# best rep and set range for building muscle?



## deeconfrost (Dec 15, 2010)

so many types of training,ive always been between 8-10 reps.but i know not all of them have been to failure  anyone else come up with differ set n rep ranges that has worked for you?


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## Rick89 (Feb 27, 2009)

1-6 reps fro compound then 1-2 isolation movements at 8-10 reps worked best fro me


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## deeconfrost (Dec 15, 2010)

i used to think anything from 1-5 rep range didnt build muscle but only just gave strength? lol


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## LunaticSamurai (May 19, 2009)

There is a bible to bodybuilding which everyone must adhere to, but the only caveat is that it really does depend on the individual. You have to just try out everything for yourself to find what works best for you.


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## lifter69 (Apr 25, 2011)

im also interested in peoples opinions on this?


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

My body seems to respond best generally to reps in the 6-12 range, and for 4-6 sets of an exercise... sets don't have to be to failure but have to be intense and feel difficult. Some bodyparts respond to slightly different rep ranges though - forearms, calves, quads, triceps and lats all prefering closer to 12 reps... biceps, hams, traps, delts prefering closer to 6-8 reps.


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## deeconfrost (Dec 15, 2010)

say for a bench press compound..i warm up with 60 kg.then 70kg for 5 reps .80kg for 5 reps...then a full 3 working sets as my maximum prob about 87.5 for 3 sets at 8-10 rep??....and sometimes for working sets i do 90kg for 5 reps then another.then whatever i can manage at 100kg.


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## Breda (May 2, 2011)

Sorry but food builds muscle rep ranges don't

Saying that tho I don't think the rep range is THAT important. It's all about causing micro tears so what ever rep range that falls into is best

Dtlv74 feel free to rear what I just said Yp shreds


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## Barker (Oct 1, 2009)

Different for each person, someone might respond well to 5 reps whereas someone else might respond better to 20.

I prefer to stick around 4/5/6 mark, however when i do my own routine i do a bit of both. So once ive worked my way up to the heaviest which will be 4-6 reps, ill then do my first warm up weight, and because my muscles are fatigued i can only get aroun 10-12 reps out.


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## 0000_soldier (Aug 9, 2011)

deeconfrost said:


> say for a bench press compound..i warm up with 60 kg.then 70kg for 5 reps .80kg for 5 reps...then a full 3 working sets as my maximum prob about 87.5 for 3 sets at 8-10 rep??....and sometimes for working sets i do 90kg for 5 reps then another.then whatever i can manage at 100kg.


You shld def warm up lighter you only need to activate the muscle and lubricate the joint of the muscle. ie press ups are a similare movement pattern do those then bench at you maximum for 6-8 reps then do that again if you cant take a lil longer break next time or drop the weight slightly an bash a few more out, i have done this and found the key os "framework" your muscle doesnt count reps and sents it is just an ideal.


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## 0000_soldier (Aug 9, 2011)

Breda said:


> Sorry but food builds muscle rep ranges don't
> 
> Saying that tho I don't think the rep range is THAT important. It's all about causing micro tears so what ever rep range that falls into is best
> 
> Dtlv74 feel free to rear what I just said Yp shreds


Agreed food builds muscle, but intesity does too 100 reps is not intense thats volume. 12+ reps is more endurance, thats why i say framework it is just an ideal, 6-12 is probs gonna be a successful range for anybody.


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## deeconfrost (Dec 15, 2010)

foood  ok to neck 3 weetabix and couple slices of brown bread.. :drool:


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## Sub-Zero (May 2, 2011)

I think you need to hit a variety of rep ranges to stimulate both fast and slow twitch muscle fibers. The main thing is to periodise your workouts so body never stagnates and hits plateau. The key word is "intensity" hit your muscle hard and feed them with a correct diet and they will grow!


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## SonOfZeus (Feb 15, 2009)

lol @ 3 wheetabix and a couple of slices of brown bread..

You won't build any muscle no matter how many reps you do if that snippet gives an indicator to what your general diet is like!!


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

Breda said:


> Sorry but food builds muscle rep ranges don't
> 
> Saying that tho I don't think the rep range is THAT important. It's all about causing micro tears so what ever rep range that falls into is best
> 
> Dtlv74 feel free to rear what I just said Yp shreds


Not gonna rip anything mate, you are certainly right that without eating enough not much is gonna grow no matter what the rep range.

In respect of reps, I'm of the belief that you should train all muscle fibre types to develop the size and shape of a muscle best, and this involves using a range of reps (not necessarily in the same workout but certainly over time)-

The very fast twitch fibres are the largest and strongest and are best stimulated by failure at low rep counts like 1-6 reps. These fibres definitely need to be trained as they are the foundation of a muscles strength.

