How to Read a Training Programme
Informational content: this is not a substitute for medical advice. Check with a doctor before starting a training program, especially if you have a health issue or any pain.
A programme found online often looks like a string of codes: "Squat 4x6-8 @RIR2, 3010 tempo, 2 min rest". Each element has a precise meaning, and one misreading is enough to turn a good programme into a session that is too easy or downright exhausting. Here is how to decode the most common notation.
Sets and reps
The basics, and almost always the first information given.
| Notation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 3x10 | 3 sets of 10 reps |
| 4x6-8 | 4 sets, between 6 and 8 reps per set |
| 5/3/1 | Successive sets of 5, then 3, then 1 rep |
| 3x10/12/15 | 3 sets, with 10 then 12 then 15 reps |
| 5x5 | 5 sets of 5 reps, usually at a constant load |
The first number always gives the sets, the second the reps. A range such as 6-8 is not left to chance: it sets a progression rule. You start at the bottom of the range and add load once you hit the top on every set.
Intensity
A programme often specifies how hard a set should be, in one of three ways.
As a percentage of your max, written for instance "75 %" or "@75 %". The load is 75 % of your one-rep maximum. If you do not know that max, it can be estimated from a lighter set, as our article on the one-rep max explains.
As reps in reserve, written "RIR 2" or "@RIR2". You pick a load that would let you do two more reps than required. The set deliberately stops short of failure.
As perceived exertion, written "RPE 8" or "@8". A scale of 1 to 10, where 10 means failure. RPE 8 roughly equals RIR 2. Both are covered in our article on RPE and RIR.
Tempo
Tempo is written as four digits, for example "3010". Each gives a duration in seconds, in a set order.
- The lowering, or eccentric: 3 seconds.
- The pause at the bottom: 0 seconds.
- The lift, or concentric: 1 second.
- The pause at the top: 0 seconds.
An X in place of a digit means "as fast as possible", while staying in control. A "31X0" tempo therefore asks for three seconds down, a one second pause, then an explosive lift.
The most common mistake is reading the digits the wrong way round, starting with the lift. On a squat or bench press, the lowering always comes first. Our article on lifting tempo explains what each phase is for.
Pairings
When two exercises carry a letter followed by a number, they are performed back to back.
- A1 / A2: one set of A1, then straight into a set of A2, then your rest. That is a superset.
- B1 / B2 / B3: the same idea with three exercises, often called a tri-set.
- C on its own: a standard exercise, done set after set with rest in between.
The stated rest applies at the end of the group, not between each exercise.
Abbreviations worth knowing
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| AMRAP | As many reps as possible, with clean technique |
| EMOM | A set number of reps at the start of every minute |
| Warm-up | Light preparation sets, not counted as working sets |
| Top set | The heaviest set of the exercise |
| Back-off | Lighter sets following the heaviest one |
| Deload | A lighter week, with reduced load or volume |
| DB, BB, KB | Dumbbell, barbell, kettlebell |
The most common misreadings
- Counting warm-up sets in the total. A "3x8" means three working sets. The warm-up comes on top, beforehand.
- Taking a percentage of an overestimated max. If your reference max is too optimistic, every set in the programme becomes too heavy. Better to start from a cautious estimate.
- Ignoring RIR. Going to failure every time on a programme written at RIR 2 builds fatigue to the point of compromising later sessions.
- Cutting the stated rest. Three minutes of rest on a heavy exercise is not a comfort break: it determines the load on the following sets.
For the rest, and particularly for judging whether a programme you found online suits you, our article on following a programme found online lists what to check before you start.
Frequently asked questions
What does 3x8-12 mean?
Three sets, with between 8 and 12 reps per set. You pick a load that lets you do at least 8, and increase it once you reach 12 on all three sets.
How do you read a tempo like 3010?
Three seconds down, no pause at the bottom, one second up, no pause at the top. The lowering is always the first digit.
What is the difference between RIR and RPE?
RIR says how many reps you would have left, RPE rates the effort out of 10. They describe the same thing on two scales: RIR 2 roughly equals RPE 8.
Are warm-up sets included in the programme?
No, unless stated otherwise. The listed sets are working sets. The warm-up comes first, with lighter loads.
Once decoded, a programme is better saved as it is than reread at every session. In Musku you can build a workout template with your exercises and set a load, rep and rest target for each, then keep warm-up sets separate from working sets during the session. Instructions such as tempo or RIR, which have no dedicated field, go in the exercise comment, in front of you at the moment of the set.