Articles / Training methods
Training methods
RIR, estimated 1RM, progression, volume, rest, deloads — how the training math works.
RIR vs RPE: what's the difference?
RIR counts the reps you had left; RPE rates how hard the set felt out of 10. They convert as RIR = 10 − RPE. The table, the clamp at 6, and how the app logs it.
Human trial dataTraining methods6 minWhat is an estimated 1RM and how is it calculated?
An estimated 1RM (e1RM) predicts the most you could lift once from a set you actually did. Brzycki to 12 reps, Epley above, a rep-max table, and why high-rep estimates are fuzzy.
First principlesTraining methods6 minBrzycki vs Epley: which 1RM formula is more accurate?
Brzycki and Epley give the same answer at 10 reps and drift apart either side. The two formulas, a rep-by-rep comparison at 100 kg, and why Zyra Workouts switches between them at 12.
First principlesTraining methods7 minWhat is double progression?
Double progression adds reps inside a range first and weight second. The exact ceiling rule Zyra Workouts runs, weight-first vs reps-first, and a worked example from 100 kg × 11.
First principlesTraining methods5 minWhat is progressive overload?
Progressive overload means doing measurably more over time — more weight, reps, sets or a better e1RM. The four levers, why the equipment sets the step size, and why reps count.
First principlesTraining methods6 minWhen should you drop the weight on an exercise?
Drop the weight when your last working set fell below the bottom of the rep range. The exact back-off rule in Zyra Workouts, one bad session vs a trend, and what the yellow wand means.
First principlesTraining methods6 minHow much weight should I start with on a new exercise?
No formula can pick your first weight on a new exercise. Why Zyra Workouts gives no number without history, how to run a conservative first session, and how progression finds the load.
Method / guideTraining methods6 minTraining plateau: is it time to deload?
A plateau is 3+ sessions with the estimated 1RM flat over 30 days; "Deload needed" is a 2% fall with RIR averaging 1 or less. The exact rules, and what a deload week can look like.
First principlesTraining methods6 minHow do you track strength progress properly?
Track five numbers per exercise per session — e1RM, heaviest, volume, reps, sets — from working sets only. Why e1RM beats heaviest weight, and how records work in Zyra Workouts.
First principlesTraining methods7 minSigns of accumulated training fatigue
Four logged signals — volume vs baseline, average effort, body-weight slope, recovery data — combined into a 0–10 training-load score with Low / Moderate / High bands. The maths, and its limits.
First principlesTraining methods6 minHow many sets per muscle group per week?
The weekly-set landmarks Zyra Workouts uses for all 11 muscle groups (6–14 sets), how secondary muscles count at half, and what the volume research says.
Human trial dataTraining methods5 minWarm-up, drop, myo-rep and failure sets explained
The five set types in Zyra Workouts — standard, warm-up, drop, myo and failure — what each means, how the app logs it, and which count toward weekly volume.
Method / guideTraining methods5 minHow long should you rest between sets?
Zyra Workouts rests 60 s after isolation sets and up to 180 s after the big barbell lifts. The full default table, the reasoning, and what the ACSM and a 2018 review say.
Reference valuesTraining methods5 minHow many warm-up sets before a heavy set?
What a warm-up set is for, how Zyra Workouts organises warm-up schemes by exercise type, why the steps are yours to set, and why warm-ups never count as working sets.
Method / guideTraining methods5 minWhat is an RIR ramp (and simple periodization)?
An RIR ramp lowers reps in reserve cycle by cycle so the same sets get harder. The exact six-cycle ramp Zyra Workouts generates, and why it counts cycles, not weeks.
First principlesTraining methods6 minHow to deload: volume down, intensity down, or both?
The three deload modes in the Zyra Workouts design — 40% fewer sets, +2 RIR, or both — when a deload makes sense, and how first- and last-cycle deloads differ.
Method / guideTraining methods5 minSupersets: rules, pairings and rest
What counts as a superset in Zyra Workouts (an adjacent pair), which pairings save time without the two exercises competing, and why rest starts only after both.
Method / guideTraining methods5 minI missed a week of the gym — what now?
A missed week costs no penalty in a cycle-based program. What changes on return, and how the progression engine steps a load down if the first session back falls short.
First principlesTraining methods5 minWhat is a muscle balance score?
The Zyra Workouts balance score measures how evenly weekly sets cover 11 muscle groups: the exact formula, worked scores from real weeks, and how to read the body map.
First principlesTraining methods6 minHow to build your own workout program
Build a workout program with the Zyra Workouts generator's own rules: pick a split, minutes ÷ 12 exercises per session, one compound per muscle first, sets by goal, six cycles.
Method / guideOther categories
Zyra is a training and nutrition tracking tool. Nothing on this page is medical advice, a diagnosis, or an individual prescription. The numbers are estimates from published formulas and the apps' own rules — consult a qualified professional for decisions about your health, and a coach for your training.