SETS

How many sets is a good amount?  Well I can tell you for sure that anything over 10 sets per bodypart is insane.  Not only that, but if you went into a workout knowing that you had 8 more sets to go, do you really believe that you are going to go all out with the first few sets?  Of course not, you are going to keep some energy in reserve.

What I recommend, is that you do a warm-up set of 10 reps for a particular exercise with about half the weight that you are going to use.  Then, do at a maximum 3 sets for each exercise.   Personally I do only two sets.  I also recommend that you don't do more that 2 different exercises for a bodypart.  The total sets therefore for each bodypart ranges from a minimum of two sets (warm-ups not included) to a maximum of six.  That's it!  If you are using the rep cadence previously mentioned, and you are using near maximal weights, believe me, that will be enough!

Another thing to consider, is rest time between sets.  In this case, I merely recommend that you wait until you feel ready to do another set.   (Don't get ridiculous now and watch a TV show in between )  I'm talking about at a maximum, 3 minutes, if not sooner.  I would also write down how long you rested   between sets in the log book.

Check out my Routine and you'll understand what I am talking about.