High vs Low Reps (Science-Based)

Are high reps or low reps better for building muscle? Do higher repetitions increase muscle definition and does heavier weight make your muscles bigger than lighter weight? What is the best rep range for muscle growth? Find out the answers to all of these questions in this science-based video
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High reps or low reps? Which is better? Many people believe that aiming for higher reps is better for cutting and getting very defined muscles with visible striations. Meanwhile, low reps are better at building more muscle mass and bulking up. However, neither of these statements is actually true and there are many outdated misconceptions that people still have when it comes to choosing the best rep range for their goals. So in this video, we’ll go over the benefits and drawbacks of each so that you can choose the best rep range for yourself. 

Let’s first define exactly what I mean when I say high or low reps. High reps when it comes to weight training typically involve sets that are greater than 12 reps per set. 12 to 20 reps is the standard range, as doing more than 20 reps will often lead to a breakdown in form due to the amount of fatigue that sets in. Meanwhile, low reps are commonly associated with any rep range from one rep to 6 reps per set. But usually, you’ll stick within a range of 3 to 6 reps to minimize the chance of injury. Obviously, low reps are usually performed in combination with a much heavier weight load, meanwhile, high reps require a lighter weight load.    

The idea that high repetitions inherently lead to more defined muscles is a very common misconception. Having more cut visible muscles is usually referred to as muscle definition or muscle tone. And both are primarily influenced by two factors: muscle size and body fat percentage. While high-repetition training can contribute to muscle size, it doesn’t have a direct correlation with building more defined muscles. You’re not going to burn significantly more fat from doing high reps, and there’s no way to target fat burn to specifically burn the fat away from the muscles you’re working. It might feel like that’s what’s happening from the enhanced muscle-burning sensation and the bigger pump experienced during high-rep workouts. But even though high reps can increase blood flow to the muscles you’re working, and can create a temporary feeling of tightness and fullness, this does not translate to long-term muscle definition. 

So when it comes to muscle definition, aside from genetics, the two biggest factors that are actually in your control are building your muscle size through resistance training while also reducing overall body fat which mostly boils down to maintaining a proper diet plan. Without addressing the body fat component, even well-developed muscles will stay hidden underneath a layer of body fat. So regardless of your rep range, you can still get very defined muscles just by building them up and staying lean.

That’s right both high-rep training and low-rep training can be effective for muscle growth in their own ways. For example, let’s start with high-rep training. Metabolic stress is a big component of muscle growth and it’s generally higher when performing high reps rather than low reps. This metabolic stress triggers the release of growth hormone and IGF-1, which both play a key role in boosting protein synthesis as well as the growth and repair of your muscles. 

Typically during high rep sets the muscles you’re working will also get a greater amount of Tut or time under tension. Not only will you feel more fatigue the longer a muscle is activated during a set, but more time under tension also stimulates the recruitment of both slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers. So even though fast-twitch fibers are in fact more associated with heavier weight loads, lower reps, and explosive movements, and slow-twitch fibers are more associated with higher reps, better resistance to fatigue, and improvements in endurance-based activities, the constant stress placed on your muscles during high rep training will actually engage both fiber types effectively. The major downfall of high-rep training in terms of muscle growth is when you go overboard with the reps.

If you try to do any exercise for 50 or 100 reps, like let’s say weighted squats for example, there’s a high chance that your form will start to break down or you’ll need to take a break due to excessive fatigue and exhaustion rather than your muscles actually failing. This is why I suggest if you’re trying to build muscle with high-rep training, still use heavy enough weights loads that limit you to under 20 reps before you fail or at least come close to failure. 

