How many reps for hypertrophy?

[RainingBlood]

I hear that strength is 4-6 reps and hypertrophy is 8-12 reps. But some BBers say they do 4-6 reps for hypertrophy. What's the correct set of reps for max muscle growth?

[400Lb Gorilla]

all rep ranges 1-20 can be useful for building muscle. it depends on the muscle, the lifter, and frequency/type of training. but generally speaking 8-15 tends to be an optimal range for hypertrophy

[Tommy W.]

you need all rep ranges if you want to grow. They all serve their own purpose in one way or another

[Ironlife]

It has been suggested that 8-12 rep range is adequate for hypertrophy purposes for most people. This has been backed up in research and many a study.

[Sevenstrings]

It's important to know that there isn't "strength" and "hypertrophy" per se, it's that there are two different kinds of hypertrophy.
There is myofibrillated hypertrophy and sarcoplasmic, the latter being the type we predominantly see in body builders.
Powerlifters, Olympic lifters etc still get hypertrophy and you'd be kidding if you said the heaviest weight division guys were small, because they're damn big guys, but they just look different due to the different hypertrophy (less aesthetic really) and the fact they usually have more body fat.
Due to the variation in how much slow and fast twitch muscle fibers there are from person to person, there is NO set rep range that will produce the best results.
You'll learn through experimentation and trial and error what works best

[Bidet]

How do you divide different rep ranges?

In different cycles? different weeks?

More reps for isolation ?
At the end on a work out?

[ZoranM]

you need all rep ranges if you want to grow.

Incorrect. You need all rep ranges to try to grow maximally.One can grow just fine to quite an extent without, say, singles doubles, triples, or 15 reppers.

They all serve their own purpose in one way or another

Correct.

[JOHN GARGANI]

How do you divide different rep ranges?

In different cycles? different weeks?

More reps for isolation ?
At the end on a work out?

in addition to your puzzling post, can you explain to me why a Male member of this forum would name themselves after a Female toilet?????????

[JOHN GARGANI]

I hear that strength is 4-6 reps and hypertrophy is 8-12 reps. But some BBers say they do 4-6 reps for hypertrophy. What's the correct set of reps for max muscle growth?

and if 60 or 70 percent of the responses favor one rep range or the other, is that the one that you will then do and plod along on even if you are making no progress??

forget about what you "hear": the information you seek can only be found by the act of doing.....

so get cracking and learn about YOUR body.

and what you WILL find , is that rep ranges can vary from exercise to exercise, and body part to body part, depending on many factors.....

such a complex mechanism cannot be nailed down to a simple universal absolute number.

in bodybuilding, you hear and you read, but then, most importantly, YOU APPLY and that is how you learn.

[scyyy]

in addition to your puzzling post, can you explain to me why a Male member of this forum would name themselves after a Female toilet?????????

A bidet is a female toilet??

Lol google it brah

[JOHN GARGANI]

A bidet is a female toilet??

Lol google it brah

it most certainly is...it is a specialized toilet for cleaning , ahem, feminine parts during menstruation....

once a luxury of the rich and famous, you don't see them too often even in today's modern bathrooms....

it is essentially a toilet with a gushing water fountain in the middle of it, to , ahem, "shower" one's privates.....

[BombDonald]

Incorrect. You need all rep ranges to try to grow maximally.One can grow just fine to quite an extent without, say, singles doubles, triples, or 15 reppers.



Correct.

Nitpicky much? lol

[joenj07087]

I use all kinds of rep ranges in my workouts..I do a pyramid type training were on every set I go up in weight and do less reps till I reach my heaviest working set...so far so good..a bodybuilder friend of mine is doing something different...after a warmup he does his heaviest set first with a rep range of anywhere from 4 to 7 reps, then after that he does about 3 more sets of less weight but more reps( 8 to 12 rep range), weird eh?..I may give that a shot....but then again he is loaded with all kinds of...er..(supplements).... : )

[ZoranM]

Nitpicky much? lol

Not at all. There is a big difference in needing ALL rep ranges IN ORDER TO GROW, and not needing them.

