HOW MANY REPETITIONS SHOULD I DO?

The Theory of Muscle Training

HOW MANY REPETITIONS SHOULD I DO?

Once again, this depends on your objectives and level. The usual method is to work with percentages, taking 100%

as the maximum weight you can lift in a single, properly executed movement (see the appendix at the end of this

book). A beginner will achieve some hypertrophy (muscle growth) at 50% of his or her maximum, but advanced

athletes will not make much progress at this level.

Some approximate, basic statistical benchmarks for different objectives are as follows:

             This table shows why many people who want to increase the size of their muscles fail: they are outside the recommended margins of weight and intensity. If your goal is to achieve muscular hypertrophy, the effort made must go as far as “failure” (i.e., inability to go on) within the parameters indicated. If you find you can do more, it is because you are not using enough weight, or you are using impetus to complete the series (“cheating”). In this instance, the weight* must be somewhat below the maximum. Furthermore, these are not closed-end ranges. Some positive results will be achieved if the percentage approaches either the upper or the lower level. For example, some degree of hypertrophy will occur whether you train at 87% or at 68%, but training at 100% or 10% will  make no difference

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          Note: the correct term here would be “mass,” the international unit of which is the kilogram (kg), but the term “weight” is more common in both muscle training and other sports, so we shall use it here to avoid confusing the reader. Basically, the difference is that mass does not change, while weight does depending on the force of gravity.

On earth, of course, gravity varies only slightly depending where it is measured, and we may therefore loosely use the term “weight” measured in kilograms or pounds (lb) and not in Neuton Meter to facilitate matters for the lay reader

Credit: Encyclopedia of Muscle Exercises