The Optimum Rep Range For Building Maximum Muscle & Strength

No matter what you read or who you talk to, everyone has their own opinion of what the "perfect" rep range should be to allow for maximum muscle stimulation and growth. In this article I’m going to clear up the confusion once and for all and reveal what I believe to be the most effective rep range possible for maximizing your results in the gym.

Sets that utilize heavy weight and low reps are without a doubt the most effective means of stimulating maximum muscle growth. For every set that you perform in the gym, you should utilize a rep range of 5 to 7.

This means that the weight should be light enough that you can complete 5 reps using proper form, but heavy enough that you cannot complete more than 7.

What's so special about 5 to 7, you ask? Well…

1) Each set will only last between 20-30 seconds.

Maximizing your muscle gains is all about intensity and efficiency. By utilizing a lower rep range, your sets will only last a short period of time, allowing you to generate 100% mental focus and effort.

Training with 100% intensity is critical to stimulating muscle growth and it is much easier to maintain this level of effort for shorter periods of time.

2) Muscle stimulation will be maximized.

Utilizing a rep range of 5 to 7 you will force your body to tap into your "fast twitch muscle fibers", which are by far the most responsive to muscular growth. This will result in the greatest amount of muscle growth and strength gain possible.

3) Maximum resistance can be used.

By performing only 5 to 7 reps per set, you will enable your muscles to handle heavier amounts of weight. Building muscle is a byproduct of building strength, and training in a lower rep range is the most effective way to accomplish this. Since your strength will shoot up much faster using 5 to 7 reps per set, so will your muscle size.

4) Lactic Acid production will be kept to a minimum.

Training in the range of 5 to 7 will also decrease the amount of lactic acid that is secreted within the muscles. Lactic acid is a metabolic waste product that is produced as the body burns carbohydrates for fuel. By limiting the amount of lactic acid production you will decrease muscle catabolism and create an environment in the body where greater amounts of energy can be generated.

Okay, so we've established that a rep range of 5-7 is the most effective means of stimulating muscle growth.

However, this does not apply all the time or on every single lift. There are a few select muscle groups that should be stimulated using a slightly higher rep range. These are the calves, abs, forearms and upper traps. These muscle groups are predominantly made up of slow-twitch fibers, and therefore will respond better to higher reps.

For this reason, a rep range of 10-12 should be utilized for these muscle groups.

Summary:

Perform 5-7 reps for the chest, lats, biceps, triceps, shoulders and thighs.
Perform 10-12 reps for the calves, abs, forearms and upper traps.

Choosing a proper rep range is just one small piece of the puzzle when designing an effective workout routine. If you want to maximize your results and learn about all of the other aspects of workout structure such as exercise selection, sets, days in the gym, bodypart splits, rest periods and more, click the link below to visit my website.

MuscleGainTruth.com

Best regards,

Sean Nalewanyj