Using the rest period

How long you rest in-between sets is also a part of your routine. If you want to increase maximal strength, you need a long rest period of up to four minutes. If you’re looking to improve muscular endurance, 30 seconds or even less rest is fine. And, if you want to increase size, your rest period should be about 30 seconds to one-and-a-half minutes. If you are a beginner, and that lasts for at least the first three consecutive months of training, take as long as you need. You’re considered a beginner until you have completed three consecutive months of consistent training at least two to three days a week.

Choosing the right weight

The right weight level depends on what you want to achieve from your training, because it relates to the number of reps that you perform. To develop strength, you want to do one to six reps. To increase muscle size, do between 6 to 12 reps. And, to improve endurance, do between 12 and 20 reps. A onerep max equals the total amount of weight you can lift with one repetition and means you’re giving a 100 percent effort. More reps represent what are referred to as sub-maximal loads. See the bullet points below for reference.
_ 1 rep = 100 percent
_ 2-3 reps = 95 percent
_ 4-5 reps = 90 percent
_ 6-7 reps = 85 percent
_ 8-9 reps = 80 percent
_ 10-11 reps = 75 percent
_ 12-13 reps = 70 percent
_ 14-15 reps = 65 percent
_ 16-20 reps = 60 percent

As you can see, a moderate intensity workout of lifting 70 to 80 percent of your one rep max is in the 8 to 13 rep range. Performing fewer reps — and using ultra-heavy weights — carries a greater risk of injury. And doing more than 12 reps is generally not effective for building strength, but doing up to 20 to 25 reps does improve muscular endurance. To keep yourself motivated and your muscles challenged, you may want to vary the number of reps you perform. You can use a periodized program that first emphasizes muscular strength and then later emphasizes muscular endurance. For example, you can do 6 to 8 repetitions one month and then 12 to 15 the next. Finding the right weight for each exercise requires some trial and error. Don’t be afraid to add or subtract weight after you start a set. We’ve seen people contort their bodies to finish a set just because they overestimated what they could lift but who were too embarrassed, too stubborn, or simply not aware of the huge risk of injury to drop down a plate.

Doing exercises in the right order

In general, follow the rule of doing your upper and lower body exercises in the order of your larger muscles first, and then your smaller muscles. Lastly, exercise your middle body, your lower back and abdominals, as they serve to stabilize your body as you do all the prior exercises.
Upper body

1. Chest and back (It doesn’t matter which comes first.)
2. Shoulders
3. Biceps and triceps (It doesn’t matter which comes first.)
4. Wrists

Lower body

1. Butt
2. Thighs
3. Calves and shins (It doesn’t matter which comes first although we prefer to work our calves before our shins.)

Middle body
Perform your abdominal and lower back muscle exercises in any order you want. Mix up your core stabilization exercises with those that target the mover muscles, or do your mover exercises first, followed by your stabilizer exercises or vice versa. Researchers haven’t yet determined whether an ideal order exists for training the muscles of this part of the body.