This workout uses 2—4 sets of 6—20 reps, doing fewer reps on the bigger compound lifts, more reps on the smaller isolation lifts.
And when the reps are lower, we tend to do slightly more sets. Speaking of reverse pyramid training, another way to do sets in the 6—20 rep range would be to strip some weight off the bar each set, perhaps starting with pounds for 8 repetitions, then pounds for 10 repetitions, and then pounds for 12 repetitions. So far, when I do weighted chinups for 3 sets, I get 8 reps on the 1st set, 5 reps on the 2nd set, and 4 reps on the 3rd set. This comes from resting 3 minutes between sets.
All sets are to failure with good form chest to bar. Does this mean only that only the 1st set stimulated sufficient hypertrophy because it was in the rep range? While the other 2 sets stimulated mostly stimulated strength? If so, am I better off reducing the weight on the 2nd and 3rd set only to make sure I never go below 6 reps?
There are a couple downsides to lower rep ranges for hypertrophy. That can be solved by doing extra sets, though, which is where the second problems comes in: lower-rep sets are more fatiguing and can be harder on our joints.
You could try 5-minute rest periods. That way when you do 8 reps, you have 2 reps left in reserve. Next set, maybe you get 8 reps with 1 in reserve. And then on your third set, you can do 8 reps with 0 in reserve. This is how we normally recommend that people train, leaving some reps in reserve, especially on earlier sets, and especially when so many reps are bleeding out from set to set.
The goal is just to keep most of our training in the hypertrophy rep range. Awesome information about reps. How about sets what has the best results. For example, sets of reps or is sets of reps have better results. That yields a training volume of 9—18 sets per muscle group per week, which is right about perfect for building muscle. You can do that with 2—3 full-body workouts per week or with body-part splits.
Thank you Shane for your response! Going to continue for another three weeks. Started working out since January Also, reading and researching on your articles, so going to follow other routines after that. Funny that this is published. Since Saturday been training 20 reps with my mate who is To be fair, my shoulders are killing me since Tues.. Probably done over reps in total.
Including burn out sets. Done shoulder press 30kg for 3 x 20 reps. Usually would do 60kg for 3 x 4. So it was good for a change. Were see. Good to train slightly differently. Hopefully I can get some new gains from training this way. Good to mix it up and to be fair, my form seems better. Different methods work best for different people.
Good to have such a wide rep range we can use to build muscle. I searched for what is the ideal rep and set to stick with to build from and you mention a plethora of different studies and my head now is so confused. So what is the general idea or rule of thumb to go off of? I understand it has to be tweaked but for someone who is just trying to build muscle and size, what do you recommend? That way all the work is done for you, and you can learn what a good workout program looks and feels like.
Otherwise, yeah, it can get a bit tricky. Your limit strength is your base. Increasing your 1RM will help with lifting more weight in the higher rep ranges. The different intensities help you gain more strength and size in the long run. Doing reps from 1 to 20 for example.
So powerlifting training is very beneficial for hypertrophy if incorporating higher reps also, as it will make you able to do 20 reps with much higher weights. I know some people who squat kg x 20 reps. Comparing that do 20 reps with 80kg, big difference. To get the most out of the muscle mass we already have, training in a given rep range is likely the best way to improve our strength in that rep range.
So if we want to get stronger at doing 3-rep sets, then 3-rep sets are a great way to gain that strength. But if we want to get stronger at rep sets, then rep sets are a better way to do that. But if the goal is to improve your strength in moderate rep ranges, then training in moderate rep ranges is perfect for that.
Thing is, we can also increase our strength by gaining more muscle mass, and doing at least 5—6 reps per set is better for that. Perhaps using a variety of rep ranges is indeed better for building muscle. Or maybe gaining strength in lower rep ranges has useful carryover to our strength in higher rep ranges. But we also have research showing that sticking with 8—12 reps seems to work just as well as varying your rep ranges.
Hi I have found this fascinating, thank you! My question is, if I can go heavier but have to drop reps say from 10 to 8 for 3 sets is that better than increasing the number of sets at the same weight?
The simplest answer is that 3 sets is a great number of sets per exercise per workout—no need to increase. And going from 10 reps to 8 reps is perfectly fine—both are in the middle of the hypertrophy rep range. If you increase from 3 sets to 4 sets, the difference may be minimal, but it may still help. And going from 4 to 5, there may be no difference at all. Shane, thank you so much for taking the time to reply to me! I really really appreciate it.
I came across your site as I was looking specifically at how to gain muscle mass in a situation where the ability to increase weight each time is limited. But I could increase reps? Add weight or reps AND as sets as needed. Hey Shane, I briefly read through each part of this article and it explained a lot, so thank you! I have a small problem with my bench.
