Program Design #2: Rep Ranges

You are about to do some chest flys like the guy above. Should you go for a super heavy 3 rep max? Should you do 40 repetitions with a weight so light you can’t feel it until rep 25? How would you know unless someone taught you?

This will continue the series going into greater detail about my program design principles. It is my hope that it will provide you with some guidance on selecting how many reps you will perform.

Rep Ranges:

It is logical that if the foundation of the workout is the repetition. Then the next level up is looking at how many repetitions you will perform during a given set.

The amount you perform will be based on several variables; Goals, Exercise Choice, Placement in Workout.

You will notice as the series continues that some principles naturally bleed into others. This is an art as much as it is a science. In this case, my next principle involved exercise choice. However, when considering rep ranges, you almost always be considering them in light of the exercise performed.

5 to 8

If your goal is to get stronger, than you will spend more time working in lower rep ranges. Now, if you read my main program design article you see that I often design programs using 5 to 8 repetitions for strength. Some of you reading this may question that decision and may suggest that repetitions of 1 to 5 would be more appropriate. And you would be correct depending on the client. If someone has a specific goal of getting very strong in a bench press of barbell squat, then I would definitely suggest rep ranges in the 1 to 5 as part of that person’s training program. As an online coach and personal trainer, I often find 5 to 8 to be sufficient. That is because most the clients who want to get “stronger” mean they do want to improve on the squat and press, but mostly they just want everyday life to feel easier. They’d often like to build some muscle and burn fat as well. While trying to simultaneously attack those goals, I found 5 to 8 to be sufficient.

Exercise choice still matters as well. If your goal is to get stronger it does not mean you spend all of your time in the 5 to 8 rep range. 5 to 8 works great for compound exercises that hit large muscles groups. However, when you start to perform isolation single joint exercises, it will be best to increase your reps to 8 to 12, or even 12+. For example, I don’t see much value in doing a chest fly for 5 reps. Too much chance for a chest strain and too little benefit in my opinion.

Placement in your workout is also important, especially at the lower end of 5 to 8. If your goal is to squat for heavy sets of 5 repetitions, then you probably do not want to do that at the tail end of a leg workout when your legs are already fatigued. You would typically want to place your most demanding exercises earlier in the workout. The exercises that are the most complex and have the highest potential for injury if performed incorrectly, these you do when you are in your freshest state.

8-12

If your goal is primarily to build muscle, then you will want to spend much time performing sets/exercises in the 8 to 12 range. There is much science to support the efficacy of this range. It does not mean you get stuck there for eternity, but it is a nice place to be.

Why? Because not only will you build muscle, but at the lower end you are still gaining strength and at the upper end you are also getting some endurance.

Regarding exercise choice, 8 to 12 works well with many exercises. There are a few exceptions. As you get into higher reps, you will typically not want to be performing lifts that require a high level of technique. Do not read that last sentence and assume technique isn’t important on other exercises. It is simply that barbell squats, deadlifts and Olympic lifts in particular are very complex. As you fatigue, it becomes harder and harder to maintain technically sound form. Losing your form a little on a chest fly is vastly different than when there’s a heavy barbell on your back or above your head. Also, unless you are technique perfectionist or have someone guiding you, I would avoid doing very demanding sets of barbell back squats, deadlifts, barbell overhead press or Olympic lifts in the 8 to 12 rep ranges.

For placement in the workout, 8 to 12 can work well anywhere depending on exercise choice as noted above. With 8 to 12 reps, you will also be building strength, but not as well as the 5 to 8 range.

12+

For those few people who desire mostly endurance, rep ranges above 12 are called for. Interestingly, studies have been coming out that muscle can also be built fairly well with reps in the 12 to 20 range. This high rep range will be uncomfortable due to the high amount of lactic acid that will be produced which is the “burn” you feel in your muscles.

For exercises, you will likely want to choose more isolation single joint exercises. If you are a member of a gym, machines can be a great tool for higher reps. When performing extremely high reps with free weights, your stabilizing muscles may fatigue before your target muscle thus slightly limiting their effectiveness. It does not mean you cannot do it; simply that safety and focus become more of a factor. You will typically not want to choose exercises that are very lower back intensive. Thus, back squats, deadlifts and rows are generally out of the equation. You could potentially do a variation of these exercises that is safer for high repetitions. For example, you could do goblet front squats or machine based rows. I personally do not think there is a suitable high rep replacement for the deadlift, but you could do a glute or hamstring machine to individually hit the muscles involved safely for high reps.

In terms of placement in the workout for higher rep work there are a few strategies. If you are after strength, you may be a few high rep sets very light to really get your joints warm. If you are after muscle, generally you will want to save your higher rep work for the end. There will be plenty of metabolic by products of doing so many repetitions. These by products have an impact on your muscle fatigue and recruitment. It will be challenging to perform well on 8 to 12 rep work after you’ve done numerous sets in the 12+ range. For endurance, feel free to place it anywhere in your workout since your goal is to learn to manage fatigue.

Want everyday life to get easier? Want to be able to open that pickle jar that frustrates you every time? (I'm only half kidding)

Pick the right rep range to make sure you are optimizing your workout.