How many reps is best to build muscle mass?

[Mr.Blah]

I'm a very skinny guy and I researched online about hardgainers and learned a lot.But the one thing that is bugging me is how many reps per set is best to get big.I'm confused because some people say low reps are best but others say the opposite.I would like to know what you guys think?

 

[frweed]

i love pyramidal system... i do 4 set like this
1 x 10 -> easy weight
1 x 8 ->little more heavy (usualy +10lbs)
1 x 6 -> more heavy (usualy +10lbs)
1 X 4 -> your max for 4 rep (usualy +10lbs)

Or you can work your way like 3 set of 8 to 12. When you can go up to 3 x 12 easily you go up in weight and start back to 3 x 8..to 3 x 12 again... etc

every month, i love to switch my workout form so my body doesn't get used to it too much and stop devellop

BUT the more IMPORTANT is to EAT BIG !!!

 

[Asd9028]

Try 5x5. It works for me.
See the sticky thread above.

 

[Mr.Blah]

I will check both of them out.Thanks!It's hard getting good info for us skinny guys since the majority of people are trying to lose weight!

 

[Bullseye Forever]

i love pyramidal system... i do 4 set like this
1 x 10 -> easy weight
1 x 8 ->little more heavy (usualy +10lbs)
1 x 6 -> more heavy (usualy +10lbs)
1 X 4 -> your max for 4 rep (usualy +10lbs)

Or you can work your way like 3 set of 8 to 12. When you can go up to 3 x 12 easily you go up in weight and start back to 3 x 8..to 3 x 12 again... etc

every month, i love to switch my workout form so my body doesn't get used to it too much and stop devellop

BUT the more IMPORTANT is to EAT BIG !!!

this^^

i just read an article in Flex magazine about a workout called Linear Periodization and several more workouts and iv done the first month and i liked it,ive never tried anything like it in my life in essence it looks like this

1st week-3 sets of 12-15 on all muscle groups

2nd week-3 sets of 9-11

3rd week-3 sets of 6-8

4th week-3 sets of 3-5

after the 1st month,change all excercises and start all over,but start backwards.....

1st week-3 sets of 3-5

2nd week 3 sets of 6-8

3rd week- etc....



than there is another periodization the next 4 weeks with different excercises and rep schemes,....its soomething new to me and might work for you,if you've never done anything like this it might work,if you try it,you will find out which rep scheme works for you best,i think this is the idea of the whole program,good luck

4th week

 

[Zeek]

I've seen different people build mass on work out plans that we would all laugh at. People are so different when it comes to this that it isn't even funny.

 

[jamez45]

DC training by far has been the best for me when it comes to mass gains

 

[Mr.Blah]

I've heard that dc training is for advanced and I'm not there yet.And bullseye that sounds like a good idea.

 

[avoge320]

My lifting partner got me on Dorian Yates' blood and guts routine. Basically you are doing two sets per exercise - the warm up set is about 40% of your max then the workout set is a weight you can do 6-7 times maximum. The whole workout should take more than an hour. Google it, he has videos on his website.

I thought it wa stupid when my buddy suggested it, but now I swear by it. I've had my best gains; both mass and strength with this routine.

 

[MisterMetoo]

I'm an NASM fitness trainer. Alot of people will tell you alot of different things (As I'm about to do) The enlargement of diameter in the muscle tissue happens in the Hypertrophy phase. working in this phase and max strength phase will yield your best results.

Hypertrophy
Reps: 6-12 Sets: 3-5
Tempo: 2-0-2 Intensity: 75-85%
Rest inverval: 0-60s Frequency 3-6 times/wk
Duration 4 wks

Max Strength
Reps: 1-5 Sets: 4-6
Tempo: 1-1-1 Intensity: 85-100%
Intervals: 3-5 min Freq. 2-4 times/wk
Duration 4 wks

work out in the hypertrophy phase then the max strength phase (total 8 weeks)

then for the next 4 weeks, switch between phases throughout the week.

in hypertrophy you can use, pyramids, reverse pyramids, drop sets, supersets, trisets, compound sets, etc.

creatine ( I use Kre-Alkalyn). the use of a creatine supplement will replenish the ATP faster.

