When it comes to working out and building muscle, I need you to stop counting reps. In this video, I am going to explain why counting the number of reps you are doing, as well as your rep range goals, is counterintuitive to the gains that you are seeking. There is something that you should be doing instead that will help you to get the most out of every workout that you do.
By targeting a specific number of reps, you are setting yourself up for subpar results and lower quality repetitions. So, instead of thinking how many reps you are going to do to build muscle, I want you to think about generalities; in general I can pick up a weight that is heavy enough to fall in the 1-7 rep range. The next rep range requires a moderate weight that falls within 8-14. A lighter weight would have me looking for 15-30 repetitions. The last number of reps, above 30 reps, requires a super light weight.
Every single one of these ranges will build muscle. In the lowest rep range, the benefit that I get is that there is extremely high tension which means that I do not have to go to absolute failure. I can increase muscle growth thanks to that tension. As your rep range increases, failure is even more important as tension starts to go down.
Failure is defined as not being able to perform a rep of an exercise in good form. That means, if you were performing a curl; you are not doing what looks like a good morning in order to swing the weight up.
In terms of getting to a specific rep number, our body often self-corrects. If we achieve a difficult rep lower than the number goal, then we start to shortchange or cheat our next reps until we reach that last number. By doing this, you are leaving gains on the table. Instead of performing effective receptions throughout the entirety of the set, you are limiting the number of them that you are doing.
If I chose a weight that causes me to fail absolutely in the rep range that I am looking for, we know that the overload for growth is going to occur in the last 3 or so reps. However, when it comes to effective reps in these ranges, it doesn’t mean that the early reps can’t be effective too. In fact, these can be extremely effective if you a performing each rep with good intention to create a more solid mind-muscle-connection. By establishing a better mind-muscle-connection, you can better perform the later reps for overload. When you are trying to get better at performing an exercise, that connection between the brain and the muscle in order to better feel the muscles that you are working.
Not only that, but you will have a better feeling of what failure is and be able to utilize those last few reps to create the overload necessary for muscle growth. So, don’t think that the early reps are just throw away reps – use them to get better at the exercise so that you can better perform each repetition, especially as you get closer and closer to failure. This will make those last, effective reps, even more effective.
Again, it is extremely important to think about these rep ranges as generalities. Instead of focusing on a specific number, a mindset that will leave you with subpar results, you want to focus on the intention of each rep. When I head into my workouts, I don’t look for the reps that I am doing; I am looking to reach a range based on the weight I am choosing and taking it to failure.
I mentioned earlier that you can still build muscle in the rep range above 30 repetitions. With such light weight, the tension is extremely low as well. In this case, you need to incur a large amount of volume. With low intensity, volume is important to build muscle.
It doesn’t matter what rep range you choose to work towards, you can still build muscle. The important aspect of each one, however, is to make sure that you are putting in a high level of effort into each repetition. I’ve always said to stop counting reps, but make the reps count. With high intention comes the most muscle gains as you create a greater mind-muscle-connection with your earlier reps and a tension overload in the later reps of the range you are working within.
For a science-backed workout program that explains how to make each repetition effective to build ripped athletic muscle, make sure to head to the ATHLEAN-X website using the link below and find the program that is best suited to match your training goals.
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35 comments
“FAST ACTION” Q&A* – Leave your most burning question about this video or any other training, PT or nutrition question within the first 2 hours of this video’s release (AS A SEPARATE COMMENT!!) and I will pick 8 to get a detailed reply from me right here in the comments. Answers will be posted within the first 24-48 hours of you leaving the question. Good luck!
Hi athlean sir could you please make a video on a 💯 legs work. Kindly
Thanks for this. Would you address the idea of maintenance/stamina versus growth for those of us in our mid-50s and beyond? I'm not interested in growth as much as maintaining strength, tone & stamina as I age.
Had to be 33
So basically push yourself harder!
“Don’t count reps, make reps count.” I love that quote
Thank you for posting this. I tend to worry a lot about the details of strength training. It sometimes prevents me from starting in the first place. I'm sure I'm not the only one.
