How Many Reps to Build Muscle – The Ideal Number

In meeting personal fitness goals, learning and understanding how many reps to build muscle is one of the key factors that determine the success of your workout.

Reps which stand for repetitions determine the efficacy of your workout plan. You see, when you talk of rep range, this determines the type of muscle growth you want to achieve; so if you want to get fit or build muscle, the number of times or reps that you allot for each exercise is the deciding factor.

Clearing up the misconception of reps and muscle building

One of the many misconceptions that most people have in terms of how many reps to build muscle is that, they think that you need to lift as much and as heavy set of weights as you can because this will let you achieve the goal that you want easily and faster. However, this is not true at all times. It is actually the exact opposite of what you think of.

So just how many reps to build muscle do you need? If you want to build mass, meaning you want to get a larger body and frame, you need to do or trigger your sacroplasmic hypertrophy. This increase the muscle cell size and you can get this by doing higher reps or more number of repetitions for that particular exercise routine. If you want to pack on the muscles and size, go for higher reps.

reps-for-muscle-building

On the other hand, if you are wondering what you are going to achieve if you do low reps, this translates to strength. If you are carrying heavier sets of weights but doing less reps, then you are building your strength. This however does not have any effect on your muscle size, although it can give your muscle a more defined look.

So if you are still confused, here is a quick guide that will help you determine how many reps to build muscle.

How many reps to lift – Quick Guide

1 to 3 reps –
Translates to strength. Meaning, you are focused on your ability to carry heavy things without straining too much. As mentioned, this does not affect your muscle size.

4 to 6 reps –
Translates to strength and density. If you want to give your muscles a more defined look, then 4 to 6 reps of a certain exercise does the trick. But just like the first category, this does not pack muscle mass.

7 to 10 reps –
This means size, strength, and density. If you are not really keen in having a bodybuilder’s body but you just want to improve what you have, then this number is good enough for you. About 7 to 10 reps can give you the size, strength, and density that you need in order for you to achieve your personal health goal.

11 to 15 reps –
Translates to size. This is the number of reps that most bodybuilders attain so that they can get the body they want. This packs on the muscles. So, if you are a lady and you wish not to get muscular and hulky, then do not try on this number.

Now that you know how many reps to build muscle that you need to do, start determining your health goal now.

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  • Steve S

    Agree. Sometimes i mix things up. say, shorter reps / heavier set for 2 days. longer reps / lighter sets for the next 2 days. have seen much improvements with it.

  • Vanabya

    i really want to have a six pack. i have never had it, no matter how much i train. What else should i do?

    • alex

      most importantly, is to keep body fat low. your abs will start showing when your body fat goes below 20%. Eat protein, vege, complex carb (oats, brown rice, nuts), and try to reduce your intake of simple carbs (bread, pastry, pasta, rice, sugar, dessert etc). in fact, dont eat any of the simple carbs at all, if you can. and have 6 small meals a day.

  • Annihilator108

    this is a good routine

  • Carravo96

    how much weight is recommended to build bicep muscle mass with 3 sets of 10 reps a day (for a 15 year old). is 25 lbs too much? what about 6 sets of 5 reps?

    • Anonymous

      3 sets of 10 reps on 25 lbs sounds good. key is to slowly add small amounts of weights after each time you work on those biceps.

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