I have nothing against Tommy, and different rep ranges can hardly be a bad thing, but the statement is just not true.

[titomuheedo]

I stick with 6-12, I have always done pyramids, seems the most logical way to overload.

When you get closer to sub-6 you get more strength benefits.

[Tommy W.]

Incorrect. You need all rep ranges to try to grow maximally.One can grow just fine to quite an extent without, say, singles doubles, triples, or 15 reppers.



Correct.

Oh, OK ;-)

[RainingBlood]

I stick with 6-12, I have always done pyramids, seems the most logical way to overload.

When you get closer to sub-6 you get more strength benefits.

Do you go 6-12 with every muscle?

[Tommy W.]

Not at all. There is a big difference in needing ALL rep ranges IN ORDER TO GROW, and not needing them.

I have nothing against Tommy, and different rep ranges can hardly be a bad thing, but the statement is just not true.

The sooner people understand how to use multiple rep ranges to their advantage they'll be much better off. Sticking to 8-12 is fine until they plateau.
Yes you CAN grow just fine to a certain point with 8-12, then it's time to get to work.

[_OZ_]

All popular rep ranges appear to develop muscle providing sufficient effort is applied. However, some people respond better to certain rep ranges than others. You can discover this through trial and error. Unless you are performing a very abbreviated routine, there is nothing to stop you performing a mixture of rep ranges. For example, a bodybuilder performing three back exercises might mix rep ranges as follows.

1. Chin Ups 5RM
2. Rows 10RM
3. Shrugs 15RM

[RainingBlood]

So I should use multiples rep ranges? Should I have the same rep ranges for compounds, and the same for isolations? What muscles require more rep ranges?

[DJAuto]

In the past, I used to post this modified graph often. I stopped after individuals started taking it as concrete fact.

I don't think I need to reiterate the importance of variability and personalization through trial and error in bodybuilding.

[titomuheedo]

Do you go 6-12 with every muscle?

Yeah pretty much, except some leg excercises, when i do ham/quad curl/ext I do 15-8, When i do deads and squats i go from 12-1. But I use the basic 12-6 for everything else.

Edit: Op if youd like to see my routine, go read my log, I just did legs today.

[daddysonn]

Read part 1 and part 2 of this. HST is a hypertrophy routine. Im just started it and im up 3lbs after only the first week (3 workouts).

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/paul4.htm

[Tommy W.]

Read part 1 and part 2 of this. HST is a hypertrophy routine. Im just started it and im up 3lbs after only the first week (3 workouts).

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/paul4.htm

water

[titomuheedo]

water

This.

Either that or your being eating like a pig.

[daddysonn]

water

Ive been eating 3000 calories for the past week and I hope that really boosts this workout to put on some good size for the next 7 weeks. It could be water weight, idk. But Im taking pics so I can check results which I will post up good or bad. But I already feel a little bigger.

[JOSEF RAKICH]

Just use all rep ranges, i use a rep range from about 4-60.

[daddysonn]

This.

Either that or your being eating like a pig.

I think its the first time I have been eating enough and right for growing.

[titomuheedo]

I think its the first time I have been eating enough and right for growing.

My last bulk i ate the same way and gained 3 pounds/week. By the time 2 months past I went from 12% to 23%, Don't do it bro.

1 pound a week is enough, thats what im doing now and im seeing plenty growth.

[daddysonn]

My last bulk i ate the same way and gained 3 pounds/week. By the time 2 months past I went from 12% to 23%, Don't do it bro.

1 pound a week is enough, thats what im doing now and im seeing plenty growth.

Im watching what I eat pretty good. Im so ecto its not even funny. I am really trying to get some growth though. If I do start putting on some serious bf% I will change it up though. It will be easy to take off though bc of my natural body type and how little my body wants to eat. A lot of the calories right now are coming from meats and protein shakes.