Learning to Count

Welcome to afitnewyou!  This week I would like to give you a tip on how you can improve the number of reps you get per set of exercise at the gym.  While I believe that the best way to get the most repetitions per set is to diligently write down and track every set over time, I know that most people do not do this.  Plus, the way that I will suggest today could also improve the number you get even when you are already tracking down your progress.  The number of reps that you get per set is extremely important because you will get the optimal benefits of weight training by reaching muscle fatigue/failure while using the appropriate weights for the proper number of repetitions.  I have noticed unfortunately that many people often do not know what the appropriate numbers are, and even when they do, have a hard time being motivated enough to exert themselves to that fatigue point.  Furthermore, even well seasoned weight lifters often need a way to get that extra rep or two.  So, what I suggest is to change the way you count your reps.  Variety plays an important part in the gym, and this goes for how you count your repetitions.

Virginia is a client of mine who had a bit of a hard time getting adjusted to the way I would count her repetitions during exercise.  It has always been my style to “count-down” reps, as I always felt that psychologically it was “easier” for my clients to know how many repetitions were left in the set.  But Virginia always thought when I said “one more” that she got to one, so she was done.  I would have to emphasize that I said one “more”.  This miscommunication would often lead to some good natured arguments about how many reps she needed, but I always reminded her that if she could get one more rep, then she should.

Hooper is another gym member that needed to address her exercises according to the numbers of repetitions that she was getting.  She would choose a weight, do ten repetitions and then put the weight down.  But, she did ten only because that was a “round” number for her.  She could’ve gotten more if she had to, so she was choosing an inappropriate weight for her goals.  And even when she had the proper exercise prescription, she would still not get the full benefit out of an exercise because of how she counted.

Once you know the proper number of repetitions to perform in order to achieve your fitness goals, it is common sense that you need to get them.  But, as I said earlier, these numbers are usually at the point of muscle fatigue and/or failure.  And when we have to work that hard, we can sometimes have a hard time getting there.  So what I suggest is to trick yourself by coming up with a different way of counting. 

As I mentioned earlier, I find many clients perform better when the count down their reps.  For some reason, counting down from ten, as opposed to up to ten is easier for more clients.  It may seem it’s like going down a hill instead of up.  Either way, its ten repetitions, so if that works for you, then count down.

  One way to add an additional repetition to any set is to count one repetition as the number zero.  So if you are counting up, you would count “0, 1, 2, etc.” or counting down “3, 2, 1, 0.”  Over time, that one additional rep per set will add up.

Another trick is to break sets up into smaller blocks of repetitions.  For example, if you needed to get a total of 15 repetitions, then you can count 1 to 5 three times through.  Many fitness class instructors count in this way.  Again, mentally, it may seem easier to achieve a smaller number, such as 5 instead of the larger number of 15.

Finally, you can simply repeat a number as you are counting.  You can add a repetition to a set simply by adding an extra “one” at the beginning of the set; count “1, 1, 2, 3.”  By the time you get to the end of the set, you will have “forgotten” about that extra rep when you get to your goal number.  Or, at the end of the set you can keep repeating the number if you can perform more before that point of fatigue; “8, 9, 10, 10, 10!”  Just keep in mind that when you are recording your progress, you write down the actual number you have achieved.  Counting an extra number is just for the mental edge during the set.  Adding an extra rep or two is a great way to reach a fit new you.