What is your opiinion of the best rep scheme for Bodybuilding?

[fossilfuel7]

Can anyone give me input on what the best rep scheme is for bodybuilding .......high reps(10-15) or low reps (5-8) for any compound exercises??

I have always been unsure about this.

[spywizard]

it's the food you eat..

and high reps, i do 20's... and drop sets low weight

[MuscleScience]

Nobody really knows for sure right now. Some really respected Exercise Scientist are in termoil over this very issue. Some are saying one thing while another group says something else. Even the bodybuilding, strenght/conditioning specialist, and the Personal trainer communities are at odds with each other. All that us acadimics really know for sure is that with proper nutrient any form of resistance exercise within reason will elicit muscle hypertropy. Which is better varies from paper to paper. One group will perform a high verse low rep program and get one set of numbers. Then another group of will repeat the same study with another set of subjects and get something different. I have read many many papers on this very subject there just isnt as much clear cut data to show on versus the other right now.
Read this thread that I posted earlier and you will see what I mean. What I have been recommending to my athletes is listen to your body if your making gains theres no reason to change what you have done or are doing. If not then try something different.

Critical review of current Resistance training methods

[fossilfuel7]

Nobody really knows for sure right now. Some really respected Exercise Scientist are in termoil over this very issue. Some are saying one thing while another group says something else. Even the bodybuilding, strenght/conditioning specialist, and the Personal trainer communities are at odds with each other. All that us acadimics really know for sure is that with proper nutrient any form of resistance exercise within reason will elicit muscle hypertropy. Which is better varies from paper to paper. One group will perform a high verse low rep program and get one set of numbers. Then another group of will repeat the same study with another set of subjects and get something different. I have read many many papers on this very subject there just isnt as much clear cut data to show on versus the other right now.
Read this thread that I posted earlier and you will see what I mean. What I have been recommending to my athletes is listen to your body if your making gains theres no reason to change what you have done or are doing. If not then try something different.

Critical review of current Resistance training methods

Well,...I seem to be getting stronger but not any bigger really( My diet is in check). I have been ranging from 4-10 sets and 6-10 reps for the past 8 months.

That is why I am puzzled as to where to go for size now with regards to reps.

Thanks for your help and the link!

[fossilfuel7]

it's the food you eat..

and high reps, i do 20's... and drop sets low weight

Wow!! those are really high reps for compund lifting movements. You get good size and I would say great pumps maybe??

How many sets do you do with that high of reps?

[need2bhuge]

According to reasearch from the university I am at and my professor who is one of the leaders in muscle physiology and endocrinology, 8-12 reps with relative short rest periods like 60-90 seconds along with supersetting is superior for mass building. However, if you always work in this rep range you will neglect high threshold motor units that are only activated when doing 2-4 reps (at the beginning of the workout...even if you only end with 2-4 reps you are not hitting the same fibers!!). But anyway, the low rest periods will elevate your lactic acid levels WHICH DOES NOT CAUSE MUSCLE DAMAGE OR SORENESS, rather it is a marker and stimulates gh release during/after your workout. Plus, when you work a muslce you increase the androgen receptor content on the muscle...if they were always elevated you would be growing to some extent all the time..haha! Anyway, also the more muscle tissue you activate the more hormones will be released, which for a natty guy would be great...but most of us already have the hormones floating around to begin with. But still, you need to work the muscles to increase the receptor content and use the short rest periods and supersets to also develop a pump whick will allow blood to pool in your muscle and allow more interaction time between the muscle receptors and the circulating hormones...so USUALLY pump=good!! Again, many of these studies are done on natty peeps yet the theory still holds true for the androgen receptors, lactic acid, and the benefit of the pump. Everyone is different..and many people will have different rep schemes that work best for them. You really need to find what works for you. Right now I am hitting my muscle groups twice a week with a slightly lower volume in order to still stmulate my muscle enough to create quality protein changes in the actin/myosin and aslo increase my receptor content twice in on week...now the key is to make sure that I give my body enough rest and recovery so that i do not overtrain my muscles and my cns!! So we will see!

[ghostdog128]

it's the food you eat..

and high reps, i do 20's... and drop sets low weight

I agree with this.. higher reps always worked best for me..

[spywizard]

Wow!! those are really high reps for compund lifting movements. You get good size and I would say great pumps maybe??

How many sets do you do with that high of reps?

this is typical will need to use straps or hooks which i like

wide grip pull down
20x1
20x1
18x1
then drop sets

close grip pull down
20x1
20x1
18x1
then drop sets

seated rows
20x1
20x1
28x1
then drop sets

by now i pretty much can't hold my arms out.. but i try to do bi at this time

using the same routine

but doing all drop sets

example

45lb ez curl x20 then drop to 25lb til failure x4 sets strict and slow..

[spywizard]

this adds both definition and size.. strength cannot be measured because you never really do 1x max


it will really mess with your head..

Imagine doing chest..

I start with decline (this is most lagging)

start with a 135lb for 20 reps

then 30lbs x20 doing drop sets by 10 lbs until you are doing 65lb for 20 if you can..

must allow for at least 2-3 days recovery...

[fossilfuel7]

this adds both definition and size.. strength cannot be measured because you never really do 1x max


it will really mess with your head..

Imagine doing chest..

I start with decline (this is most lagging)

start with a 135lb for 20 reps

then 30lbs x20 doing drop sets by 10 lbs until you are doing 65lb for 20 if you can..

must allow for at least 2-3 days recovery...

Geez .....that is some serious repetion you do.

I did 3 sets of 12 and a final last set of 15(4 sets) for shoulder presses today and it was the worst burn I have ever felt since training my shoulders between the 6-10 rep range.

Higher reps are much more exhausting!

When you say drop sets ...just how many sets do you end up doing for Lat pulldowns after your 3 sets of 20?

Thanks!

[MuscleScience]

I would never grow at 20 reps but thats my body and some guys would never grow at what I do. The human body is so variable between people there isnt any way someone could sit down and say that each person needs to do this particular set up of whatever it is. Thank got for genetic variablity right guys. LOL

[FRANK WHITE]

I've always went by the rule less than 6 is to heavy and more than 12 is to light. Number of sets ranges from 3-4. These are for bodybuilding. Powerlifters go for low reps with really heavy wieghts but they don't get the same muscle definition. This routine has worked for me.

[*Narkissos*]

I think there is a 'best rep range'.

Rather the 'best rep range' is a combination of rep ranges

1-2; 4-6; 8-12; 12-15; 15-20... and shock techniques (drop sets; forced reps etc.)

[fossilfuel7]

Thanks for your help and input everyone!

It is very much appreciated and I now have a better understanding to utilize reps in my workouts.