TRAINING PRINCIPLES
Training principles
The set counts, rep ranges, rest periods, and effort levels in Tailrep's programs come from systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Here is the reasoning, one principle at a time.
The principles
- Weekly set volume2How many sets per muscle per week? It's the first variable you settle when designing training.
- Training frequency6How often you get to the gym and how often you train a given muscle are two different questions. The second one drives the design.
- Load and reps3How heavy and for how many reps depends on whether you're after size or a bigger number on the bar.
- Proximity to failure (RIR)3RIR means reps in reserve. Zero is failure; 2 means you stopped with two reps still available.
- Rest between sets2Short rests feel like they're working, but if the next set loses reps, total volume goes down with them.
- Range of motion and muscle length2You'll often hear that the stretched position is where the growth happens. Here's how far the research actually supports that.
- Progressive overload2Keep lifting the same weight for the same reps and the only message your body gets is that it has already adapted.
- Protein1You'll hear "two grams per kilo" a lot. The line the research supports sits a bit lower than that.
- Training for women2Light weights and high reps get recommended as the women's version of lifting. Here's whether the research backs that.
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