What is the point of sets?

Question

Why do we do sets when we work out?? why not, should we just do it till we get tired?

Answer 1

It's so we can sufficiently work out the muscle group. Often one set is not enough to properly stimulate the muscle. But, how many sets really depends on what the goal is and what workout is being done. Some workout routines call for fewer sets, even just one set, per exercise, while some call for high volume (many sets).

Answer 2

for endurance training multiple sets is needed to effectively stimulate the slow twitch muscle fibers.

for strength training multiple sets are required to warm-up the muscles for preparation to move "working" loads.

for hypertrophy specific training once again it takes multiple sets for most to progress up to "working loads". for most several sets at working loads are needed to effectively cause sufficient trauma to muscle to cause repair and growth.

* being tired is not a quantifiable means of progression. what tires you out one day may not the next. using sets and reps gives a specific amount of "work" that was performed during training. these results and can analyzed for strengths and weaknesses in the training program

Answer 3

we do sets to relax the muscles so that they can heal from the work out.