# High reps or low reps for size?



## Kronosis (Sep 30, 2015)

I've never been able to find a clear answer, I've asked people on Instagram and some say high reps while others say low reps build size. However to my recollection (which I'm not too sure of) I seemed to weigh more and have more size when I was doing 8-9 exercises at 10-15 reps. Or it seems to be that way when I look back at progress pics I have.


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## Fadi (Dec 14, 2010)

Kronosis said:


> I've never been able to find a clear answer, I've asked people on Instagram and some say high reps while others say low reps build size. However to my recollection (which I'm not too sure of) I seemed to weigh more and have more size when I was doing 8-9 exercises at 10-15 reps. Or it seems to be that way when I look back at progress pics I have.


 Let me help you answer this (puzzling) question yourself.

*1. *Do you know of any muscle in your body that is worth building, and is made exclusively of one particular set of muscle fiber type?

*2.* If your answer to the above question (after doing some research) is yes, then you would use one rep range for that muscle and one rep range only.

*3.* If your answer to question #1 above is no, then in this case you do a variety of rep ranges to ensure optimal growth.

*4.* Do certain rep ranges have dominance in building strength over muscle size? The answer is yes, and it's yes not because of your muscles, but because of the effect these certain rep ranges have upon your nervous system.

I can easily continue with this, however I'd much rather give other members a chance to put forth their own point of view.


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## Sasnak (Oct 11, 2016)

I'm with Fadi. Last cycle I followed the phul routine which is an upper lower split with a 6-8 rep range day and a 12-15 rep range day and got better results than I have done on this cycle with reps purely in the 6-8. Personally I think a combination is probably the best way to train but not everyone agrees. Next time I'm going to follow the dy blood and guts template which is different again


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## Pancake' (Aug 30, 2012)

Both.


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## Abc987 (Sep 26, 2013)

Progressive overload, be it high or low reps


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## swole troll (Apr 15, 2015)

progress in the 5-20 rep range and you'll grow.

now how you consistently progress in these rep ranges will require strategic varying of intensity and training waves that is more complicated than can be quickly answered and if you have no concept of this I'd suggest running a cookie cutter template and tweaking it to your specific needs and weaknesses

lyle mcdonald upper lower 
icf 5x5 
531 boring but big 
madcows 5x5

just to reel off a few


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## 90055 (Sep 7, 2019)

Eventually it comes down to individual differences so basically you need to find which rep ranges suit you the best, ie. which rep ranges grow you the best.

Generally speaking you should use both higher and lower repetition ranges periodically (periodization).


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## unclezillion (Sep 17, 2017)

since the early 80's i've been doing sets of 8, however , i do like to do one exercise per body part to failure weekly and mix this up

just to shock the muscles and keep them from getting used to a routine. ill also keep adding and dropping exercises from my routine

for the same reason.


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## Jordan08 (Feb 17, 2014)

Rep ranges btw 6-12 between 65% and 85% intensity would land you in the optimal zone for muscle building. There are no magical rep ranges.


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## Whey2Anabolic (Sep 24, 2019)

It all genetic. Patrick Moore train 20 rep every set. If he fail 15 rep he take quick pause then 5 rep.

U test rep range and c what work for u. there no 1 way to build mass in bodybuild except if u want be a 280lb freak then gh need


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