Thread: Best rep ranges for optimal growth-article

Best Rep Ranges For Optimal Growth? | SimplyShredded.com

Found this quite interesting. Worth the read

pheew, I'm doing it right Good article Jaiman

the most interesting thing is that about half way down there is a dude in leather pants....is that you DAVA?

the biggest bodybuilders are the strongest

Maybe. But the strongest men in the world generally don't look like bodybuilders.

Originally Posted by Big Tim

Maybe. But the strongest men in the world generally don't look like bodybuilders.

Nothing beats going up to a squat rack after a body builder has maxed out and they say "want me to takes some plates off for you" to which I reply "No thanks, this is just my warm up weight"

Originally Posted by Big Tim

Maybe. But the strongest men in the world generally don't look like bodybuilders.

Yeah they generally have a higher body fat percentage, but if you got a strongman to diet down, odds on he would look like a bodybuilder

Originally Posted by Bricktop

Yeah they generally have a higher body fat percentage, but if you got a strongman to diet down, odds on he would look like a bodybuilder

I disagree. He may look like a very muscular athlete, but I don't think he will look like a bodybuilder

Originally Posted by Big Tim

Maybe. But the strongest men in the world generally don't look like bodybuilders.

Because you alternate between % of max, and not hitting that 80%-85% to fatigue often, or at all.

Amirite?

Originally Posted by Big Tim

I disagree. He may look like a very muscular athlete, but I don't think he will look like a bodybuilder

We need some sort of test subject......

I think you would of course need to have that "look" of a bodybuilder, which more genetically defined. So your right, they may not look like a classic bodybuilder, but at the right body fat percentage i reckon you would be surprised.

Pro level strongmen on average do look like BB'ers in some respects but often lack the symmetry required for comp judgement... you can usually pick a strongman because they say: "UGG ME HUNGGGY" alot.

*** pokes Big T with a stick.... take that bear boy*** .. mwah ha haaa..

Originally Posted by RazZ

Pro level strongmen on average do look like BB'ers in some respects but often lack the symmetry required for comp judgement...

For every Pudz and Poundstone that has that lean, superhero look there is a Big Z that doesn't. And by strong athletes I didn't just mean strongmen, also shotputters, oly weightlifters, powerlifters.

Originally Posted by RazZ

you can usually pick a strongman because they say: "UGG ME HUNGGGY" alot.

*** pokes Big T with a stick.... take that bear boy*** .. mwah ha haaa..

"take that Bear boy?" Oh dear, it sounds like I stepped into a gay club!

Originally Posted by Bricktop

We need some sort of test subject......

I think you would of course need to have that "look" of a bodybuilder, which more genetically defined. So your right, they may not look like a classic bodybuilder, but at the right body fat percentage i reckon you would be surprised.

Alright, one day in the far distant future when I am actually strong, I will volunteer to be this test subject....but the idea of dieting for months on end just doesn't have the same appeal of lifting something heavy!!

i hate these articles, a sweeping generalisation if i've read one...now we'll have 10 million blokes do every exercise for 5 - 8 reps per set to get big

diffeent exercise will respond best to different rep ranges

3 rep sets of deads will do more for you then sets of 8 just as sets of 12 - 15 delt raises are better then sets of 5 - 8

te easiest way is to do something strong (531, 5 x 3 etc) and something big (5 x 8) and you'll have covered everything

Originally Posted by swans05

i hate these articles, a sweeping generalisation if i've read one...now we'll have 10 million blokes do every exercise for 5 - 8 reps per set to get big

diffeent exercise will respond best to different rep ranges

3 rep sets of deads will do more for you then sets of 8 just as sets of 12 - 15 delt raises are better then sets of 5 - 8

te easiest way is to do something strong (531, 5 x 3 etc) and something big (5 x 8) and you'll have covered everything

Thats why we have cycles of our routines mate. We hit a certain rep/set rate, the switch our training to high reps, low reps, heavy weights, light weights.
Lyle is saying that this is scientific information that this rep range will recruit more fibers, whilst fatiguing most of them. Leads to more growth than 5 sets of 1 rep, or 3 sets of 15 reps.

swans you seem to hate alot of things.. just saying


Heres a quote from the article that you appear to agree on when you say "diffeent exercise will respond best to different rep ranges":

"For most people, 80-85% of maximum is roughly 5-8 repetitions there is variance in this between individuals and perhaps muscle groups (for example, some people find that they can get 12-15 repetitions at 85% of maximum in some leg movements)".


In my experience rep ranges of 5-8 have always given me the best results in mass gain. Perhaps 8-12 for legs. So generalisation or not it works for me and again in my experience, has worked for alot of others too.