Rep Range for mass? [Forum Archive]

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Rep Range for mass?

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Posted by: DeadBolt

OK so my current routine consists of a 2 month rotation 4 weeks of one workout 4 weeks of another then back to the first 4 weeks. I have varied all my widths, grips, movements, planes, etc etc to hit every muscle I can hit with my hurt shoulder. Some movements I can't do but other then that I have a varied workout.

My only question is what would be the best rep range to stick in for the best MASS gains? I was once told it was in the 6-10 rep range for Mass anything under is geared more towards strength. I have used PRRS, HIT, and several other workouts as well as varied my own but I haven't bulked in years and its time to put some size ont his off season. So if it were you what rep range would you work in and would you cycle your rep ranges at all?

BTW been a while since Ive been on these boards good to see some familiar faces but there sure are alot of new faces!!

Posted by: CowPimp

You can go heavy or light. Both are capable of stimulating hypertrophy.

If you go lighter, then you don't need as many sets to accumulate sufficient volume to stimulate hypertrophy. However, keep in mind, you need to be lifting at a minimum threshold to stimulate muscle growth. Usually somewhere around 60-70% of your 1RM is about as low as it gets. This number increases in trained individuals.

If you go heaver, you need to do more sets to accumulate enough volume for structural adaptation. So, if you're using 85% of your 1RM, which is approximately one's 5-6RM, then you might have to do 6x4 or 8x3 to accumulate enough volume for muscle hypertrophy.

So, pretty much anything between your 5-20RM can theoretically be used to stimulate growth, but it does depend on a variety of things including age, gender, fiber distribution in a given muscle group, total volume, training status, etc.

In general lighter weights are also going to stimulate sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, while heavier weights will do more for myofibrilar hypertrophy. Both are important if you want as much size as possible, so different training parameters will need to be used at one time or another for optimal results.

I personally like to use full body or upper/lower twice a week workouts. However, my main goal has always been increasing strength, not size, so what I use is kind of a moot point. With my clients I tend to use full body workouts, but they aren't the best examples as many of them are only training twice per week and putting on maximum size and strength are not typically their goals.

How many days per week do you plan on devoting to lifting?

Posted by: DeadBolt

Pimp the way it shows now is I will be going to the gym 3-4x a week. But it will be Monday-Wensday weights...check my journal later on for the current split. Then saturdays I will try to get in for cardio/circuit work if I have time after class. I work wensday/thursday/friday night on the midnight shift (16 hour shifts) and commute an hour and a half each way so i can't get into the gym wen-friday this fall.

Posted by: Doublebase

Originally Posted by DeadBolt

Pimp the way it shows now is I will be going to the gym 3-4x a week. But it will be Monday-Wensday weights...check my journal later on for the current split. Then saturdays I will try to get in for cardio/circuit work if I have time after class. I work wensday/thursday/friday night on the midnight shift (16 hour shifts) and commute an hour and a half each way so i can't get into the gym wen-friday this fall.

Going heavy as hell with very low reps worked for me. Tons of food on top of that. I gained 30lbs. Lost a lot since then but when I went for mass I did gain it.

Posted by: DiGiTaL

Generally speaking, from what I learned, your suppose to go heavy and light.
As stated in GoPro's article here Untitled Document
There are 2 categories of muscle fibers, fast twitch and slow twitch. With high rep range you target the fast twitch, and with high intensity low volume you target slow twitch.

Personally, my routine is as follows:
week 1 - heavy,
week 2 - low intensity high volume (rep range)
week 3 - super heavy
week 4 - unload.

Posted by: danzik17

Originally Posted by DiGiTaL

Generally speaking, from what I learned, your suppose to go heavy and light.
As stated in GoPro's article here Untitled Document
There are 2 categories of muscle fibers, fast twitch and slow twitch. With high rep range you target the fast twitch, and with high intensity low volume you target slow twitch.

Personally, my routine is as follows:
week 1 - heavy,
week 2 - low intensity high volume (rep range)
week 3 - super heavy
week 4 - unload.

That's backwards I think.

The fast twitch fibers are associated with quick, power movements (think sprinting). They respond best to heavy/power movements.

The slow switch fibers are associated more with endurance (think marathon) and respond best to high reps (endurance training).

Posted by: CowPimp

Originally Posted by danzik17

You are correct sir. Fast twitch = stronger and more powerful.

Posted by: DiGiTaL

Oh haha my bad then

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