The Perfect Rep range for muscle bulk and hypertrophy is 6 to 12 repetitions per set with upper body performing best between 6-9 reps and lower body at higher 8-12 reps per set.. A fast recap of intensity principle: As you know muscle hypertrophy depends on training intensity.And to build muscle mass you need to train in the range of 65 to 85% of your one rep maximum. Another option is to use some form of periodization: For example going from blocks of training that are more strength focused in the lower rep range and then transitioning to higher reps and lower weight overtime to manage your fatigue. Why is it important to know your MV? Sometimes you will plateau with the same training volume for a couple of weeks. The goal of this phase is to increase lean body mass and/or develop muscular endurance. In the 8-12 rep range, there is still some neural adaptation, but less than the 6-8 range and much less than the 1-5 range. do you mean 1 heavy set of bench equal 1 moderate weight set of bench at higher volume? However, you don’t want to lose your hard acquired gains, do you? Low Load: High Repetitions | 3 sets of 12 reps (36 total reps) 4. What that means is, if you’re making a hypertrophy training program, a workout might look like this: Deadlifts: 4 sets of 6 reps Bench Press: 4 sets of 10 reps Training for Muscle Size (Hypertrophy) If you're training for muscle size, choose a weight at which you reach muscle failure in the 8-12-rep range. If you read a mainstream bodybuilding magazine, you will see that nearly every program recommends training in a moderate rep range around 6-12 or 8-15 reps for muscle hypertrophy. The Best Lifting Tempo For Hypertrophy. However, you don’t have to pick just one rep range. That's when growth occurs. The best rep range for building mass is 6-12 reps. It’s been proven to have a slight advantage in studies, and it allows you to pack in a higher number of quality reps over the course of each week. Several years ago I published the data collected in accordance with my dissertation study. If I had to pick a single “best” rep range for building muscle, it would be 5-15. Powerlifters tend to lift predominately in the 1-3 rep range (i.e. Workouts take longer since you need more time to rest between each sets because the weight is heavy. …and we’ll show you step by step how to transform your body as fast as possible with science. Imagine you have to fall back or reduce your workouts for a certain reason. Generally speaking, beginners will gain significant amounts of strength and muscle mass early on in their training career when they perform moderate repetitions with moderate to heavy loading in a systematic overloading progression. What are my typical recommendations for rep ranges for muscle growth? We know based on the recent work of researcher Brad Schoenfeld that there exists a dose-response relationship between growth and volume: Whereby increases in volume performed close to failure leads to increased muscle growth. Range of motion (ROM) Full range of motion generally causes more muscle hypertrophy, but partial ROM can cause site-specific hypertrophy. BTW, I am turning 53 coming 2019. You, as a reader of this website, are totally and completely responsible for your own health and healthcare. Progressive overload is the principle of trying to increase your training volume on a per session basis. We often categorize rep ranges in three categories: strength (1-6 reps), hypertrophy (6-12 reps) and endurance (12-15+ reps) Effective reps are the reps you do when the bar speed is slow, close to failure. Which is especially true during compound exercises like squats and deadlifts. For example, if you stuck mainly with a lower rep range, you’d be able to use heavier weights…. Specifically, the 1-5 rep range is best for gaining strength. And on the other end of the spectrum, if you stuck mainly with a higher rep range, for many people this would be extremely metabolically taxing and exhausting. What's your goal: strength, hypertrophy (size), or fat loss? And this is exactly where the 6-12 rep range comes in handy: It’s simply the most effective rep range to use in order to accumulate volume. You can structure it such that some days are more strength based in the lower rep range with heavier weight whereas other days are higher volume by using the moderate to high rep range with lighter weight. Why is progressive overload essential for hypertrophy. Anyways, that’s it for this article! That’s why it’s important to know how your MV! I’m not saying this is the only way you should lift, there are various effective rep and tempo protocols for hypertrophy, this is just an example of one. Exercises with Longer ranges of … High Load:Low Repetitions | 7 sets of 4 reps (28 total reps) 2. Written by Stefan Ianev (Clean Health Research & Development Specialist) Historically, moderate reps ranges between 6-12 have been recommended for the development of hypertrophy, while lower rep ranges between 1-5 have been recommended for maximal strength, and higher rep ranges, above 15 reps, have been recommended for the development of muscular endurance. Best Rep Range for Strength They also completed 4-5 reps at 88%-90% of their max for the upper body. Every expert has different set/rep "rules." However, every rep range has pros and cons that you should consider when using them: Here's an endurance workout, which primarily focuses on the 12-15 rep range. In the table below I’ve laid out a good muscle building rep tempo. First of all, keep in mind that you CAN gain muscle with just about any rep range. Reps as low as 4-5 reps can still produce robust muscle gain along with reps as high as 30-35. Progressive overload is the principle of trying to increase your training volume on a per session basis. Whatever it is you do though, avoid sticking exclusively to just one rep range in order to reap the benefits that they all have to offer. It means that when you're struggling to do these last few reps, when the bar speed is slow, your muscle fibers have to exert maximal force in order to perform the movement and that's what triggers muscle growth. These are just a few of many examples. That’s heavy enough to put plenty of tension on the muscle, but not so heavy that you can’t control the weight. Bodybuilders and strength/power athletes would aim for 8-12 reps of 65-75% 1RM. This 2016 paper by Schoenfeld and colleagues illustrates this idea perfectly. You will still get stronger, but not as fast as the strength's one. When I started fitness I was always looking for that magic number of reps that I needed to perform to build muscle. The truth is, recent emerging research has indicated that this hypertrophy rep range is actually much bigger than most people realize . While it's true that specific parameters are well-suited to an intended goal, these parameters are often pulled out of thin air. Despite some impractical situations, you can now see that the hypertrophy