Sets across: let every set earn the load increase
In short
Sets across keeps the load fixed across work sets. In the Men’s Health example, three sets reach eight reps with one or two reps left before a 2.5–5% increase the following week. Log the final set and effort, not just the best set.
A record of eight, eight and seven repetitions tells a different story from a single entry saying eight reps. The Men’s Health over-40 program uses that distinction in its sets-across progression. The useful idea for a training diary is simple: preserve the whole sequence that justified a loading decision. A personal best on the first set can hide what happened after fatigue accumulated.
What separates eight-eight-seven from eight-eight-eight?
The guide’s example uses three sets in a six-to-eight repetition range. It describes keeping the weight unchanged until every set reaches eight good repetitions, with one or two repetitions still available, then increasing the weight by 2.5–5% the following week. Completing the numerical target through an all-out final effort is not the same condition. These are rules from a particular program, not a trial establishing a universally optimal increase.
| Work-set record | Reading | Next check |
|---|---|---|
| 8, 8, 7 | Not all sets reach the ceiling | Repeat the load and inspect the last set |
| 8, 8, 8 with no reserve | Repetition target only | Record effort on each set |
| 8, 8, 8 with 1–2 in reserve | Meets the example’s conditions | Consider its next-week increase |
Which details make the comparison useful?
The following is fairlift’s editorial logging framework, rather than an additional prescription from the source. A complete entry includes load, repetitions and the conditions that made them possible. A shorter rest interval or a different exercise order may change the final set without proving that strength has declined. Keep warm-up sets identifiable so that the work-set sequence remains readable.
- Record the weight and repetitions for every work set, separately from warm-ups.
- Note an estimate of repetitions left after each set.
- Add a short note when rest time or exercise order changes.
- Review the complete sequence before assigning the next session’s load.
Does turning 40 create a different progression rule?
The source presents a full-body plan for men over 40. That target audience does not establish a biological cutoff at which everybody needs the same loading increment. The transferable idea is a decision based on all planned sets. Holding a weight steady while repetitions become more consistent can be progress worth recording. The muscle index calculator answers a separate question about maximum strength; routine work-set progression should retain its own context.
Frequently asked questions
What does sets across mean?
It means using the same load for all work sets. Later sets count in the progression decision even when the opening set feels easy.
Should eight, eight and seven trigger a heavier weight?
Not under the guide’s three-set, six-to-eight example. It keeps the load until every set reaches eight with the stated repetition reserve.
Is a 2.5–5% increase right for every lift?
That range belongs to the guide’s example, not a universal experimental finding. Available weight increments and actual performance still matter.
Source: Men’s Health (published )