Discussion Rep ranges

[sgshueyys]

First of all I don't personally believe in a true "optimal" rep range, you can virtually build muscle in any x amount of reps (if training close or at failure), but that aside, what does also matter is how systemic fatigue is balanced with the volume that you do lift... Meaning that some rep ranges are more efficient than others (in terms of recovery and how much time expensive your sessions might become for example).

So I wanted to ask everybody what their prefered rep range is and how it has served them, I personally try aim to have smt like 8-25 (for failure).

 

[dent]

First of all I don't personally believe in a true "optimal" rep range, you can virtually build muscle in any x amount of reps (if training close or at failure), but that aside, what does also matter is how systemic fatigue is balanced with the volume that you do lift... Meaning that some rep ranges are more efficient that others (in terms of recovery and how much time expensive your sessions might become for example).

So I wanted to ask everybody what their prefered rep range is and how it has served them, I personally try aim to have smt like 8-25 (for failure).

as a gym beginner I did 15 reps
intermediate (1 year point) jumped to 10-12 reps
now I do 8 reps
once I hit the 6-8 rep point with a given weight I push the weight up.
To put it into perspective in the 1st year I reached till a max dumbbell press of 25kg per hand but when I jumped to the 8 rep range I went from 25kg to 45kg in about 9 months. During this time I had no noticeable weight change, diet change, no steroids, and I was 16-17

 

[dent]

as a gym beginner I did 15 reps
intermediate (1 year point) jumped to 10-12 reps
now I do 8 reps
once I hit the 6-8 rep point with a given weight I push the weight up.
To put it into perspective in the 1st year I reached till a max dumbbell press of 25kg per hand but when I jumped to the 8 rep range I went from 25kg to 45kg in about 9 months. During this time I had no noticeable weight change, diet change, no steroids, and I was 16-17

Infact I take no diet and about 30-40 grams of protein a day normally and I am borderline underweight at 5'10

 

[sgshueyys]

Infact I take no diet and about 30-40 grams of protein a day normally and I am borderline underweight at 5'10

That is genuinely interesting,
to contrast I have a friend who is about 184cm and yesterday at the gym he weighed himself with all his clothes (even his phone in his hand) to find out he's 73kg.
He bench presses 100kg * 2, and has a dumbbell press of 36kg per hand, similarly his rep range is between 6-10 and he also told me how ever since he switched to this lower reps approach he got noticeable strength quite rapidly.
Also for some context this is a guy that pretty much starves himself on some days of the week, js at random.

 

[dent]

That is genuinely interesting,
to contrast I have a friend who is about 184cm and yesterday at the gym he weighed himself with all his clothes (even his phone in his hand) to find out he's 73kg.
He bench presses 100kg * 2, and has a dumbbell press of 36kg per hand, similarly his rep range is between 6-10 and he also told me how ever since he switched to this lower reps approach he got noticeable strength quite rapidly.
Also for some context this is a guy that pretty much starves himself on some days of the week, js at random.

With less reps your muscle doesnt get as fatigued quickly even though more output. I would add a final set for those exercises which require me to lift heavy with a rep range of 10+