rep range is wider than most people think. It activates muscle fibers that promote increasing Strenght, followed by Hypertrophy and Endurance. We've all heard that certain set/rep schemes are best for each goal. Thank you for the information. Best Tempo for Muscle Growth. We're all different, so do what works best for you. It's demanding on your CNS, but not as bad as the strength's one. And this is problematic since it would negatively affect what you’re capable of doing for the remainder of your workout. (Separate The Good From The Bad! Therefore disproving the concept of this hypertrophy rep range altogether. We often categorize rep ranges in three categories: strength (1-6 reps), hypertrophy (6-12 reps) and endurance (12-15+ reps). One simply cannot get optimal development from only one method. In fact, most of us simply follow what’s known as the “strength-endurance continuum”: As a result, there exists a hypertrophy rep range of roughly 6-12 reps, which is often proposed as the best rep range to maximize muscle growth. Most people think you need to lift heavy weights in order to build muscle. The best rep range to build muscle (hypertrophy) depends on which body parts you are training. Hence why it is actually the ideal rep range to use in order to build muscle, since it enables you to accumulate volume most effectively without overtaxing the body. But the key is to experiment with it and see what you’ll be most consistent with and find what your body responds to best. That's when progressive overload comes into the picture. The “hypertrophy range” of roughly 6-15 reps per set may produce slightly better results per unit of time invested than low rep and high rep work. And in terms of how to incorporate this into your routine, there’s several ways of doing so. When that happens you might want to take a deload week or more rest days. As a result, there exists a hypertrophy rep range of roughly 6-12 reps, which is often proposed as the best rep range to maximize muscle growth. However, on the whole, the advantage you get from working in the hypertrophy range isn’t nearly as big as people seem to think; maybe a ~10-15% advantage per unit of effort invested at most. Hi when you mean equating volume may I have an e.g. How are they building muscle? High Reps vs Low Reps For Muscle Growth: What Does Research Say? Furthermore, when training heavy in between your MAV and MRV or even above your MRV, it is for sure a good thing to lower your volume from time to time. Basically, I've found that certain minimal and maximal set/rep volumes are necessary for various structural and neural effects. In brief, the study looked at muscular adaptations in a “bodybuilding-type” routine versus a “powerlifting-type” routine in resistance-trained men when the routines were equated for volume load. The next time you are training this muscle group, you will have to increase your training volume if you want to keep performing effective reps and build muscle. “For example, when you train in the 6-8 rep range, the adaptations are still somewhat neural, but also metabolic/structural: In this rep range, you get excellent strength gains and also excellent hypertrophy. The supposed point of high-rep sets is stimulating hypertrophy, improving muscular endurance, and building up work capacity. Since training volume is sets x reps x weights, you can simply increase it by either changing the number of sets you're doing, increase the number of reps or simply increase the weight. Achieve your health and fitness goals with personalized workout and nutrition plans. If you overtrain your muscle you may get negative results. Your TUT is directly related to your lifting tempo (lifting speed). However, when you take a step back and start to think about it more practically rather than scientifically… The hypertrophy rep range actually starts to make more sense. If you’re more of an endurance athlete, focus on 15-20 reps at 50-60% 1RM. From what I have written in terms of both science and my personal experience, the best rep range to work in is between 5-10 reps. Or…do you do all 3 (or 4) sets of 1st exercise, then move to next exercise, etc.? It's key to get stronger and build muscle. However, while nearly all rep ranges build similar amounts of muscle per set, how they fatigue you is quite different. I aim for better lean mass, lower fat (current 17-18) and overall improve in my health. Saying that the hypertrophy rep range is somewhere in the neighbourhood of 6–20 reps means that sets ranging from 6 reps to 20 reps can all be ideal for stimulating muscle growth. Hope you enjoyed it and found it useful! Don’t forget to give me a follow and connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube as well. What Does Research Say? And if you’re looking for a step-by-step evidence-based program that shows you how to do so and how to maximize your efforts in the gym…. The ideas, procedures, and suggestions contained within this work are not intended as a substitute for consulting with your physician. Both upper body and lower body exercises require different rep ranges to … For many people, utilizing this approach can also cause a significant amount of physical and mental fatigue or burnout which can negatively affect your workouts and recovery throughout the week. Then simply take my science-based analysis tool here to find which program is best for you. Do any of your programm suit my need to futher progress? Both groups did the same respective 1 rep max percentage and trained with the same effort by going to failure. That said, the below guidelines can generally be used for athletes who have spe… You will reach failure in a moderate amount of time. Testimonials and examples used are exceptional results and are not intended to guarantee, promise, represent and/or assure that anyone will achieve the same or similar results. Here's a strength workout, which primarily focuses on the 1-6 rep range. In this article we will explain why they all allow you to build muscle and we will talk about their pros and cons. Well every rep range builds muscle. The author shall not be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestions within this blog. To build muscle, most of your training should be done in the 5-15 rep range. Especially since there’s benefits to incorporating lower reps and benefits to incorporating higher reps. For example, we know that lower reps are more beneficial for strength gains. As an athlete who likes to build muscle and perform in many different sports, I use them all. It gets confusing. For this research, 42 healthy men were split into four groups that followed different protocols for sets and reps, though everyone had the same number of workouts. Some exercises, such as deadlifts, are better suited to lower reps for example. Extremely straightforward. That has been an old question asked and answered many times. 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