Best reps for muscle

[gotcha]

what have you found to be the optimium amount of reps to build muscle in the upper body and what rep range do you use for the lower body?

some of the best bodybuilders have built great bodies in the 6-12 range and others like serge nubert and nimrod king were just as impressive or even harder and displayed more refined muscle and all they used was 20-25 reps per set.

so whats your take on the debated bodybuilding topic?

[Paul E. Nunis]

Bodybuilding promotes itself as an entertainment oriented sport, with huge tie ins to merchandising and media.
I would take the training methods of the stars with a fair amount of skepticism.

If you wanted to survey a few refereed journals devoted to sports medicine or biomechanics, you can get a pretty good idea of how the human body develops muscle, and its a formula that hasn't changed drastically since the early days of physical culture devotees like Eugene Sandow.
Generally speaking, low reps, high poundages, full range of motion, followed by regular and uncompromised periods of rest and effective nutrition will stimulate the catabolic/anabolic cycle that promotes muscle growth. There is a place for variations in reps/lbs but not at first, and not in the extreme.


Paul

[gotcha]

do you suggest 3-5 reps or 6-8 range?

[krellum]

Everyone's body is genetically different and will respond differently to various methods of training. What works for one person might not work for another. Some poeple do very high reps and tend to do them faster and still put on size, while some people do very heavy weights and low reps and put on size (some people "cheat", swing the weights, have horrible form, and essentially screw around most of their time in the gym and STILL make gains - I hate them :)).

My own technique is to do 3 or 4 sets of 8-12 reps, paying strict attention to form and slow movement (not deathly slow, but slow enough that it isn't easy to do - imagine a 5-count for each movement). If I can't do 8, I'll drop the weight. If I can do 12, it's time to add more weight. I do the same amount for upper and lower body. Works for me. I would try different amounts of reps, different speeds, etc. and see what works best for you.

k

[Badge11]

The latest consensus is that in order to build muscle mass and improve strength, you need to lift heavier weights at less reps. Your routine should definitely match your goals. If you’re trying to tone up or gain a little endurance, than you should work on 15/3 at moderate to lighter weight. The 3-5 reps/2-3 sets, using heavier weights is almost strictly for advanced weight training to build mass. I prefer the 8-12 reps/ 3 sets with a cardio routine to gain strength and stay toned, but that’s my goal. I’ve no desire to look like Schwarzenegger. There are tons of workout plans out there and just as many opinions. The most important thing to remember is doing what works for you and emphasizing on your form before you begin to increase weight and drop your reps.

Building off a little what Krellum stated earlier, I’ve read in a few articles that your genetic makeup plays a very large role on how your body looks and reacts to exercise. What irritates me more than the guy swinging two 80 lb dumbbells is the guy who is naturally cut and hardly ever works out. It’s just not fair!
:mad:

[Brindle]

Originally posted by gotcha
do you suggest 3-5 reps or 6-8 range? I'd say both. More importantly is getting stronger. You should probably change your reps every three-week to six-week period, and not just stick to one rep range. That way you will continue to "shock" (catabolism) your body into having to grow/regenerate (anabolism). Perhaps even throw in a two-week period of 8-12 res's. But at reps above 12 or so, or even ten (with little rest between set's), your workout becomes more aerobic-ish (which means less muscle mass, than you would with the three to eight rep range).

[gotcha]

yeah there sure is many varying opinions and thoughts on this topic every book magazine and phd has a different theory on creating maxium hypertrophym, it is strange that some people do 6-8 reps and look huge and the guy who does 20-25 looks just as good. this is probably a never ending subject who really knows when you see both with great results, its like the hit approach preached by mike mentzer the bodybuilder and guys who follow routines like arnold.

[Paul E. Nunis]

The purpose of this board is to share facts, not gossip.

You state that 'phds' have theories about things that you fail to support with a single reference...Exactly what 'phd', and exactly what theory do you find to be so lacking?

And quoting people like 'arnold', and the rest, who have admitted that their gains were the results of steroid use is odd in a law enforcement forum.
Are you advocating that police officers take illegal drugs in order to look like the people you mention?

In other words, do you have anything useful to contribute?

Paul

[gotcha]

wow buddy u need to lighten up lol i didnt know i had to do all YOUR bodybuilding research, nor do i really care what you think and what references you want to see. if you want to turn this in to a reseach paper thesis go to a library and see the overwhelming amount of conflicting research that they publish. obviously you dont read any journals or accredited publications. no one in bodybuilding can agree on anything as far as training is concerned, if you want to argue why arnold or serge nubert looks a certain way and how many reps they did. go take it up with them

[Paul E. Nunis]

Arnold admitted to using steroids. Shawn Ray admitted to using steroids. It is no secret that steroids is the 'secret' to getting freakily big.
The only way to look like they did is to do what Arnold and Shawn admittedly did to get their look.

Once you take steroids, the number of reps etc. does indeed become a 'theory' as you put it.

If you DON'T take steroids, then the mechanism for muscle growth is very well researched, and is not a matter of speculation, or secret workout tips.

This forum is not for discussing how steroid soaked bodybuilders became champions, it is here so that police officers and other members of the LE community can share *useful* (i.e. legal and safe) information on health and fitness.

Paul

[Bob1234]

The 3-5 reps/2-3 sets, using heavier weights is almost strictly for advanced weight training to build mass

Using this system, how much time you rest in between sets/reps?



Thanks
Bob