Ever since muscle confusion became mainstream in the early 2000s (largely thanks to the popularity P90X), there’s been this on-going trend among influencers, celebrity trainers, and blogs to emphasize how important it is to constantly change up your workouts (exercises or rep ranges) in order to prevent “plateaus.”
What’s lost in the discussion around muscle confusion is that muscles aren’t that smart to begin with, and they certainly don’t need to be “tricked” in order to avoid a plateau.
In other words, you don’t need to constantly switch exercises every week, two weeks or even every month!
The “trick” to confusing your muscles is to make them do more work than they previously have (aka progressive overload). As we’ve discussed before, this can be in the form of:
- Adding weight to the bar and performing a similar number of reps
- Doing more reps with the same weight
- Increasing range of motion
- Reducing rest time between sets
- Increasing frequency
- Increasing the number of sets per week
Even when utilizing these progressive overload strategies, it is a good idea to include some variation in your workouts to limit the risk of overuse injuries, maintain enthusiasm for training, and prevent plateaus.
The trick is to use intelligent variation with your workouts -- specifically when and how to change exercises, workout routines, and rep ranges.
And that brings us to today’s topic du jour -- how often should I change reps?
What’s the Best Rep Range for Muscle Building, Fat Loss, etc.?
Let’s make something clear from the get-go -- there is no one “best” rep range for all goals or all individuals.
Certain rep ranges are more “optimal” for certain goals (generally speaking) than others, but other factors also need to be taken into consideration like personal preference, injury history, and the particular exercise being performed.
Common rep ranges for specific training goals are:
- Strength: 1-5 reps/set
- Hypertrophy (muscle building): 6-12 reps/set
- Endurance: 15-30 reps/set
Keep in mind these rep ranges aren’t set in stone. You can still build muscle training below 8-10 reps per set and gain strength using more than 5 reps per set. It’s just that if you’re training for a specific goal (pure strength, all-out muscle growth, etc.), then you’ll want to structure your workouts accordingly. In fact, research has shown that hypertrophy can occur with as low as 5 reps per set and as high as 30 reps per set (provided you take the muscle to a high level of fatigue -- 1 to 2 reps short of failure).[1,2]
But, what if your goal is general fitness or you want to get the benefits of different rep ranges?
That’s perfectly fine!
Using a blend of rep ranges in your workouts to build both strength and lean muscle is known as powerbuilding.
Here, you’ll use low reps for your first exercise, which is usually a heavy compound exercise like the barbell bench press, deadlift, overhead press, or back squat. Then, you’ll move to more moderate rep ranges (8-15 reps per set) for your next couple of exercises. Finally, you’ll finish off with higher reps on your accessory lifts (biceps curls, triceps pushdowns, calf raises, etc.).
What if my goal is fat loss?
If your goal is fat loss, then the rep range you use for your resistance training workouts is largely a non-factor. By that we man, your resistance training workouts aren’t focused on burning body fat. Their purpose is to preserve/build lean muscle, build strength, and increase overall energy expenditure.
Moreover, there is no such thing as a “fat burning” or “toning” range for resistance exercise. If you’re focused on losing fat, that comes from a combination of reduced calorie intake (“diet”) and increased physical activity (“exercise”), both of which help to create the calorie deficit needed to force your body to burn stored fat for energy.
With that in mind, if you’re focused on losing fat, train with low, medium, or high reps (or any combination of the three) to satisfy your goals. And, if you want additional help figuring out the right amount of calories to lose fat or the best workout program, download the 1UP Fitness App where we’ll help you figure out all of that (and more) for FREE!
The Bottom Line on the How Often Should I Change Rep Rangs
The “best” rep range depends on several factors including training age, goals, injury history, exercise and personal preference.
If your primary focus is getting stronger, then you’ll want to emphasize the lower end of the effective rep range in your workouts. If you’re focused on muscle building, then you can use a variety of rep ranges, all the way from 5 to 30 reps per set!
Also, keep in mind that certain exercises are better suited to certain rep ranges. For instance, you probably don’t want to take a set of back squats to near failure, especially at higher reps, as that can increase the risk of injury. You’ll want to stick to lower rep ranges (3-10 reps per set) for heavy compound lifts (squat, bench, deadlift, etc.). Save the higher rep ranges (12-30 reps per set) for dumbbell, kettlebell, machine, and bodyweight exercises.
As far as when to change rep ranges, in general, you can vary them every 4 to 6 weeks. However, this depends on several factors (again), including how your results are progressing (if you’re still improving, there’s no need to change things), what exercises you’ll be swapping in/out of your workouts, and how your joints/muscles feel.
For those of you just looking to stay fit and healthy, you largely don’t need to worry about when to vary rep ranges. Just focus on pushing hard each and every workout, and when the weight starts to feel easy, increase it (2.5-5 pounds, usually), and keep getting after it!
And, if you need an extra boost during your workout, don’t forget to have a serving of 1UP Pre Men or Pre Women! Our pre workouts are engineered to deliver the right ingredients to help you push harder, stay stronger, and get the results you want from your workouts!
References
- Schoenfeld BJ, Peterson MD, Ogborn D, Contreras B, Sonmez GT. Effects of Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training on Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy in Well-Trained Men. J Strength Cond Res. 2015 Oct;29(10):2954-63. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000958. PMID: 25853914.
- Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and Hypertrophy Adaptations Between Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Strength Cond Res. 2017 Dec;31(12):3508-3523. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002200. PMID: 28834797.
