Tip The Pros and Cons of Extreme Rep Ranges 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 The Pros and Cons of Extreme Rep Ranges Want muscle Use the 8-12 rep range most of the time Here' s why and when to go extreme with low and high rep ranges by Charles Staley August 27, 2018August 18, 2019 Tags Bodybuilding, Powerlifting & Strength, Tips, Training Fact: More muscle has been grown in the 8-12 rep range than all other rep ranges put together. If your goal is primarily muscle growth, that's your sweet spot. Although the bulk of the current scientific research on muscle hypertrophy strongly suggests that growth is directly correlated with how many "hard" sets you perform per muscle/per week, that same research also argues that the number of reps per set doesn't really matter much, as long as those sets are taken to, or at least near, momentary muscular failure. So you could indeed build tons of muscle using sets of 2-3, or, conversely, sets of 20-25. In fact, many lifters have done just that. In practical terms, however, there are some very good reasons why you shouldn't veer toward either extreme. Low rep 1-7 training Requires much heavier weights, which comes with disadvantages: Greater risk of injury. Greater sympathetic nervous system ("fight or flight") stress. More warm-up sets, which lengthens overall workout duration. More time between work sets, which also lengthens the time you'll need to spend in the gym. High rep 13-plus sets These come with only one primary drawback, but it's a significant one: Assuming that the value of a set is hinged upon taking it to failure, it becomes clear that only the last few reps are responsible for the benefit you receive from the set as a whole. If you do a set of 20, those first 16-18 reps only serve to get you to those last few result-producing reps. They're necessary, but also a waste of time and energy. But if you do a set of 8, you'll only need 5-6 reps to get you into the growth zone of that set. The Benefits of Occasionally Using Extreme Rep Ranges Given those drawbacks, there are a few different legitimate reasons to (at least sometimes) do either low- or high-rep training: Low-rep sets have a much greater impact on strength development. Even if you don't care about being strong, getting stronger will help you use more weight for your sets of 8-12 down the road. Or, it might simply be that you like being strong. If that's the case, definitely do a fair bit of low-rep work. High-rep training has more cardiovascular impact than lower-rep work, and it also burns more calories (probably not per unit of time, but because high-rep sets keep you working for longer durations). Also, even though high rep sets require more reps in order to get close to failure, you won't need as many warm-up sets because you'll be using less weight. Finally, there's one additional reason to stray from the 8-12 range: If you always, or nearly always, train in that range, your body has likely habituated to that specific stressor and is likely reacting less strongly to it than it used to. If this is the case, try venturing into the 5-7 range for a month or two, followed by another 4-8 weeks in the 15-20 range. You'll be pleasantly surprised by the results. 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 Tip The Hip Flexor Fix Run like a cheetah and squat like a beast... pain-free. Here's what you need to do. Training Mike Over January 24 Training 5 Strategies for Choosing Exercises Forget sets, reps, or percentages. Picking the most effective exercises is the foundation for success. Bodybuilding, Training Brad Schoenfeld, PhD January 8 Training Tip Use the Thumbless Bench Press This type of grip eliminates shoulder and triceps pain in heavy benchers. And yes, it's safe if you're not an idiot. Here's how to do it. Tips, Training Christian Thibaudeau February 21 Training Tip 3 Exercises Everyone In Your Gym Screws Up That may include you. Here's how to fix these common technique makes. Training TJ Kuster February 9