Hitting a PR on the Pit Shark w/ the Belt Squat, 500 lbs x 20 reps.
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I’ve talked about why I love the belt squat so much but I wanted to share a little about rep ranges and why we went so high on the reps on our main “strength lift.”
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Although the research is by no means conclusive, evidence indicates that a moderate rep range (about 6-12 reps per set) is best for maximizing muscle growth.
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🤔 More about whether that’s really true in a bit...
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This is usually called "bodybuilding training" and gives the ideal combo of mechanical tension, muscle damage, and metabolic stress – the 3 primary factors involved in muscle gains.
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✔️ Strength development: 1-5 rep range
✔️ Hypertrophy development: 6-12 rep range
✔️ Muscular endurance: 15+ reps
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Really, the last one ⬆️ lactate threshold ⬆️ muscle buffering capacity ⬆️ capillary density ⬆️ time under tension - developing a greater tolerance for higher volume.
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All which leads to more muscle. Bottom line is...
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...optimal muscle development is achieved by switching up your rep range over time. This is best carried out in a structured, periodized program.
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I’d say even maximal strength work should include different rep ranges from the standpoint of longevity (not to mention switching up exercises, not movement patterns, often enough) as it helps you stay injury free, it’s joint friendlier, and allows you to also look forward to training (if you’ve done heavy work in a certain rep scheme for a long time you know how this can burn you out).
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There’s a lot of ways this can work, undulating and linear periodized approaches can work, depending on your goals.
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Whatever you do, though, make sure you include the full spectrum of rep ranges.
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Sure, hypertrophy training is probably best achieved with moderate-rep sets, but higher and lower intensities are nevertheless important for optimizing muscular development.
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Just some thoughts to consider...
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