4-6 reps, or 8-12....

[JoNaThAnPeTeRs]

how come i always see conflicting views on the rep range that pros use to get bigger.....what do you guys like, what body type are you....i.e. endo, ecto, meso....and why do you like that rep scheme??

thanks.....so which one leads to the greatest amount of hypertrophy......

 

[JDarty6173]

It basically comes down to trial and error, finding out what works for you.. For me it's was always the 6-8 reps range for growth..

 

[vinylgroover]

Are you on steroids or natural.

If natural, IMO you will have a tough time growing on any more than 8 reps. I'm ecto and i find the ideal rep range for me is 4-8.

At the end of the day, muscle growth occurs through overload.....you can't be overloading your muscles too much if your cranking out 12 reps.

 

[Legion Kreinak]

I'd have to agree, and disagree. My reasoning is because, while using 4-8 reps does stimulate much growth, I've found from ym own experience that when I used 12-15 over the Summer, I grew a good amount (noticable by all my friends) and still kept muscular endurace. I suppose it was more a beginner's thing, though?

As of now I'm still on a once-a-week 5x5 routine, and I don't feel sore or stimulated in anyway, and I keep pushing my limits. It feels like I'm just hurting my tendons and joints...

 

[louden_swain]

I would classify myself as a ecto-mesomorph. I have had made the best gains off using reps between 5 and 8. If I am training for power and maximum output, then 3 to 5 reps has worked tremendously.

 

[Intenceman]

For upper body, 3-10 has worked. For legs 6-20. I just do as many reps with a given weight as I can, every time, and let the number fall where it may.....

 

[JoNaThAnPeTeRs]

thanks for the replys guys....

myself, i am a endo/part meso morph....and of course im talking about training when on gear....

i have always trained with people who never went to failure higher than 8 reps....and i see with bodybuilding videos that ronnie likes higher reps, while other guys like lower reps....dennis james goes sub 4 rep training on big exercises while it seems cutler likes 5 reps and above...

when u get the biggest pump, is that when u know that is ur rep scheme?? i guess when it feels the best, stay with it, right?

im curious to see what the endo/mesos have to say....

 

[edgecrusher]

Your muscle fiber make up will denote whether you grow from high rep or low rep sets.

 

[Rexbo]

Always more weight. If you get stuck at a weight, switch up the routine.
ALways more weight
always more weight. Stick that on every door in your house (about 324321 on the fridge)

 

[the nature boy]

I perefer 3 to 6 reps, but every now and then I like to do some higher rep days just to mix things up.

 

[Zyglamail]

The main ingredient for strength is max poundages, this stimulates the CNS. For hypertrophy you need not only stimulation by fatigue as well. The fatigue can come from low rep with short rest of from higher rep cycles, both will generally accomplish the same thing

 

[WannaBPowerful]

Hmmm i think il dial in with what works for me, just to give another idea and point of view. I dont give a heck about strength, but it does come along with the size.

I go for FEELING. I use the heaviest weight i can BUT its not heavy to where i cant feel it perfectly. Like, i can probably bang out 110 dumbells for 10, but i use 100 or 105 and go a tid bit slower and lot more controlled and focus on the feeling. Get a full range of motion to insure i hit every last fiber because there are 3 POF (positions of flexion) haha i just learned this a few months ago. I use 6-12 rep scheme, whatever i feel like that day. Seems to work for me. Hope this helped.

 

[spatts]

BROKEN RECORD STARTS PLAYING:

The method at which you GROW best might be determined by the type/density/ratio of MUSCLE FIBERS in your body. I NEVER grew training like a BB the way I grow training like a powerlifter. Of course, I was a sprinter for many years, and it only makes sense that I would excel in sprinting BECAUSE of the the muscle fibers I have. If you have "sprinter genes" you might just grow better this way too. I have been training this way most of my life. The one year I trained like a BB, progress was slow and frustrating.

That said, Westside incorporates strenth, speed, low rep, high rep, and HIIT. Little bit of everything.

 

[Lumberg]

Don't forget TUT (time under tension). I have heard like 15-30 seconds is ideal for hypertrophy. Corn is the expert on this. Anyways that means 10-15 reps.

Another thing to keep in mind is that very high reps very often (to fatigue but not to exhaustion/failure) makes your body grow more blood vessels and capillaries to a given area. If you have hit a plateau doing 100 reps/day to fatigue can help.

Anyways I am a proponent of the 8-12 range. But I have been doing high reps for a while so I am trying 4-6 lately.

Best case scenario: do at least 2 exercises per muscle group. Do one low rep, do the other high rep. Best of both worlds.

JC

 

[coolcolj]

TUT is not a requirement for a muscle to grow, Total Time under Load is though


anyway the reason why I use low reps, is because

1) the weights I use tend to be on the heavier side of my capabilities. Although I will use light weights as well and they are hyper acclerated which leads too..

2) I lift very fast/explosively. Well as fast as I can push the weights, so there is a lot of technique and CNS involvement. So form and bar speed will breakdown too much once you go past 6 reps due to overall fatigue