Lifting heavy will get you mass?or lifting in the 10-12 rep range will?

[Rolo01]

I first started going heavy low reps. But, now I do the 10-12 rep range. Which is true for mass gains? Also, what about the 100 rep range thing? I read this shocks the body to grow like crazy to. Which does which? I know heavy weight is gonna get you stronger but what about building mass?

[Maluket]

I'd suggest a variety of rep ranges. But I'd do most of the work in the 5 to 12 range. Less than that and yes, your muscles are growing, but it's more about strength. More than that and yes, your muscles are growing, but it's more about endurance. My understanding, anyway.

[metallideth]

exhausting the muscle is what will make you gain mass. you could do that by training with high reps and lifting moderately heavy weights or by lifting super heavy for a few reps.

[Retardo-pex]

I first started going heavy low reps. But, now I do the 10-12 rep range. Which is true for mass gains? Also, what about the 100 rep range thing? I read this shocks the body to grow like crazy to. Which does which? I know heavy weight is gonna get you stronger but what about building mass?

At your stage rep range is going to be less important then steady progression, consistency and diet. Pick a program, any program stick with it for a year, change up your intensity, frequency or volume, add weight or reps as often as you are able to and stuff your face with foods that don't rhyme with bloreos.

[rayr2010]

and stuff your face with foods that don't rhyme with bloreos.

hilarious

[uncbob]

Main thing is to take each set to failure and continually add reps and then weight each or every other workout

[DJAuto]

I first started going heavy low reps. But, now I do the 10-12 rep range. Which is true for mass gains? Also, what about the 100 rep range thing? I read this shocks the body to grow like crazy to. Which does which? I know heavy weight is gonna get you stronger but what about building mass?

Both will bring you some form of gain. However, I don't suggest trying the 100 repetition system too often.

[jdjprimer19]

There is no conclusive magic rep range. Research shows various ranges optimal for hypertrophy. A good trump card to the rep range debate is basic progressive overload. As long as the weight is progressively increasing it makes little difference what rep range you are using (assuming you aren't using ultra high reps). To stimulate all fibers, perform different rep range combinations & find what works best for you.

[JasonDB]

At your stage rep range is going to be less important then steady progression, consistency and diet. Pick a program, any program stick with it for a year, change up your intensity, frequency or volume, add weight or reps as often as you are able to and stuff your face with foods that don't rhyme with bloreos.

I tend to agree with this. I know guys who have developed huge, balanced physiques using both methods. For the novice the above statement definitely holds true.

I personally am an advocate of a heavy focus on very low reps with heavy weight and a lot of volume. However even for me this only comprises 60-90% of my workout, depending on what I am doing. Currently I am doing more rep work for a couple of weeks. I still have days where I do 5-10 singles on my core lifts, but most of my primary movements (barbell rows, deadlifts, floor presses, front squats) had a session in the last week where I did 5x15 or 10x10 (I very much like 10x10 for pressing movements and rows and 5x15 for lower body lifts… simply personal preference). When in a phase where I am working a lot of singles and doubles I still do some 12-20 rep sets, however they make up a very tiny amount of my routine.

I think a bodybuilder who is concerned with overall development will not neglect any rep range completely. Heavy singles and sets of 20 have their place in every phase of training, however alternating phases with a heavier focus on various rep ranges produces the greatest results over time for one seeking maximum development.

I will add that I very much feel the novice should have a heavier focus on building a low rep strength foundation and phases where one is focused on sarcoplasmic hypertroph such as GVT, should be preceeded by a power training phase in order to maximize the workload potential via the weight handled for the higher rep sets in the following phase.

[dillingerescp]

New studies say you don't need heavy weights/low reps to build muscle, but that is not to say heavy weights/low reps won't do the job!

http://www.physorg.com/news200747288.html

[SJ2K]

1-4 repetition maximum to gain strength, 7-10rm to gain size, 12rm+ to increase endurance.

[JasonDB]

New studies say you don't need heavy weights/low reps to build muscle, but that is not to say heavy weights/low reps won't do the job!

http://www.physorg.com/news200747288.html

No that study says that doing very high reps while doing unilateral work in the quads (we already know quads benefit more from higher reps than upper body does) induces longer protein synthesis than lower reps with a heavier weight WHEN the volume is higher utilizing a single set. It does NOT show that 30%1RM induces as much muscle growth as 60% or 90%1rm in the real world.

