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A Repetition is referred to as a Rep and is a single lift of the weights. A group of Reps are called a Set. An exercise is generally composed of 3 to 4 Sets.
The amount of weights to use is dependent on the goal of the participant and the fitness level. If the goal is to build muscle at the fastest rate then 6 to 8 Reps should be done with a heavier weight. If the goal is to simply tone or maintain the existing muscle strength then 12 to 16 Reps should be done with a lighter weight.
Participants should never use the heavy weight if they have not lifted before or if significant amount of time has passed since they have last trained. When initially beginning a training program it is recommended to use the Light weights for a least 3 to 4 weeks before progressing to the medium weight level.
There are various methods for determining the amount of weights to incorporate into a training effort (Heavy, Medium, and Light). The 1 Repetition Maximum (1RM) method is determined by the highest weight that one can lift only once and not again. A percentage of this 1RM value is then calculated to use for multiple Reps and Sets. For example if the participant can bench press 150 lbs as a maximum effort and only once then the 1RM is 150 lbs. A percentage of this weight is used for the full complement of Reps and Sets. For the Light category, 50% of the 1RM is used.
Another method that can be used to determine the weight to use for a particular exercise is to simply estimate the initial weight. Do as many as you can. If your goal is to build muscle at the fastest rate, then if you can do more than 8 Reps then the weight is too light. If you can't do more than 6 Reps, then the weight is too heavy.
Super Sets
Often when we train to failure we get to a point where we physically cannot lift the weight for another rep but we still feel that the muscle is not quite exhausted. That is where the super set comes in. By immediately dropping the weight down to approximately 60% of the maximum weight that you have just lifted a person can squeeze a few more vital reps out to get that extra bit of muscular failure. This must be done as soon as a person cannot lift their heaviest weight any more and it must be done immediately after you put the weight down.
It is no good waiting a minute and then starting the super set, it must be done immediately. This process exhausts the muscle completely and will leave you exhausted. To stop when you still have some juice in the tank would be crazy. This is when you gain the most benefit of training. When you go that extra mile.