how many reps are best for building size/mass???

[Db88]

im working out for mass rather than strength...

i have been doing all my exercises 3x8

should i be doing more reps?

[young_squatter]

im working out for mass rather than strength...

i have been doing all my exercises 3x8

should i be doing more reps?

I recommend hitting all rep ranges for best results.

[Db88]

why would that give me best results? im not saying it wouldnt im just curious

[Fighterpilota10]

i believe that higher reps target the fast-twitch muscle fibers and less reps targets the slow-twitch muscle fibers or vis versa. Anyway, yes changing the amount of rep in a set would help you work the most amount of muscles in an area. Plus any change in a routine usually "shocks" your muscles into growing a little bit more. just my two cents, I could be wrong though.

[John Prophet]

8 is a nice all around number for size etc. Generally 6-10 is the standard range. Around 5 and below is really more strength oriented. (more "neural" gains, less muscle gains)

But you wouldnt want to do JUST 8 reps on everything...youd get bored and the body would adapt too quickly. Id rather see you mix it up some while staying mainly in the 6-10 range

[raysmith]

For the first few years of training aim for low reps and heavy weight. Now at present its not unusual for me to do 25 rep sets. I think the ideal range is between 8-12. Experiment.

[Frankenfield]

In my experience i got the best mass results with 8-12 reps for upper body and 12-15 reps for lower.

[ReformingBB]

I've been researching this myself:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=1527431

[JaymayGreybay]

Also, to add more mass do more compound exercises then isolated.

Compounds adds more mass, where as isolated exercises give more definition.

[Rey92]

To add mass, hit your muscles hard with intensity, overload your muscle ! Don't care about reps provided you stay in the 5-10 rep range.

It's all bout progressive overload, intensity and density.

You can add weight, reduce rest times, slower tempo, stretch, squeeze, use any intensifying tips.

Variety is the key.

[Hallock]

For me when I work in the 8-12 rep range I have trouble progressing in weight for some reason. Doing three working sets of 5-8 reps has helped me greatly on all fronts. I think it's really just body dependent. The best anyone could tell you is shoot for six to twelve, mix it up once in awhile.