Now low rep training offers its own set of unique advantages for muscle growth. For example, since it’s associated with heavier weight loads it requires the recruitment of a higher percentage of muscle fibers…

High Reps or low reps which is better many people believe that aiming for a high rep count is better for cutting and getting very defined muscles with visible striations meanwhile low reps are better at building more muscle mass and bulking up however neither of these statements is actually true and there

Are many outdated misconceptions that people still have when it comes to choosing the best rep range for their goals so in this video we’ll go over the benefits and drawbacks of each so that you can choose the best rep range for yourself let’s first Define exactly what

I mean when I say high or low reps High Reps when it comes to weight training typically involve sets that are greater than 12 reps per set 12 to 20 reps is the standard range as doing more than 20 reps will often lead to a breakdown in

Form due to the amount of fatigue that sets in meanwhile low reps are commonly associated with any rep range from 1 to six reps per set but usually you’ll stick within a range of 3 to six reps to minimize the chance of injury obviously low reps are usually performed in

Combination with a much heavier weight load meanwhile High Reps requ require a lighter weight load the idea that high repetitions inherently lead to more defined muscles is a very outdated and common misconception having more cut visible muscles is usually referred to as muscle definition or muscle tone and

Both are primarily influenced by two factors muscle size and body fat percentage while high repetition training can contribute to muscle size it doesn’t have a direct correlation with building more defined muscles you’re not going to burn significantly more fat from doing High Reps either and there’s no way to Target fat burn to

Specifically burn the fat away from the muscles you’re working it might feel like that’s what’s happening from the enhanced muscle burning sensation and the bigger pump that you’ll experience during High rep workouts but even though High Reps can increase blood flow to the muscles you’re working and they can

Create a temporary feeling of tightness and fullness this does not translate to long-term muscle definition so when it comes to muscle definition aside from genetics the two biggest factors that are actually in your control are building your muscle side through resistance training while also reducing overall body fat percentage which mostly

Boils down to maintaining a proper diet plan without addressing the body fat component even well-developed muscles will stay hidden underneath a layer of body fat so regardless of your rep range you can still get very defined muscles just by building them up and staying lean that’s right both High rep training

And low rep training can be very effective for muscle growth in their own ways for example let’s start with high rep training metabolic stress is a big component of muscle growth and it’s generally higher when performing High Reps rather than low reps this metabolic stress triggers the release of growth

Hormone and igf-1 which both play a key role in boosting muscle protein synthesis and helping with the muscle repair and growth process typically during High rep sets the muscles that you’re working will also get a greater amount of tuut or time under tension not only will you feel more fatigued the

Longer a muscle is activated during a set but more time under tension also stimulates the recruitment of both slow twitch and fast twitch muscle fibers so even though fast twitch fibers are in fact more associated with heavier weight loads while slow twitch fibers are more associated with higher reps better

Resistance to fatigue and improvements in endurance-based activities the constant stress placed on your muscles during High rep training will actually engage both fiber types effectively the major downfall of high rep training in terms of muscle growth is when you go overboard with reps if you try to do any

Exercise for 50 or 100 reps like let’s say weighted squats for example there’s a high chance that your form will start to break down or you’ll need to take a break due to excessive fatigue and exhaustion rather than your muscles actually failing this is why I suggest

If you’re trying to build muscle with high rep training still use heavy enough weights that limit you to under 20 reps before you fail or at least come close to failure now low rep training offers its own unique set of advantages for muscle growth for example since it’s

Associated with heavier weight loads it requires the recruitment of a higher percentage of muscle fibers specifically the fast twitch fibers which have a greater potential for overall growth low rep training also places a very high demand on your central nervous system leading to beneficial neural adaptations like increased muscle motor unit

Recruitment and improved coordination between your nervous system and your muscles this is how low rep training can lead to much greater strength gains than high rep training increased strength can then allow you to lift heavier weights which contributes to Progressive overload consistently increasing the overall stress placed on your muscles

Over time is one of the main factors that leads to Greater overall muscle growth and low rep training helps you do just that the downfall with low rep training is twofold first of all low rep training requires heavy weight loads to be effective and those heavy weight

Loads Place more strain on your joints and connective tissues if you have improper form with heavier weight loads it can easily lead to injuries like muscle strains joint inflammation or full out tears the other issue is that low rep training doesn’t stimulate slow twitch muscle fibers very effec effectively so muscle fatigue can