I believe the most comfortable range is between 6 and 10, anything below feels like I'm going too heavy resulting in faulty form and anything above (maybe make it above 12 or so) feels like I'm losing a lot of time on "pointless" reps and might as well increase the weight. Of course progressive overload isn't the only way to continually build muscle but it seems to be the most efficient time- and enjoyment-wise and this used to be something I tried to undermine when I was working out in my home gym, running out of extra weight to utilise (and lack of exercises of course) resulting in fairly boring workouts and exercises like the bench press started feeling pointless because of how easy it was to push out lots of reps, ever since I've joined the gym though my progress – at least strength-wise (judging by increase of weight) has been incredibly. I believe there are some exercises and muscle groups where higher reps are generally the better approach because increasing the weight without dropping lots of set-quality is very difficult, this generally counts for the smaller muscle groups like rear and side delts, but this might be a me-problem, too lol.
I definitely don't want to demotivate anyone from switching it up and going high reps low weights, this is just my personal experience.
i am just starting out. amazing. thank you
great tip!
I always thought of counting reps as a way to fix my strength/muscle imbalances (in my arms for example)
Hey Jeff, is there an optimal number of sets (lets say per week) that corresponds with the rep range that you are using? Thanks
Like always a fantastic class. Your classes ways make a lot of sense….Thank you.
💪
I had to walk on a cane for a couple of years and was astounded that my right triceps over developed and measured 4 inches larger than my left arm all from just walking.
Jeff, I get so much from your videos man. You explain things so well and they ALWAYS make sense. I get "ah-ha" moments from your vidoes all the time dude keep the vids coming! Thx
I like to count when it’s two different sides of my body. Otherwise I fear I’ll have more reps on one side compared to the other by accident. Otherwise I tell myself, at LEAST 12 here so that I have something to strive for and push myself to get to despite the pain. But if I go over it, so be it, but at least I hit the goal. Always to failure.
I have my clients do reps until fatigue. Doesn’t matter the # of sets. I figure I should be responsible to determine how much resistance for the goal based on ability to do the exercise with quality form. After all , isn’t that what the client is paying you for and expecting of you?
As someone that is new to fitness and weight training is it better to do the moderate weight/rep or ligther/longer reps?
I try to use a weight where I go (close) to failure in the 8-10 rep range. On machines, I always go to failure and I lower the weight un til I reach failure again (but always in that rep range). I'm a newbie so idk if it's correct.
I keep seeing Jeff mention his wife and her trap gains.
How about a video of the two with a trap focused workout?
I need someone to help me out, I've been looking everywhere for a video our lord and savior, Jeff Cavalier of Athlean X, released that talked about a weighted walk with a dumbell that dangled from the hips via a dog leash. It started out that I just needed some info in that video and now I need for my sanity as I'm afraid I might be going through some wild Mandela effect craziness and I dont know what reality I'm in. If someone could just tell me a title to look for, or if you have a link handy. Anything. Again, dumbell around the waist, walk around with it. Thank you.
So does this imply that the progressive overload you use is exclusively in creased weight and not increased reps?
Hey jeff im 6 foot 3 snd 150 pound. Teying to gain weight i have workout out off and on but never really legs untill recently i been hitting legs almost every day. Is that good to do or not and when should i start to see results in my legs and in weight growth cause i wanna be like 165 to 180 range in weight. And it all starts with my legs aand chest as my arms are strong
I'm a drummer so I'm fucked for counting past 4. All good here.
I stop counting after my very last good rep.
Switching from counting reps to time-under-tension was one of the best things I ever did. Not only much easier mentally, but way more effective and efficient!
26 days each month, 8-10hs each day , working with scissors, got it Jeff <3
I agree. I think we should focus less on quantity and more on quality and intensity. I often lose count during a hard set. I often record my sets to check my form and sometimes I'm off by one or two reps.
Slow time under tension, low weight, hypertrophy, speed week, power week, isolation week, have fun with gains….
I am doing forced reps on my work outs and it is good method for me bro.
I aim to hit 10 but if I fall short I fall short and if I can put in more reps I'll go for more
We count to track progress dummy!
What do you think of 1 set training?
Thats good News Jeff. I Just blast thru lots of shit they say its to mutch