By Amy King
If your goal is to build muscle, then understanding what rep range and how many sets you need for the best results is a key aspect.
However, it is also important to note that there isn’t a “single” best way, rather there are options that lead to slightly different results depending on how your body responds and adapts.
In this article, we’ll have a look over the different options and help you choose what to focus on, relative to your goal.
The level of intensity of a weight-training workout determines how many repetitions you can do.
By intensity in this instance, we mean the working weight you use during your sets and how close it is to your maximum strength capabilities.
For instance, if you work at 85-100% intensity, you will be able to do 1-5 repetitions.
The lower the training intensity, the more repetitions you can do.
However… More isn’t always better because you can’t grow a big chest by always benching 40 kilograms, right?
Your sets have to not only be challenging but they also have to be PROGRESSIVELY more challenging.
If your goal is to gain as much strength as possible, then in general the 1-5 rep range, also known as the powerlifting training rep range will be beneficial.
On the other hand, if your main goal is to have a bodybuilder-like physique, then focusing on the 6-15 rep range is generally beneficial.
The higher rep ranges will allow your body to tap into its muscle glycogen reserves, leading to sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and thus, increased bulk muscle growth.
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In terms of workload, training intensity determines how challenging your workouts are and training volume is how much weight you lift.
In other words, training volume is the total amount of weight lifted, for a given set, exercise, or workout.
Generally, the higher the intensity of the workout, the lower the volume lifted, because you can only do so many repetitions closer to your maximum strength.
For instance, if you do 5 repetitions with 100 kg, that would be a volume of 500 kilograms.
However, if you use 75 kg and do 10 repetitions, that yields a volume of 750 kilograms.
Both types of work rates can be utilized, to create a stimulus for different types of development.
If you are just starting out in the gym, you are blessed to experience what we refer to as “Newbie gains”.
This is basically the period when you grow quickly, even if you don’t know anything about your approach to training.
If that is the case, then take this advice - Start off with 5-6 working sets per muscle group, per week over 2 to 3 gym sessions.
Make those sets challenging and allow each muscle to rest at least 48-72 hours before you train it again.
As you exit the newbie gains phase, you will notice that you have to be more mindful of your workouts to achieve good results.
This is because your body has now adapted to training and whilst you will still make gains, it will be at the rate of diminishing returns.
Therefore you will need to adapt your training to challenge your body in new ways, which can be created by manipulating your training variables.
One of the best ways to do that is to bump up your training volume and intensity.
As you advance, increase the number of sets to 10+ per muscle group, per week.
Again, make the sets challenging, use different weights for both low and high reps and overall, diversify your workouts!
As you gain more and more training experience and physical improvements, you will start to notice that the total amount of muscle gained significantly decreases over time.
Especially if you are a natural athlete, you won’t see massive changes in your weight like you did during the newbie gains phase.
This is when you continue giving the body new and new challenges in the workouts, even if that means doing one more repetition or one more set.
Another way to do this is to get creative with the intensity and volume, so an advanced set may look like this:
As an advanced trainee, you should also consider that visual changes can appear even if you are not gaining much weight.
The more your muscles go through those challenging workouts and the more workouts they go through, the more they mature.
A mature musculature is well-defined, separated, and round.
So just give it time and make sure to do challenging workouts throughout that time!
The number of sets and reps you should do in your workouts depends on your goals.
If you want to gain maximum strength and build muscle, then focus on working sets with the 1-5 rep range.
If you are looking to build more of a bodybuilding physique then the 6-15 rep range, while still incorporating the 1-5 rep range to stimulate strength gains will be beneficial.
Training volume forms at 5-20+ challenging sets, per muscle group, per week, depending on your training experience.
That volume grows the more you advance in your training, as it is one of the best ways to realize the main principle of muscle growth, which is progressive overload.
Amy King is the founder of AKE Fitness & Nutrition. When she’s not serving her clients, she is pursuing her corporate career in mining, bodybuilding and spending time with loved ones. She calls Perth, Western Australia home.
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