Weight Training - How Many Repetitions Each Set?
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So, you want to lift weights but have no clue how many repetitions to do? Many people don't have a clue what repetition range they should stay in when weightlifting. The range depends on what your goal is. Do you want to get stronger, bigger, or leaner? Below are 3 repetition ranges explained.
For maximum strength gains, lifting a heavy enough weight that you can only do less than 5 reps is ideal for building strength. The primary adaptation made in this low range of repetitions is an increase in strength. While muscle may be built, improved strength is the main improvement that will be made. Athletes or anyone that wants to build strength and power without packing on muscle would want to primarily focus on staying in this range.
Bodybuilders, football players, or anyone that wants to develop big muscles would want to lift in the 6-12 repetition range. When you lift a weight within this range you will still build strength, however, the main advantage of 6-12 reps is how it stimulates muscle growth. Once you find that you are strong enough to lift a weight more than 12 times, you should increase the weight so that you maximize muscle growth.
Women or men that don't really care about building strength or mass, but would rather focus on building muscular endurance would be interested in doing 13-20+ reps for each set. Lifting high reps also helps increase mitochondria in the muscles, which translates to more energy being able to be stored in the muscles. Lifting a weight many times also helps to increase the number of capillaries in your muscles. These adaptations translate to more energy stored in your muscles, and increased blood flow through your muscles.
The range you use will depend on your goals. Do you want to get big and build muscle (6-12), do you want to build strength without building much muscle (1-5) or do you want to build lean muscle or muscular endurance (13-20+)?
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
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