The Beat Rep Range for Ultimate Muscle Growth

R1balla

R1balla

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Basically, do whatever rep range you want but work the muscle hard, eat and sleep

Seriously though, I've always followed that. I aim for 5-6 reps on my compound lifts then go 8-15 on everything else.
 

ericos_bob

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Yeah that sums it up pretty well. It's not a particularly deep article which doesn't encompass variations in response to rep ranges in regards to slow/fast twitch fiber ratio. There's a guide in which one can calculate whether or not they're more likely to respond to a low/high rep training protocol by calculating muscle fiber type ratio on a rep % basis of 1rm.
http://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/muscle-fiber-composition.htm
It's been pretty accurate for me. I have an above average ratio of slow twitch vs fast twitch in my legs which probably explains why I respond so much better to higher rep leg training. Upper body is pretty average though and as such I'll vary rep ranges frequently.
 
sandpig

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IMO from watching people train for almost 40 years, there is no one best way. Everyone is different. You got to figure out what works best for you.

Me, my body likes higher reps and lots of volume.

Some people get great results training to failure, others can't handle it.
 
R1balla

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IMO from watching people train for almost 40 years, there is no one best way. Everyone is different. You got to figure out what works best for you.

Me, my body likes higher reps and lots of volume.

Some people get great results training to failure, others can't handle it.
For the past year or so I've been doing less volume but more than once a week for my muscle groups. I've always done the high volume route and wanted to change it up. Now I'm doing higher reps with more volume and I am loving it. On week 2 of the new routine and my fiancé claims she can already see a difference. Especially in my legs and arms.
 
DemntedCowboy

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IMO from watching people train for almost 40 years, there is no one best way. Everyone is different. You got to figure out what works best for you.

Me, my body likes higher reps and lots of volume.

Some people get great results training to failure, others can't handle it.
If you read the article it actually says that and says why each different way is good/bad
 
R1balla

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I'll tell you this much. I've been doing 4-8 reps for the past few months. On 8-15 now and the DOMS is intense. Shocking my body completely now. Need to eat a little better and drink more water. Killin it.
 

Anabolic Goat

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Great article, it's always good to switch it up.
 
R1balla

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I've been doing 15/12/10/8 with 4 exercises per muscle group (about) as opposed to 10/8/6 or 8/6/4 and doing 2 exercises per muscle twice a week and I'm seeing really solid results. My chest is showing much more definition.
 
DemntedCowboy

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I've been doing 15/12/10/8 with 4 exercises per muscle group (about) as opposed to 10/8/6 or 8/6/4 and doing 2 exercises per muscle twice a week and I'm seeing really solid results. My chest is showing much more definition.
When I first got back in the gym after my injury I was following Ray Lewis workout that includes alot of DB and sets of 25/18/15/8/25. That worked very well for me. Now I do a warm up of 18 and then do 4 sets of 12
 
John Smeton

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To put on muscle 6-8 on most upper body. Even 8-12. On arms I go higher sometimes as Ive had injuries. Quads heavy, 10 reps, hamstrongs heavy , 4-8 calves something, heavy. To get muscle to grow youve got to pound it with intensity
 
R1balla

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To put on muscle 6-8 on most upper body. Even 8-12. On arms I go higher sometimes as Ive had injuries. Quads heavy, 10 reps, hamstrongs heavy , 4-8 calves something, heavy. To get muscle to grow youve got to pound it with intensity
I'm the opposite with legs. I go high rep high volume with them.
 
John Smeton

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I'm the opposite with legs. I go high rep high volume with them.
Whats your legs looking like?

Heres a couple pics from Junior Nationals June 17th

upper legs actually come pretty easy as I backed off training them, as I can slack if I want, Not that I do, but when Im bringing a bodypart up that doesnt respond as well, I can back off training it as hard, and train the body part I want to bring up harder, for a more balanced physique. Ive gone three months skipping quads before, this was a long time ago. Not anymore though. I put more effort into my calves, as upper legs seem to grow fast, always have.
 

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R1balla

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Nice man! I don't have any pics. I don't compete or anything like that. Just lift for the pleasure of busting my balls and lifting. In high school and most of college I would rarely touch legs....until I started looking weird with shorts on lol I'm 27 now. Started lifting legs when i was a senior in college (lift as in once or twice a week. Not once every other week like I was doing). I've seen great progress.

I can't lift heavy on squats or any form of squats because I have a degenerated disk in L5/S1. Probably from football and golf but that's just a guess. Gotta go lighter and high rep.
 
DemntedCowboy

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Nice man! I don't have any pics. I don't compete or anything like that. Just lift for the pleasure of busting my balls and lifting. In high school and most of college I would rarely touch legs....until I started looking weird with shorts on lol I'm 27 now. Started lifting legs when i was a senior in college (lift as in once or twice a week. Not once every other week like I was doing). I've seen great progress.

I can't lift heavy on squats or any form of squats because I have a degenerated disk in L5/S1. Probably from football and golf but that's just a guess. Gotta go lighter and high rep.
I feel you brother. My c2-3 are screwed, and my L3-5 are screwed so my squat would make most people look impressive. But I do what I have to do
 
John Smeton

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Nice man! I don't have any pics. I don't compete or anything like that. Just lift for the pleasure of busting my balls and lifting. In high school and most of college I would rarely touch legs....until I started looking weird with shorts on lol I'm 27 now. Started lifting legs when i was a senior in college (lift as in once or twice a week. Not once every other week like I was doing). I've seen great progress.

I can't lift heavy on squats or any form of squats because I have a degenerated disk in L5/S1. Probably from football and golf but that's just a guess. Gotta go lighter and high rep.
Chris Cormier got injured and was forced to switch to higher reps on quads and said his legs grew from higher reps on quads
 

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