If you go to the gym for a specific purpose, you should adhere to an appropriate training pattern, or in simple terms, a program. And the program implies not only a set of exercises, but also how many approaches to do for mass, endurance, strength or relief, as well as how many repetitions should be in each of these approaches. Depending on what result you want to achieve, these values will vary.
Number of approaches in different sports[edit | edit code]
Source: "Training Programs"
, scientific ed.
Author:
Professor, Doctor of Science Tudor Bompa, 2020
An approach
is the number of repetitions of an exercise followed by a rest break. The number of approaches depends on the number of exercises and strength combination. The number of sets per exercise decreases as the number of exercises increases, because otherwise the volume of the workout will become too large. In addition, there is an inverse relationship between the number of repetitions in a set and the number of approaches in an exercise. For example, for a rower, canoeist or skier looking to develop long-term muscular endurance, the key element is the number of repetitions per set. Because the number of repetitions is high, it is difficult for these athletes to perform more than three sets.
The number of approaches also depends on the ability and trainability of the athlete, the number of muscle groups being developed and the stage of training. For example, a specialized program for a high jumper or diver may include three to five exercises with four to six sets of each exercise. When increasing the number of exercises, it is necessary to reduce the number of approaches, which will be accompanied by obvious disadvantages. As an example, consider a high jumper who performs eight exercises that work different muscle groups in the legs, upper body, and arms. The amount of work performed by an athlete during each exercise or for each muscle group is about 400 kilograms. Since the athlete can only perform four sets, the total amount of work for the muscle group will be about 1600 kilograms. However, if the number of exercises is reduced to four, the athlete can perform a total of, for example, eight approaches, and the total volume of work will be about 3200 kilograms per muscle group. In this way, an athlete can double the total amount of work performed by the prime mover muscles by decreasing the total number of exercises and increasing the number of sets.
The number of sets performed during a training session also depends on the stage of training. During the preparatory (pre-season) stage and, in particular, during the anatomical adaptation stage, when most muscle groups are trained, the bulk of the exercises are performed with fewer repetitions. However, as the competition phase approaches, the training becomes more specific and the number of exercises decreases along with the increase in the number of sets. Finally, during the competitive phase (season), when the goal of training is to maintain a certain level of strength or a given combination of strength, both the number of exercises and the number of approaches are reduced so that the athlete's energy is spent more on technical-tactical work or specific training .
In team sports where the competitive season is long, the athlete performs only a few sets per exercise (two, three, maximum four) in order to reduce residual fatigue and the likelihood of a negative impact on the recovery process and specific performance. On the other hand, a well-trained individual sport athlete may perform three, six, or even eight sets. Of course, it makes sense to perform a large number of approaches. The more sets an athlete performs on an exercise that plays a fundamental role in the development of prime mover muscles, the more work the athlete can perform, ultimately resulting in greater strength gains and improved performance.
Four stages
The adaptation process can take place in four stages.
- Assessing the level of preparedness of a new employee is necessary to develop an effective adaptation program. Even if an employee has special training and experience working in similar structures, when he gets into a new organization, he inevitably encounters different external infrastructure of the organization, new personnel, and operating technology. All this inevitably leads him into an unfamiliar situation.
- Orientation on site, i.e. practical acquaintance of the employee with his duties and the requirements that are presented to him. The immediate supervisor and the personnel management service are involved in this work.
- Direct adaptation. This stage consists of the new employee adapting to his status and is largely determined by his inclusion in interpersonal relationships with colleagues. This element of onboarding is key because it determines how the new employee will be accepted into the workplace. During this stage, it is important to provide maximum psychological support to the employee, conduct regular conversations and evaluate the effectiveness of his activities in the new workplace.
- Full involvement in work. This stage completes the process of adaptation of a new employee to the organization; it is characterized by the gradual overcoming of production and personal problems and the transition to stable work.
If the adaptation process in an organization is well regulated, then the adaptation period and costs are reduced several times and bring significant benefits to both the organization and the employee.