Flaws:
1) a lot of who like low reps do tons of volume, as there is an established coloration between volume and hypertrophy/protein synthesis. Test both with the same amount of volume. Have the 90% 1rm group do set until they reach 24 reps also, and see who has higher and longer protein synthesis. Who the **** does 1 set for mass other than Mike Menzer? I might do 30 sets of 3 reps over the course of a week for a lift I am working on do my 90 reps with 90% 1rm induce more protein synthesis than 24 reps with 30% 1rm?

2) this was tested in a muscle known to benefit more from higher reps than most. Try the same experiment with a bicep or pec.

3) longer induced protein synthesis doesn't automatically guarantee more hypertrophy, and a lot of hardcore athletes and hobbyists train very frequently on the same muscle groups, often closer than 24 hours apart. I do.

4) generally speaking most people know their quads will grow more quickly from squats than from unilateral leg extensions. Why weren't lift known to be more effective for muscle growth used? Would there be different results?

Show me one guy who has built 30" thighs doing exclusively ultra high rep leg extensions and leg curls (machine isolation work). The data in this study clearly doesn't apply in the real world.

1-4 repetition maximum to gain strength, 7-10rm to gain size, 12rm+ to increase endurance.

:: rolls eyes ::

[shaneee]

I like to lift heavy for 6-10 reps..that's my main rep range..i tend to go lower on squats and deads and that's about it.. lol

[Twitch9254]

In Arnolds book it says that 1-6 is for increasing strength, 8-12 is for increasing muscle volume, and anything above that is for endurance. However with the different ranges you do hit different muscle fibers. You don't just want to develop one type of muscle fiber. It would be good to develop both fast twitch and slow twitch fibers. So during Arnolds workouts he would always do his last one or two sets of each exercise in the 15 rep range to hit the different fibers. But he's a bodybuilder so obviously its different. For us normal people the main thing you really wanna focus on is going until you hit failure and pushing through the last reps because that is when you break down your muscle.

[jdjprimer19]

In Arnolds book it says that 1-6 is for increasing strength, 8-12 is for increasing muscle volume, and anything above that is for endurance. However with the different ranges you do hit different muscle fibers. You don't just want to develop one type of muscle fiber. It would be good to develop both fast twitch and slow twitch fibers. So during Arnolds workouts he would always do his last one or two sets of each exercise in the 15 rep range to hit the different fibers. But he's a bodybuilder so obviously its different. For us normal people the main thing you really wanna focus on is going until you hit failure and pushing through the last reps because that is when you break down your muscle.

???

[Madevilz]

Fresh from today

http://www.leangains.com/2010/08/hig...scle-gain.html

[native89]

correct me if I'm wrong but from what I've read for best mass gain it has to be swapped between high reps and low reps to work both fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fibres?

[jdjprimer19]

Fresh from today

http://www.leangains.com/2010/08/hig...scle-gain.html

Excellent find. Thanks for linking!

[JasonDB]

Fresh from today

http://www.leangains.com/2010/08/hig...scle-gain.html

They hit every point of mine and then a few more. Pretty much sums it up.

[Danivs]

They hit every point of mine and then a few more. Pretty much sums it up.

lol

[tommysauder]

While I'm bulking I push myself to the max for each different workout. Certain workouts I keep 5 sets of 5 because my body physically will be useless after 5 (and at the end of the fifth set and fifth rep, i have a spotter). Benching 245lbs 5 sets of 5 no spotter, but by my last chest workout I can barely do cable flys at 50lbs without screaming. Exhaustion is key and whatever works for you works.

It's one of those trial and error deals. 10 years working out I found what worked best for me and I stick by it religiously because it has never failed me.

Experiment 2 months at a time, every 2 months assess. Whatever worked out the best for you stick by it.

1 out of 3 chest workouts is 3 sets of 10, other 2 are 5 sets of 5. 2 out of every back workout is 3 sets of 8, one is 5 sets of 5. etc.. etc..

[gomez26]

lifting as heavy as possible for 8-12 reps (with good form) is best for mass for most of the population.

[jdjprimer19]

lifting as heavy as possible for 8-12 reps (with good form) is best for mass for most of the population.

You haven't read any of the other posts have you?