How do you perform your reps? That’s an important question; after all, the rep is the most basic aspect of training yet has perhaps the biggest impact on your results.
There are many ways to perform a rep, each of them with its own benefits. No article about reps would be complete if the question of “How many reps should I do?” didn’t come up. With that in mind and the assumption that muscle growth is the primary goal of most readers, let’s move forward and look at what a rep is all about!
How Are You Performing Your Reps?
First, let’s talk about rep performance. Performing an effective repetition is more than just simply lifting the bar up and then letting it drop with no real control. To properly perform a rep, it’s important to understand the exercise you’re about to do.
Do Your Reps With Good Form!
You should also understand the form. Using good form, you need to perform the rep so that the working muscles do the work–all the work! There should be no momentum or sloppy performance, which robs your muscles of the benefits. The example above is true: a lot of guys just heave it up and drop it down. What happens when they do their reps this way? Not much. Momentum is carrying the bar up while your working muscles are just going along for the ride. Then the bar is allowed to drop, almost as fast, and your muscles are just enjoying the ride!
There’s More Than One Way To Do Your Reps
1. Explosive Up/Slow Down
An explosive concentric (or, raising the weight) portion of the rep is commonly used for power and strength. Slow and controlled on the eccentric (or, lowering) takes advantage of negative emphasis. This is a very common way to do a rep. Unsurprisingly, it’s very popular with Olympic lifters and athletes trying to develop explosive power.
The question must be asked is whether this rep style works for that purpose? The school of thought seems divided. Yet it should be noted that there is a line of reasoning that suggests the explosive portion will recruit more fibers. There is also a line of reasoning dating back to Arthur Jones that suggests the most critical part of a rep is the negative portion.
2. Slow And Controlled Up, Pause And Squeeze, Slow And Controlled Down, A Complete Range Of Motion
This is another common style of rep performance. Here, you perform a nice, controlled rep, no jerking or momentum. At the top you pause, squeeze the muscle hard and slowly lower the weight. This does not work on all exercises. Still, it’s great for movements such as leg extensions or any exercise where you’re getting tension at the top.
This is a common bodybuilding method of rep performance and many people only do their reps in this manner.
3. Controlled Up And Down With No Pausing, Like A Piston
This approach allows for continual tension on the muscle, there’s no relief at all until you end the set. This is a variation of the above method and requires controlled speed so the muscles do all the work.
There are other reps styles – but the above three are the most common.
The next obvious question would be rep speed or tempo. For example, how long is slow and controlled?
Let’s Look At Rep Tempo
There are 4 numbers, each signifying seconds:
3 – Eccentric contraction, or lowering the weight, negative phase
0 – Stretch position
2 – Concentric contractions, or raising the weight, positive phase
0 – Contracted position
So in the above example, you take 2 seconds to lift the weight and 3 seconds to lower it, with no pauses. This is a common tempo in bodybuilding, and it’s considered to be a moderately slow repetition.
Now, let’s talk about rep range – historically, the number of reps suggested has looked like this: [1]
Strength – 1-5 reps
Muscle – 6-12 reps
Endurance – 12-15 reps
This is not carved in stone, and many authorities do not use this approach.
Muscle Fibers & Your Reps
At this point, to better understand different rep totals and how they affect your muscles, it makes sense to look at muscle fiber types and recruitment
Basically, there are three types of fibers: [2,3]
Type I: Slow-Twitch Fibers
These fibers are slow to contract, they are endurance fibers, and they have limited size/strength capacity. They also contain mitochondria which aid in their oxidative metabolism (or, use of oxygen). They also have a greater number of capillaries, which means they are better for nutrient delivery. This is one reason behind “pump” training. They respond best to reps in the 15-20 range. These types of fibers are resistant to fatigue but produce a low level of force output.
Type IIa: Fast-Twitch Fibers
Fast-Twitch Fibers are further divided into two categories: type IIa and type IIb.
