Reps Build Muscle
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YOKOSUKA, Japan (Sept. 13, 2010) American professional iron man athlete Karl Gillingham spots Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Ardinis Strickland, from Dallas, during a bench press competition at the Fleet Recreation Center at Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka. Gillingham visited Yokosuka during his tour of Japan installations to meet with forward-deployed service members. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brock A. Taylor/Released)
I could have (maybe should have?) entitled this post, “What Rep Range Builds the Most Muscle?” or something to that effect, but I liked the sound of “Reps Build Muscle.”
Mostly because they do.
Let me explain. We'll start at the extremes. Single reps don't really build mass. They really don't do anything at all but boost your confidence. They really don't build strength either. Doubles don't do much else (unless you do them in a specific way called rest-pause).
Triples do build strength and power. Many powerlifters train with triples.
Let's move on to the other extreme. Let's start with 50 rep sets. Do they build muscle? Maybe. But they don't build the components in the muscle that contributes most to size. They do have a place, though.
I'd say anything over 50 is out for true muscle-building effectiveness. I will say that 100 reps, for example, do build muscular endurance. And they give a great pump.
What about 25 rep sets? They certainly have a place. I'd say 25 reps is the outer limit of practical muscle-building sets. The calves and forearms, which work a lot throughout a day just gripping and walking, need higher rep sets. I generally don't go below 10 rep sets for calves and often go to 20-25 reps per set.
However, for the rest of the body (abs included), 25 reps per set is really not that effective for building muscle.
Reps Build Muscle
The rep range that gives you the most “bang for the buck” when trying to build muscle is 6 to 10 reps. These are the sets that, if performed intensely, will pack on the most muscle size. This rep range builds the size of the muscle fibers themselves, as well as increases the mitochondrial mass and quantity, the sarcoplasm volume (the mostly-water fluid in the cells), and other important muscle hypertrophy mechanisms.
If you want to build muscle mass as quickly as possible, you'll load up the bar with as much weight as you can lift for between 6 and 10 reps. Anything more or less is not nearly as effective for building size.
