Which rep range to use?
Rep ranges:
Heavy – 1 to 5 reps strength
Moderate – 6 to 15 strength/size
Light – 15+ reps muscular endurance
We know that muscle can be built using a variety of rep ranges in both untrained and trained individuals.
Rep ranges are important but they are one of many variables that can affect muscle development alongside volume,intensity,exercise selection, training frequency and recovery.
So which rep range is best?
Well it’s dependant on your goals, as this page is aimed at those who want to lift and look strong, let’s take a look…
Training in the low rep range (1-5) is more about neural adaptation and for building maximal strength*. Spending some time training in the heavy range can still have benefits to muscle gains, if you improve the amount you can lift in these ranges, it means you can use higher loads for the higher rep ranges which will help to increase total workout volume. For the casual gym goer, the risk outweighs the reward when it comes to testing for 1 rep maxes, i would keep in the 3-5 rep range if you want to use heavy loads or work off 90% of your 1RM. If you are training for a specific sport that requires you to lift maximal weights, then you may need more of training spent in this rep range.
Training in the high rep range (15+) helps to make the bodies aerobic energy systems more efficient and develop the slow twitch muscles fibres, which is great if you are an endurance athlete but not the ‘ best’ way to go about building muscle. There is a point of diminishing returns when it comes to high reps with low loads compared to moderate – heavy loads. Doing 500 reps on a DB Bench press with a pair of 2kg Dumbbells isn’t going to have the same effect as doing 4 x 10 with a pair of 25kg. Some work in this rep range can help with building muscle but it should be a small %, it definitely shouldn’t make up the majority.
Moderate load training (6-15) seems to be the best rep range to put your efforts, if you are trying to gain both strength & size. Bodybuilders have typically spent the majority of their training within this rep range to maximise muscle hypertrophy and there is some good research to support this**
You get a bit of everything in these rep ranges recruiting both fast & slow twitch muscle fibres and a sufficient amount of tension to create an adaptive response.
Maybe the old 3 sets of 10 wasn’t a bad idea after all !
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