Tip Vary Rep Range to Grow Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip Vary Rep Range to Grow There' s more to bodybuilding than 3 sets of 10 If your main goal is hypertrophy this is a must-read by Brad Schoenfeld, PhD May 19, 2016June 16, 2022 Tags Bodybuilding, Tips, Training The optimal number of reps for hypertrophy-oriented training is a source of ongoing debate in the fitness field. Although the research is by no means conclusive, evidence indicates that a moderate rep range (about 6-12 reps per set) is best for maximizing muscle growth. This is often referred to as "bodybuilding-style training" as it provides the ideal combination of mechanical tension, muscle damage, and metabolic stress – the three primary factors involved in hypertrophic gains. The problem is, most lifters seem to think this means all training should be carried out in this rep range and thus they rigidly adhere to the same loading patterns. Wrong assumption. Maximal muscular development is built on a foundation of strength. This mandates that at least some of your sets need to be carried out in the lower rep ranges (1-5 reps per set). Stronger muscles allow you to use heavier weights, and thus generate greater muscular tension in the moderate repetition ranges that optimally stimulate hypertrophy. By increasing muscle tension without compromising metabolic stress, you're setting the stage for enhanced growth. On the other end of the spectrum, high rep sets (in the range of 15 to 20 reps per set) also have a place in a hypertrophy-oriented routine. Provided that you train at or near your sub-rep max, lower intensity sets help to increase your lactate threshold, the point at which lactic acid rapidly begins to accumulate in working muscles. The problem with lactic acid is that beyond a certain point its accumulation interferes with muscle contraction, reducing the number of reps you can perform. Technical note: It's actually the H+ component of lactic acid that hastens the onset of muscular fatigue. Not lactic acid itself. Here's the good news: Higher rep training increases capillary density and improves muscle buffering capacity, both of which help to delay lactic buildup. The upshot is, you're able to maintain a greater time under tension at a given hypertrophy-oriented workload. In addition, you develop a greater tolerance for higher volumes of work – an important component for maximizing hypertrophy. Optimal muscle development is achieved by varying your rep range over time. This is best carried out in a structured, periodized program. Both undulating and linear periodized approaches can work, depending on your goals. Whatever scheme you employ, though, make sure you include the full spectrum of loading ranges. Sure, hypertrophy training is probably best achieved with moderate-rep sets, but higher and lower intensities are nevertheless important for optimizing muscular development. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training Breaking Down the Pistol Squat It's tough, but not impossible. Here's a step-by-step lesson that'll get you pistol squatting in no time. Legs, Training Tom Furman September 20 Training Tip Improve Your Squat Mobility Fix your ugly squat by squatting. Here's how. Exercise Coaching, Mobility, Squat, Tips Dean Somerset August 18 Training The Critic vs Waterbury Hello, T-Nation peckerheads! I'm the Critic. My job in this new article series is to call out various T-Nation contributors and put them on the firing line. Training T Nation December 4 Training Training Advice for Generation Ent You're punks. All of ya'. All of ya' under 25 or so, that is. Mike Mahler calls you "Generation Ent," for Entertainment, meaning you need to be constantly entertained. Well stand by to be entertained, in a manner of speaking. Training Mike Mahler July 21