Is there an optimum number of reps per set for promoting muscle growth?
While I don’t believe in a definite number, there is certainly a RANGE of reps which promotes the anabolic adaptations we desire.
Before I continue, please see the following 2 articles for a MUCH deeper look at ‘rep range’ and ‘time under load’.
How Many Reps To Build Muscle?
The Power Of The ‘Anabolic Window’
From years of personal experience, and from watching others, I formed the opinion that selecting a weight that forces you to reach positive failure between 8 and 12 reps works best for increases in size.
The National Strength and Conditioning Association [1] also agrees with this relationship between number of repetitions performed and physiological responses. They propose that:
(1) Bouts of anaerobic training (2 to 4 repetitions) are best for
improving muscle power,
(2) Bouts of anaerobic training (5 to 6 repetitions) are best for
building muscle strength,
(3) Bouts of anaerobic training, 8 to 12 reps per set, are best
for increasing muscle hypertrophy/growth
Note: I have had a lot of feedback from people who need clarification on how to use the rep range. It’s quite simple,
“The weight you are lifting on each and every set should be light enough to allow 8 good reps, but heavy enough to prevent you getting more than 12.”
We know quite conclusively from this review paper [2] that the OPTIMAL range for building muscle is ~30-60 total reps per bodypart per workout.
Both the THT Volume and THT 2.0 workouts will have you training with 5 to 6 sets (per bodypart) of 8-12 reps-to-failure, which brings you in at 40 reps at the lowest, and 72 reps at the highest. That’s pretty much perfect.
This also ties in neatly with what we know about our energy systems. As people that desire larger muscles, we must train with an intensity that literally FORCES the termination of a set before 90 seconds is up. In fact, for the most part, it should be way before 90 seconds is up.
If you are using a weight that you can contract against for over 90 seconds, your aerobic system will be generating a large portion of the energy requirements. This is not desirable. We want our ANaerobic system to be doing the work. (Go here to learn more about the body’s 3 energy systems and more on why creatine supplementation makes sense).
Most THT sets will come in at 24 seconds at least, and 70 seconds at most (70secs of a THT HIT cycle set, 10 reps at 3-1-3 cadence). Again, this is the ideal scenario for all us MuscleHackers.
So that’s how we put the ‘Hypertrophy’ in ‘Targeted Hypertrophy Training‘.
There is a time in this cycle to work in a lower rep range, which I’ll cover a little later.
PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 6| PART 7 | PART 8 | PART 9 | PART 10 | PART 11 | PART 12 | PART 13
ref: [1] National Strength and Conditioning Association https://www.nsca-lift.org/
[2] “The influence of frequency, intensity, volume and mode of strength training on whole muscle cross-sectional area in humans.” Wernbom M, Augustsson J, Thomeé R. Sports Med. 2007;37(3):225-64.
Mark McManus
Solid stuff!
New here but these last articles are blowing me away!
Not to worry. I’ve been a good boy. Getting huge.
Mark, isn’t the Volume Cycle from TA 3.1 an updated version of THT 2.0? I have both on my PC, and I have this impression.
Thanks in advance.
But in the 3.0 you recommend only 1 or 2 set to failure. that is not 30- nor 60 reps…
What is the difference between muscle power and strength? If you answer this will it be sent to my e-mail? I hope so!
@Thiago. Yes it is. The only reason I am republishing this one is that a lot of people had asked me for the 2.0 program again.
@Wood. Remember that the HIT workout has an increased FREQUENCY i.e. each body part is hit 3 times a week, not just once. When you increase frequency, you must decrease volume to ensure full recovery and growth production between workouts. Another important point is the increased Time Under Load of a HIT rep. Each rep lasts twice as long as a 2.0 or Volume cycle rep (3 seconds as compared to 7 seconds i.e 3-1-3 cadence). So each HIT set lasts twice as long i.e. has double the Time Under Load. A max of 10 reps in a HIT set would be equivalent to 20 reps of the 2.0 cycle in terms of Time Under Load. 3 times a week gives 60 “equivalent reps”.
@Spencer. Think of strength as your weights increasing over time, or your 1 rep max increasing over time. Think of power as the ability to generate force quickly. So it’s force x speed = power. Think of the type of movements power lifters perform. However, those type of movements don’t play any part in a good growth-orientated program.
Hi Mark, thanks for the great info and words of inspiration. I’ve dowloaded your workout logs and have been trying to construct a 3 day solution (family and work prevents the 5 day workout). Have you any advice re a Tue,Thur, Sunday Full Body which uses your principles??? Apologies if I’ve missed something but I’ve scoured the site. Regards Michael
@Michael. Here’s a 3 day routine
https://musclehack.com/3day-workout-routine/
Hey, Mark.
I have read you use L-glutamine and ZMA. Do you actually believe they work? Cuz there is plenty of evidence they don’t (for healthy bodybuilders, the medical purposes are a totally different deal).
btw, what’s your opinion on pulse-feeding, where you eat once per 4 to 5 hours and then consume 3g of leucine in between meals to ignite the MPS.