Actually lead to a strength Plateau this is why purely for muscle building purposes I recommend combining both high and low reps for example a very simple way to structure this is to perform 3 to six Reps for 3 weeks and then switch to 12 to 20 Reps for 3 weeks each of these

Rep ranges should be done with a heavy enough weight load that takes you to failure within that rep range by switching back and forth like this you get the best of both worlds this is because it’s important to realize that muscle strength and muscle endurance can each independently cause a plateau so by

Working on both you can actually get stronger Target slow and fast twitch muscle fibers more effectively and build muscle faster so when your muscles are put through the demands of the high rep periods your body will actually respond by increasing the number and the efficiency of mitochondria within your

Cells and becoming more resistant to fatigue mitochondria are referred to as the PowerHouse of the cell because they play a crucial role in energy production this this improved ability to use oxygen for sustained energy will carry over to your lower rep periods then those lower rep periods will place a much higher

Mechanical load on the muscles which will increase the size and strength of the contractile proteins within the muscle fibers like actin and myosin this increase in force generation will then carry over to your high rep periods ultimately you’re creating a cyclical upward spiral this is why you’re likely

To notice that each time that you switch rep ranges you’ll be able to perform a heavier weight load than the last time you were at that same rep range the improvements from one rep range transfer over to the other helping you break through plateaus and that’s the whole

Point now of course if your goal is purely performance rather than muscle growth you may want to choose one rep range over the other and stick to it that’s because activities such as long-distance running cycling rowing and longdistance swimming are all much more dependent on muscular endurance and

Those slow twitch muscle fibers so if your goal was to perform your best at a marathon it would make sense to focus Fus Less on squatting the heaviest weight load you could force out for three reps and instead focus more on higher reps to develop your endurance capacity working specifically on these

Higher rep ranges will make your body adapt so that it can more efficiently utilize oxygen and clear out metabolic by products it’ll also increase your ratio of slow twitch fibers which like I said are highly efficient at utilizing oxygen to generate energy on the other

Hand if your goal is to get better at sprinting powerlifting or explosive sports with short bursts of activity like football then you may be better off focusing on Lower rep ranges these lower rep ranges will improve power output explosiveness and central nervous system efficiency this can help you tackle

Harder Sprint faster or lift significantly heavier weight loads there are also other sports that require both fast twitch and slow twitch fiber such as soccer boxing and wrestling these activities have short intense bursts of explosive movement coupled with prolonged periods of sustained muscle activation that requires endurance for

Example a boxer needs to bounce around the ring sometimes for 12 full rounds while also throwing bursts of explosive punches in between so it’s beneficial for these kind of activities to perform both High Reps and Low Reps during your workout routine and remember the 3 weeks

Of low reps followed by 3 weeks of High Reps is just one way to set up your routine to get the benefits of both you can also do both within one workout for example let’s pretend you’re trying to increase your push strength as well as your endurance you always want to

Perform your heaviest compound lifts first so that fatigue isn’t as much of a limiting factor in the amount of weight you can lift so you can start your workout with three really heavy sets of bench press for three to six reps then for your next three sets you could

Perform six to eight reps of dumbbell presses with a drop set of 20 reps at the end of each set so you would use a heavy weight for 6 to8 reps then immediately drop to a lighter weight load for 20 reps alternatively instead of the 20 reps of dumbbell presses you

Can perform push-ups to failure at the end of each heavy heavy dumbbell press set this would allow you to train muscle strength and muscle endurance all within one session and there are actually many other ways that you can set this up in a nutshell When comparing one rep range

Against the other there is no one best rep range it highly depends on your goals but to put it simply there are individual benefits to each rep range research and organizations like the National Academy of sports medicine have shown that a rep range of 1 to six per

Set is best for increasing muscle strength than 7 to 12 reps per set is most often recommended for increasing muscle growth and 12 or more reps per set are best for increasing muscle endurance however by performing all of these rep ranges you can get benefits from each of them and that can be

Invaluable especially when it comes to breaking through plateaus and sticking points so that about wraps it up I really hope you’ve enjoyed this video if you have make sure you subscribe to my channel and if you want a done for you program that lets you stop wasting time

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