Technical Definitions

The two basic units every program is built from.

A rep is one complete repetition of an exercise, from the starting position through the full range of motion and back. Full range of motion means moving from the lengthened position, where the muscle is fully stretched, to the contracted position, where the muscle is fully shortened, and back.

A set is a group of reps performed back to back without stopping.

Every program is written in reps and sets.

Warm-up sets reduce risk of injury, the working sets are what cause growth.

Warm-up sets come before your working weight. They're lighter, and their job is to prep your muscles and nervous system before lifting at your full potential.

Each warm-up set gets a little heavier than the last, working you up toward your working weight. As the weight goes up through your warm-ups, the number of reps you do at each step goes down, heavier warm-up sets use fewer reps.

As a rule of thumb: 10 reps at 50% of your working weight, 5 reps at 70%, and 2 to 3 reps at 85%, then move into your working weight. Lighter accessory lifts usually need fewer warm-up sets than heavy compound lifts.

The working set is the one that counts towards muscle stimulation and your total for the week. It's done at the weight and rep range your program calls for, and it's what actually drives your progress.

How hard a set actually was quantified as a number relative to failure.

RIR stands for reps in reserve. It's how many more reps you believe you could've done with good form before you couldn't do another one.

In MacroFactor, RIR is logged on a 0 to 6+ scale. 0 means you hit technical failure on that set. 6+ means the set felt extremely easy. We want to stay in the 0 to 2 RIR range for working sets.

Intensity is a related term for the same idea, how hard a set was relative to your effort, not just how much weight was on the bar. RIR is how that gets measured in your program.

There's a difference between can't move it and shouldn't move it.

Failure is the point where you physically cannot complete another rep, no matter what it looks like.

Technical failure is the point where you can't complete another rep with good form, even if you could grind out an ugly one. This is where you stop a set. You'll know you're there when your form starts to break down and your rep speed noticeably slows.

The three phases every rep moves through.

Concentric is the part of the rep where the muscle shortens and does the lifting. On a squat, that's standing back up. This is the muscle contracting.

Eccentric is the part where the muscle lengthens under load. On a squat, that's lowering down. Do not let the weight fall down, control the eccentric. There is nothing wrong with going slow and taking your time lowering the weight, this is a huge factor of growth.

Isometric is when the muscle holds under tension without changing length or moving at all.

How fast each part of the rep moves.

Tempo controls the speed of each phase of a rep. It's written as a four-digit code, in this order: eccentric, pause at the bottom, concentric, pause at the top. Each number is seconds.

A tempo of 3-1-1-0 means 3 seconds lowering the weight, 1 second paused at the bottom, 1 second lifting the weight, and no pause at the top before starting the next rep.

Two ways to intensify a workout, but not always necessary.

A drop set means reaching failure or technical failure on a set, then immediately dropping the weight and continuing without resting. It extends a set past where you'd normally stop.

A superset means performing two exercises back to back with no rest in between, then resting once both are done. This is a very effective technique to shorten your workouts. But best to use opposing muscle groups, such as doing a set of chest press and then right after a set of rear delt flies. These muscles do not directly affect the work of the other one, so they are safe to hit back to back.

How long you wait between sets.

Rest periods are the time you take between sets. How long depends on what you're training that day, longer for heavier compound lifts, shorter for lighter accessory work. Your program will specify it.

The MacroFactor app will automatically start a timer as soon as you enter the info for the last set and complete it.

The two levers behind every bit of progress you make.

Volume is the total amount of work done for a muscle group, usually counted as total sets and reps across a week.

Progressive overload is doing a little more work over time than you did before, more weight, more reps, more volume, or better control of the same weight. Volume and load are the two main levers behind it, and it's the entire reason your weights get tracked in the first place.

Progressive overload is the whole goal behind resistance training. It is about small progress each time you lift. At first, you will be progressing relatively fast. For the beginning of your fitness journey you might be adding 5lbs or even up to 10lbs to each lift each week.

Once your nervous system catches up to your physical ability, you will feel like you hit a wall. But this is where the real work begins. At this point, you need to focus on tracking your reps and sets as honestly as you can. Getting one extra rep, improving your form, or adding 2.5lbs to the bar is all a win at this point.

Next, we identify the muscles and discuss how to target them.

Muscle Anatomy is next. It shows you what's actually moving when you train, tying every term on this page to the muscle it applies to.