The intemediate fibres are naturally smaller than the fast twitch fibres in untrained individuals, but these fibres have the greatest growth potential so should definitely be trained; Fortunately failing anywhere within 4-20 reps can stimulate these, so most training that doesn't involve either very high or very low reps exclusively will stimulate some decent growth in them.

The there are the slow twitch fibres which don't add a lot of size frombeing developed, but due to their positioning in the muscle (outsides and edges rather than deep in the muscle bellies like the fast and intermediate fibres), developing them gives greater striations and solidity at the edges of the muscle and improves seperation. Sets failing between 12 and something silly like 50 reps will work these.. although failure towards the lower end is most likely to hypertrophy them; training to the very high rep counts will result in adaptations more about increasing oxidative capacity than actually adding more protein to the muscle.

If your goal is bodybuilding, IMO is best to use all rep schemes over time, although in the main most of training should be roughly within the mid range of reps as this kind of training stimulates all muscle fibres to a degree, and delivers the most stimulation overall.


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## engllishboy (Nov 1, 2007)

Rick89 said:


> 1-6 reps fro compound then 1-2 isolation movements at 8-10 reps worked best fro me


Same here. 1-5 compounds and 6-8 for isolation.


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## Mr_Morocco (May 28, 2011)

what breda said is spot on

makes me laugh when i see posts like this seriously..


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## martin brown (Dec 31, 2008)

Afghan said:


> what breda said is spot on
> 
> makes me laugh when i see posts like this seriously..


Why?

If you're refering to the food comment that's also very debateable - food builds fat when there is little training stimulus. In fact I'd argue that most people would gain alot better without a change in diet IF they adjusted their training style, exercise choice and technique.

Majority of sets should be 6-12 reps for most people wanting to grow but as above the extremes need to be explored as experience is gained for maximum results.


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## Mr_Morocco (May 28, 2011)

martin brown said:


> Why?
> 
> If you're refering to the food comment that's also very debateable - food builds fat when there is little training stimulus. In fact I'd argue that most people would gain alot better without a change in diet IF they adjusted their training style, exercise choice and technique.
> 
> Majority of sets should be 6-12 reps for most people wanting to grow but as above the extremes need to be explored as experience is gained for maximum results.


i agree with technique, training style etc but who invented this number of 6-12 reps? you rep what feels and works best for you, and you eat the right foods and get plenty of rest to grow.


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## martin brown (Dec 31, 2008)

Afghan said:


> i agree with technique, training style etc but who invented this number of 6-12 reps? you rep what feels and works best for you, and you eat the right foods and get plenty of rest to grow.


All the research over the last couple of hundred years invented the rep range!

Going off how people 'feel' is just a recipe for disaster. Almost all human bodies work exactly the same - this whole idea of everyone is different is pretty much BS IMO.


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## s3_abv (Feb 10, 2010)

deeconfrost said:


> i used to think anything from 1-5 rep range didnt build muscle but only just gave strength? lol


Strengh=growth.

Unless your conditioning the muscle, usually 12reps plus.


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## s3_abv (Feb 10, 2010)

I usually do 1-6 reps for 3 sets on compounds, 2 isolation moves at 8 reps for 3 sets again. My last set is always to failure.........

I do the same for weight loss or gaining weight.


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## synthasize (Aug 15, 2009)

For me, what I have found works is the following:

If training mainly for strength I find 5x5 works for me, so a chest/tri day looks like:

Flat BB bench 5x5

Incline BB bench 5x5

Weighted Dips/Decline DB Bench 5x5

I have seen my lifts ROCKET with this, 5 weeks of this ending last week saw me reach:

deadlift 200x3

flat bench 140x2

squat 160x5

I even surprised myself.

In the summer I was training more 'hypertrophy style' in the style of Dorian Yates and managed to put on about 1.5 solid stones in 3 months with no gear - like this:

Flat db bench 4 x 12,10,8,FAILURE

Incline bb bench 4 x 12,10,8,FAILURE

DB flyes 3 x 12,10,FAILURE

Incline skull crushers 3 x 12,10,FAILURE

CG bench press 3 x 12,10,FAILURE

Just what worked for me, and I tend to rotate the two in cycles of around 4-5 weeks on 5x5 whenever I plateau followed by around 6-8 weeks DY style.


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## monkeybiker (Jul 21, 2010)

I've found I get good results doing sets of 5 reps but sometimes will do higher reps to give my joints a rest. I think the important thing is progressive overload. It doesn't matter what rep range you use if you keep using the same weight you will not get any bigger/stronger. You need to push yourself to lift heavier.


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## C.Hill (Nov 21, 2010)

6-12


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## deeconfrost (Dec 15, 2010)

best rep range is what people knows work for them i spose.for me 6-10 .rotating etc


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