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Third Time’s a Charm: Why Three Sets of Exercises are Optimal

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3 sets exercise for optimal lean muscle mass

 

I love how Tone It Up has us doing three sets of all their Daily Moves for the Bikini Series. Because the third time really is a charm!

Three sets of each exercise is perfect for building lean muscle mass.

Let me show you what I mean.

The first set

The first set of an exercise is sort of a warm-up set. It gets your muscles used to the idea of a move. Your brain and muscle fibers start firing to meet the demands of the exercise.

The second set

The second set usually feels easier than the first set, because your body is warmed up now and your brain is ready for the moves this time. At this point, you’re starting to burn through major calories because all your systems are “go,” especially if you run through the sets with little rest in between moves.

The third set

The third set is what counts! On the third set, your muscles should be nearing fatigue. And if you remember this quote from Arnold Schwarzenegger, you’ll know why:

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger quote last reps count

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The last few repetitions of the last set are where change comes from.

Those are the repetitions that you need to burn through to create change.

Remember that next time you’re struggling at the end of your workout. The last few reps are where change comes from, so push through! You deserve it!

The result of this kind of training is lean muscle mass, exactly what most of us women want. Most of us aren’t working toward hypertrophy (muscle building) or athletic power. We’re just trying to lean out and build some definition.

 

How about you…

Where are my TIU girls at? How is the lean muscle building going for you?