 

[darkside06]

5x5 is a great routine for me at least, for building size and stregnth.

I find I have my best results in the 6-8 rep range.

 

[Diced]

Do a warm up set with every exersise, light weight 10-20 rep. Then move on to 8-12 reps for hypertrophy , 10-20 for lower body ,8-12 upper body

 

[jadakiss]

I aways warm up with a light rep that I can do 12 reps then I stay with 6-8 rep

 

[juced_porkchop]

I'm a very skinny guy and I researched online about hardgainers and learned a lot.But the one thing that is bugging me is how many reps per set is best to get big.I'm confused because some people say low reps are best but others say the opposite.I would like to know what you guys think?

simple answer:
put on so much waight that you cannot do more then 6-8 reps. and stick with that and when you are doin more then add more waight so you are back down to 6-8 reps again.
it has to be soooo hard to lift that you CANT go more then 8. its nto that we CHOSE to go a certian amount of reps. we set it up so that we CANT gomore then a set amount and that will help you more then alotof over complicated stuff others may tell you.

 

[jadakiss]

+1 pork

 

[aj0538]

I like Max-Ot. It is low reps and always helps me break past plateaus. It is hard on my old joints so I usually do a cycle and switch to something else for a while. It got my overhead military press to 240 from 185 in just 6 weeks.

 

[amazinjosh]

I'm a very skinny guy and I researched online about hardgainers and learned a lot.But the one thing that is bugging me is how many reps per set is best to get big.I'm confused because some people say low reps are best but others say the opposite.I would like to know what you guys think?

It's quite a difficult thing to answer as truthfully, different weights, sets and reps work differently for different people. Most people seem to say that a low amount of reps and a high weight will build muscle, whereas a high amount of reps with low weight will build strength but I've read that this isn't really the case in a few places.

I did come across this article a bit ago that might offer a bit more of an insight for you:
iwantasixpack.com/how-many-reps-to-build-muscle/

 

[donjob]

doesn't matter what you do, if you're not getting a surplus of calories you will not grow. now assuming you are eating a shit ton, i like to ramp up to a weight i can only do a single of and then do a strip set for alot of exercises. i'll give you a back day for example. my warm up will look like this; kettle bell swings to fire the posterior chain, then some bodyweight glute ham raises. my biggest and heaviest lift is the deadlift, so to start i will do some light snatch grip deads from the floor, great for upper back development, puts you ina deficit and primes you for the heavy standard deads to come. now i will ramp up in weight depending on my goals for that day. when it comes to deadlifts i like to go for a PR once in about 3 months, in between that time i am training for a new pr so one day may be some light speed work, the next back day is maybe 60% of my 1rm for 5 sets of 5, the next day may be 80% for triples. the next time may be ramping up to a 90% single and then doing a strip set until i'm back down to 135 or just can't do anymore period. now i have a horizontal rowing movement and a vertical rowing movement. now for back it would be very taxing to go heavy on all three of these exercises, so if it's a heavy deadlift day i will go light on the horizontal and heavy on the vertical, if it's a light dead day i will go heavy horizontal light vertical. i prefer tbar rows for my horizontal lift, so once again if it's a heavy day i will ramp up to a single and then do a strip set. light vertical days is bodyweight pullups maybe 3 max sets, heavy is weighted pullups for 5x5 or so. finish off with LIGHT curls. i like to take a 40 pound straight bar and 2 30 pound dumbells and super set straight bar curls with hammer curls. then one burnout set of reverse curls.

 

[crazybaked]

1st week-3 sets of 12-15 on all muscle groups

2nd week-3 sets of 9-11

3rd week-3 sets of 6-8

4th week-3 sets of 3-5

after the 1st month,change all excercises and start all over,but start backwards.....

1st week-3 sets of 3-5

2nd week 3 sets of 6-8

3rd week- etc....

^^this is perfection IMHO.. very important to reverse muscle groups. I rotate every 2 weeks cause I seem to grow more proportionately..

 

[rowdybrad]

The Bull is right on. All work, just need to get that food in your gullet!