Best squat rep range

[LukeMcD]

I have seen a split that recommends 10-20 reps for squats seeing as though the legs are endurance muscles anyway, but if one were to train for mass would it be best to stick within the 8-12 rep range whilst doing the split?

[GeneralSerpant]

The split might have been formulated specifically for endurance oriented squats considering intensity recovery interference with other exercises.

I don't know why not otherwise.

[Tessien]

If you're looking for mass 8-12 is typically what you want to hit.

[LukeMcD]

If you're looking for mass 8-12 is typically what you want to hit.

ok cool, I'll just modify it so I'm hitting the 8-12 rep range, sound good?

[__Iceman__]

Experiment. Try heavier reps at at around 8RM but sometimes also try going for higher rep ranges. Currently my program calls for 3x8 on squats, but I did 10,10,15 last time and I'm going for 3x15 next week (with the same weight that I had used for 3x8 three weeks prior).

[BombDonald]

You can gain mass from a variety of rep ranges on squats. I have heard of people exclusively doing HIGH reps.

[jgreystoke]

That should read "Best squat rep RANGES"

Totally depends on how advanced you are, and on what your goals are.

A beginner can do something like Bill Starr or Rippetoe's Starting Strength using only 5 rep sets for squats. They are strength programs. They don't need huge volume, because they are beginners, and their bodies will respond to anything that works the squatting muscles hard.

A more advanced guy training for strength might be doing Max Effort squats one day, with maybe ten sets ramping up to a 3 or 5 rep max. Assistance work after would be high rep like 5 x 10, and might include squats, or overlapping movements like goodmornings, lunges, leg press etc. The other training day he'd do Dynamic Effort squats, with something like 10 sets x 2 reps x 60%.

Another advanced guy who wants quick size might do something like 10 x 10 x 60% German Volume Training, but only for six sessions of squats. The volume is so high that it is not a long term program at all.

Since you won't get monster legs if you just do twenty rep squats with one plate(135lbs), and since it is hard to add poundage to high rep sets, the best approach for mass as well as strength seems to be low rep strength work first, and high rep pump work after. Most people only do the high rep pump work. Since they are using weights granny could handle, they don't get muscular compared to a good tennis player who never went to the gym.

Assuming you don't juice, you can't get your sarcoplasmic(fluid from the pump) gains too far ahead of your sacromeric(fiber growth from handling progressively heavier loads) gains anyway.

Get much stronger for reps in big exercises by progressively increasing the load. Get enough pump after strength work with high reps to force blood and nutrients into the fibers. Eat enough to sustain the gains. If it works for an old codger, it should work for you.

[Rog447]

I like the squat heavy (4-6 Reps) then throw a 20 rep set in at the end! I have found keeping my reps at 10-12 on other leg movements (leg press, hack squats) works the best.