I have been doing pyramid type training, like you mentioned in another comment, where I increase the weight with warm up sets then 1 working set as close as possible to failure. Since I started doing this one set to failure with as much as weight as possible for around reps with perfect form and full range of motion, the weight I am using on the barbell for my squats and bent over rows is going up and I am seeing results! As for my bench though not so much. My bench has been at about pounds for reps for the longest time.
So what I used to do is 4 sets of of just pounds. So I thought that since I had done this for so long it was time to increase it by 5 pounds. So i tried the warm up sets and 1 working set to failure for my bench so it would like this Set 1: 95 pounds 12 reps Set 2: pounds reps Set 3: pounds reps Set 4: pounds reps Set 5: pounds Working Set : reps.
So as you can see when I increase the weight my reps are going lower and my form gets somewhat sloppy. Should I just go back to the 4 sets of for pounds? A good default way of increasing the weight is setting a rep target say 10 reps and then increasing the weight whenever you achieve that target on your final set. Then work back up to 12 reps on the final set, increase the weight again. Are you eating enough calories to gain weight on the scale each week? Are you eating a gram of protein per pound bodyweight per day?
Are you getting enough good sleep every night? Then we can consider, are your bench press workouts too hard or too easy? And are you using a smart mix of assistance lifts, such as some push-ups and skullcrushers, to give your muscles a bit of extra work? And how are those lifts progressing? Starting with a well-programmed workout routine is a good place to start, but there will always be some trial and error. Everyone is a little bit different.
Hey I really appreciate the reply! I will reconsider what I am doing for my bench and start increasing the weight whenever I am able to get 12 reps.
Would you say I should do sets of the same weight? Not sure if that makes sense, haha. I am naturally a big guy who can gain fat fairly easily. I was at about pounds a couple years ago and now I have cut down to and noticed I have gained some muscle while staying in a deficit.
I still have quite a bit of fat holding in my midsection so I believe if I stay in a deficit it will go away over time. If you want to change the weight between sets, check out Reverse Pyramid Training , as explained in this article. It normally makes more sense to start with the heaviest set, and to keep each set within a couple of reps of failure. So do a heavy set, maybe 6 reps, take some weight off, push hard again, maybe getting 8 reps, take more weight off, and push hard again, maybe getting 10 reps.
That way each set is challenging enough to stimulate muscle growth. I bet you can still eke out some extra muscle growth, though, gain some extra bench press strength. Great article. Great article! As a beginner, squatting 3 sets of reps several times a week will have you well on your way to more strength and fuller jeans. Incorporate them into a well-rounded exercise routine and watch the results flow!
Nicole Davis is a Boston-based writer, ACE-certified personal trainer, and health enthusiast who works to help women live stronger, healthier, happier lives. Her philosophy is to embrace your curves and create your fit — whatever that may be! Follow her on Instagram. Here's how to get wider hips. Strength training isn't just about vanity. It can help control weight, stop bone loss, improve balance, and boost energy levels. Learn weight-training….
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Here we build separate cases for high, medium and low reps and render a verdict on which is the best choice for increasing muscle mass , also known as the hypertrophy rep range.
The weight room will now come to order. So what, you ask? Simply put, type-2 fibers are where the potential for growth resides, and they respond only to heavy weights at least 75 percent of your one-rep max. High-rep training is, however, an excellent means of increasing muscular endurance. In weight training, one adage has stood the test of time: To get big, you have to get strong. Taking that to an extreme, many lifters adopt a powerlifting approach, coupling very heavy weights with low reps.
However, low-rep training has one significant shortcoming: Muscle-fiber stimulation, and thus growth, is correlated closely to the amount of time a muscle is under tension. The time-under-tension theory leads us to our third suspect: 8—rep sets. At a cadence of two seconds on the concentric lifting action and two seconds on the eccentric lowering movement, your set will end up right in the middle of the optimum to second range for a given set of exercise.
Why is that range critical? Because when the set lasts longer than a few seconds, the body is forced to rely on the glycolytic-energy system, which leads to the formation of lactic acid. When lactic acid, or lactate, pools in large amounts, it induces a surge in anabolic hormone levels within the body, including the ultrapotent growth hormone and the big daddy of muscle-building, testosterone.
The increased time under tension also leads to more muscle damage, imperative if you plan on getting larger any time soon. Theoretically, the longer a muscle is contracted, the greater the potential for damage to the tissue. The moderate-rep range, when coupled with a challenging weight, will also bring about a much-desired condition: the muscle pump. That tight, full feeling under the skin, caused by blood pooling in the muscle, has value beyond its ego-expanding qualities.
Studies have demonstrated that the physiological conditions which lead to a pump activate protein synthesis and limit protein breakdown. Thus, more of the protein you eat goes toward muscle construction instead of being burned off for energy. In a scientific twist of good fortune, the fast-twitch fibers appear to be the biggest beneficiaries of this phenomenon.
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