Understanding Reps

Have you been on a dilemma on the number of reps that will give you the workout form you wanted? Which is better, doing 10 reps 3 times or using a heavier weight and doing only 5 reps 5 times instead? Beside your actual muscular strength, your workout goal will determine the factors that will go into your regimen. Let’s examine these one at a time.

It is a given that you will only lift weights which your muscular strength will allow, i.e., if you can’t lift the weight five times (if your doing 5 X 5) on the first set, then you should lower the weight and choose something which you can lift five times per set. But make sure that the weight isn’t too light for you either. The ideal weight should allow you to do it easily in the first three sets but would already be difficult in the last two; even reaching failure before completing the last set is fine.

If your goal is strength, 1-5 reps of heavy weight give you neurological adaptation to gain strength and power. The reps prepares your brain to recruit more muscle fibers to add to your potential energy and use these muscles when needed, making you stronger in the process. You should also carefully note your rest periods in-between reps as the duration of rest bears significantly on your goal. For strength training, you need 2-5 minutes rest between reps to allow the muscles to return to normal before your next lift.

If you want to build muscle mass, doing 8-15 reps using a less heavy weight would be ideal as metabolic and cellular adaptation resulting to muscular hypertrophy can be gained by higher number of reps per set. Generally speaking, more reps build muscle definition but if you want to add both mass and strength, using heavier weight with more reps will do the job. Rest of 45 sec to 75 sec is perfect for hypertrophy as it gives just enough time for lactic acid buildup that aids in building mass.

Doing 6-8 reps puts you in the neutral zone – you get neurological, metabolic, and cellular build up for your body – which suits most people, especially young ones who neither desire muscular mass and strength. The ideal rest period for the neutral zone is 1-2 minutes between reps.

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