Some powerlifters and gym junkies repeat the notion that you have to go hard or go home if you want to see real gains, and that lifting heavy with fewer reps is the way to go. Others maintain that more reps mean more muscle, so you should choose a lighter or moderate weight and try to get through more reps to see those results. Do more reps mean more muscle?
Recently, researchers explored exactly that. The results of this study show that it’s the effort you’re putting in and how hard you’re pushing yourself that matters the most, regardless of your rep range.
The study
In a study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, forty-seven healthy young men were placed into three groups:
- 10-rep max group
- 20-rep max group
- Control group with no training
The training groups completed two weekly lower-body sessions over six weeks. Sets were performed to concentric failure. In other words, participants trained each set until they were unable to finish any more reps with proper form.
The researchers sought to determine whether six weeks of resistance training to concentric failure, performed with a moderate 10-rep max range or a higher 20-rep max range, would enhance skeletal muscle oxidative capacity, muscle growth, and strength.
The results
The study results revealed that both training groups experienced similar increases in muscle mass, regardless of whether they completed 10 reps to failure or 20. Strength improved across all exercises in both training groups, but the lying leg curl favored the 20-repetition maximum over the 10-repetition maximum.
The researchers pointed out that resistance training twice a week to failure enhances muscle hypertrophy, strength, and oxidative capacity, no matter whether you work with a 10-rep max or a 20-rep max.
Concluding thoughts
This study shows that there isn’t one particular rep range that yields the biggest gains. An individualized approach to resistance training is best. This study highlights that rep range isn’t as important as the effort you’re putting into your workouts. In this example, the healthy young men trained to failure, and both groups were able to increase muscle size and strength in just six weeks by staying committed to their two lower-body weekly workouts.