Fast-twitch fibers produce the most muscle strength and have the best growth potential. They are the fibers primarily responsible for muscle size. However, they also have a slower nutrient rate of replenishment because of having a smaller number of capillaries. They seem to respond best to reps in the 6-8 range.
Type IIa:
These fibers promote explosive power for a very short time [3]. This makes them ideal for weightlifting. These fibers rely on the glycolytic energy system (numerous energy systems power the body; this one uses the method of anaerobic glycolysis to produce ATP). Type IIa fibers are less resistant to fatigue, produce more muscular force, and contract at a faster speed than slow-twitch fibers.
Type IIb:
The type IIb fibers are the fastest twitch fibers but fatigue rapidly. These fibers are involved in any activity that requires an all-out burst of power; they act for a very short timeframe, typically around 7.5 milliseconds.
How Muscles Produce Force
Now, muscles produce force by recruiting motor units, or, a group of muscle fibers stimulated by a motor neuron, which in the context of this article can be defined as a neuron that sends impulses from the central nervous system to a muscle in response to training.
Regardless of the workout intensity, slow-twitch motor units are recruited first. If the workout intensity is low, these motor units could be the only ones recruited. If the workout intensity is high, such as when lifting heavy weights or using intensity techniques, slow-twitch motor units are recruited first, followed as needed by fast-twitch IIa and fast-twitch IIb. Of course, we want to recruit as many fibers as possible.
Include Different Rep Ranges In Your Routine
With that in mind, a good training program should include sets using different rep totals to hit all fiber types. [4] If you look at different schools of thought on rep totals and training volume, this is what you’d see: the “pump” concept – typically higher reps, more volume, more isolation movements, and less rest between sets. Within this line of thinking you could categorize TUT sets and to a point, HIT-style training. You’d also see the size follows the strength concept – lower reps, progressively adding weight, basic exercises, and longer rest periods.
Build A Foundation With Strength Training
There are certainly other theories out there but I would say these are most dominant. Rather than jumping on the bandwagon of any specific training concept, I advocate a system that centers on a foundational program of using progressively heavier weights, basic exercises, and 6-rep sets. You can use higher rep sets and the rotating use of extended set techniques in a progressive manner. A program of this design encompasses several training concepts and rep ranges for complete development.
Push Your Reps Past Failure!
While not a HIT advocate and I often get mistaken as one, I believe in past failure training using extended set techniques. Having said that, I believe even more so in the idea of a basic, foundational strength-based program that uses progression. This should take priority over anything else you want to do.
Here’s How You Should Perform Your Reps – Don’t Forget Recovery!
Recovery is often overlooked in bodybuilding, but it is crucial for muscle growth. Many lifters, both beginners and advanced, make the mistake of thinking that more workout hours lead to more growth. However, muscle growth occurs during recovery, not during the actual training. Training breaks down muscle tissue, and it needs time to repair in order to grow. Just a few hours of rest is not enough.
Let’s Set Up A Routine!
Now, in setting up a routine of the type I suggested above, I advocate a 3-day, push/pull/legs split routine. The reason for this is that it allows a logical, functional grouping of muscles. Plus, it fits most lifestyles, allows room to adjust when life has other plans, and provides four full days for complete recovery.
The single drawback to this approach is that on chest, delts, and triceps day you’re doing more work than on the other two days. This can impact your ability to train as hard as you can for the entire workout.
This routine is my version of what are currently popular routine designs, which is a routine that covers several training concepts with the goal of serious muscle growth. This routine assumes you are at least an intermediate lifter.
Here’s how this routine will be set up:
Training Day # 1: Legs
Squats
2-3 warm-up sets for 10-12 reps, easy weight
3 sets of 4-6 reps, failing in that range, add weight when you can beat 6 reps for two workouts in a row. Use explosive up, slow and controlled down rep performance.
Squats or Leg Press
Drop weight and do 3 sets of 8 reps with rep # 8 difficult or near impossible to complete. On these sets, you don’t have to go to failure, just close to it. When 8 reps become easy for 2 workouts in a row, add weight. Use continuous tension style rep performance.
