skill level
• Builds Muscle
• Burns more calories
• More intense
• More workouts

4.  Tri Set; is where you do three consecutive workouts before a rest.  It’s like super sets, plus one more.  For example, doing a antagonist super set, you could go from Chest Bench Press to Lat Pull down, then to Leg Press; then have a rest.  Tri Sets take a lot more planning so that it does not interfere with muscle recovery and you are not over training but it most definitely increase the intensity of your total workout.  I would say that this sort of regiment is for the experienced gym-sharks.   Giant Set; this is where you do more than three consecutive workouts before a rest.  Just like Tri Sets, it is a Super Set plus two or more workouts before a rest.  This is probably the most intense gym experience and takes a lot of thought and planning.

• Experienced skill level
• Most intense workouts
• Most total workouts
• Maximizes calorie burning

5.  Drop Set; this is where you reduce the weight once you reach muscle failure with that weight.  Once you reduce the weight, you keep going.  You continually repeat workout and reducing weight.  This is sort of like a Pyramid Set in reverse and were you do not reduce reps, you just keep going until failure.  A Beast Drop Set is where at the very last set in the workout, you put most of the weight back on from the start.  Drop and Beast Drop Sets should be the last workout performed for that muscle group.  The goal is to ensure that muscle is finished/toast/burned out/destroyed.   This is for more intermediate and experienced fitness nerds.

• Intermediate skill level
• Ensures Muscle Failure
• Ensures musculature blood-flow and “pump”
• Builds muscle
• burns calories

6.  Feeder Set; this is where you do a low weight low rep workout of a certain muscle group that is either about to be worked out or is sore from a previous workout.  The concept is to pump that muscle group with blood and nutrients to help in recovery or prepare for a workout.  Kinda like stretching.  The weight should be low enough as to not tire out the muscle but to stimulate blood-flow.  This can also help breakup and cycle out lactic acid that built up in that muscle from a previous workout.  3 sets of 20 reps is about all that is needed.

• Basic skill level
• Assists in muscle warm up/recovery

Mixing and Matching

You can mix and match the various types of sets to customize the perfect workout for each muscle group with each kind of workout for each goal you want with each muscle group.

If I want a stronger Chest but need my legs to more equipped for running; I may do a Agonist Tri Set of Chest Bench Press (Pyramid Set), then go right into Leg Press (Muscle Endurance Straight Set), and then right into Chest Dumbbell Flys (Straight Set); then rest.  All that equals ONE set.  I would repeat this order for 4 more sets.  Three different workouts in ONE set.