Leg Extensions
Using a weight you can get 8 reps with, do 1 long extended set using the drop set technique – you go to failure, pull a plate off, and go to failure, pull a plate, etc. for about 5-6 drops. Use a full range, pause and squeeze rep style.
Standing Calf Raises
3 sets of 6 reps, failing at 6. 1 set of 25 reps using a weight you can only get 10 reps with. Rest- pause to 25, hold and squeeze at the top for a 3 count.
Ab Work – Your Choice
Notes: You can choose any days you like to train but you should take at least one day off after two training days in a row. If you can walk normally after this, you didn’t train hard enough!
Training Day # 2: Chest, Delts, Triceps
Bench Press
2-3 warm-up sets for 10-12 reps, easy weight
3 sets of 4-6 reps, failing in that range, add weight when you can beat 6 reps for two workouts in a row. Use explosive up, slow and controlled down rep performance.
Incline Press
Drop weight and do 3 sets of 8 reps with rep # 8 difficult or near impossible to complete. On these sets, you don’t have to go to failure, just close to it. When 8 reps become easy for 2 workouts in a row, add weight. Use continuous tension style rep performance.
Flys
1 drop set of 8 reps each drop, do 3 total drops. Use a continuous tension style rep.
Overhead Press
2 sets of 4-6 reps, failing in that range, add weight when you can beat 6 reps for two workouts in a row. Use explosive up, slow and controlled down rep performance.
Side/Rear Laterals – Superset Drop Sets
4 drops of 8-10 reps each per superset.
EZ-Bar Ext/Pullover/Press
2 sets of 7 reps per movement, all 3 movements done back to back, this is all one set. The exercise: Lying extensions- you can go just behind the head or to your forehead, right into a close to the body elbows bent pullover, right into a close grip press. Use a continuous tension style on this, with no pausing or stopping at all.
Pressdowns
1 set of as many reps as you can do with your usual 8 rep weight – hold at the bottom for a 5 count and use rest-pause to get past 8. Use a full-range, pause and squeeze rep style.
Ab Work – You Choose!
Training Day # 3: Back, Biceps
Bent Rows
3 warm-up sets for 10-12 reps, easy weight, 3 sets of 4-6 reps, failing in that range, add weight when you can beat 6 reps for two workouts in a row. Use explosive up, slow and controlled down rep performance.
Chins
Rest pause to 30 reps. If you can do 30, try for 50. Use a continuous tension rep style.
EZ-Bar Curls
2 sets of 8 reps, fail on rep # 8. Use an explosive up, slow and controlled down rep style.
Incline Dumbbell Curls
3 drop sets of 8-10 reps per drop, failing at that range for each drop. Use an explosive up, slow and controlled down rep style.
Abs Work – Your Choice
Performance Notes
Rather than just tossing in a few higher rep sets so I can say we’re working all the fiber types as well as promoting the pump, I chose to use a lot of extended set techniques. This does several things: increases the intensity, increases TUT (time under tension or the amount of time you expose your muscles to stress), and allows the use of higher reps – except you have to work for those reps!
What about tempo? On explosive up reps, use a 2 count, with a 3 count on the lowering portion. Full-range reps, use 3 up, 3 down – pauses as indicated. Continuous tension style – 3 up and 3 down.
Recap
While not an all-inclusive article, the information presented here should give you a much better understanding of rep performance, the effects of different rep totals, and muscle fiber types. Enjoy the routines!
References:
- Buitrago S, Wirtz N, Yue Z, Kleinöder H, Mester J. Effects of load and training modes on physiological and metabolic responses in resistance exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2012 Jul;112(7):2739-48.
- http://ptjournal.apta.org/content/81/11/1810.long
- Holm L, et al, Changes in muscle size and MHC composition in response to resistance exercise with heavy and light loading intensity, Journal of Applied Physiology, Nov 2008, 105:1454-1461