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TO RECAP, these are the rep ranges you should be considering: Since powerlifting really taxes the central nervous system, you may be waiting 3-5 minutes between sets when training in this fashion. Oh, and your CNS will adapt and become stronger, which will be critical for building strength and power. That’s why you may want to rest between 2-5 minutes in this range. In a way, it means your body’s ability to communicate with its muscles has grown fatigued, and performance may suffer. Something to note when lifting for strength and power: not only are you shocking your muscles, but you’re also putting a lot of pressure on your body’s central nervous system (CNS). And yep, that means you’re going to be picking up heavy weights, focusing all that concentrated effort into just one or a few reps. This type of training focuses on strengthening the myofibril, the contractile part of the muscle, hence the name “myofibril hypertrophy.”įor this, target reps in the 1-5 range. Rest time between sets should be short, about 60 to 90 seconds.ģ) STRENGTH AND POWER (“myofibril hypertrophy”) – If you’re training for specific sports and just want to get stronger with more power – but not necessarily get bigger, this is the strategy for you.
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Target a rep range of 6 – 12 reps per set.Up to 30% of your muscle’s size is attributed to the sarcoplasm, so focusing on this type of hypertrophy helps build overall size (i.e., increased cross-sectional area of the muscle). The scientific term here is “sarcoplasmic hypertrophy,” as it focuses on increasing the amount of sarcoplasm, the non-contractile fluid found in your muscle. Reps for increased muscular endurance: 12+Ģ) MUSCLE SIZE (“sarcoplasmic hypertrophy”) – This is for guys or gals looking to build larger muscles. If you are a runner or cyclist, strength training with higher repetitions can help your muscles develop more endurance as well! Obviously, you won’t be able to lift heavy amounts of weight for 20+ reps, so you’ll be lifting lighter loads.Īlso, because you’re targeting endurance improvements, you want to decrease the amount of rest between sets: 30 seconds to a minute. People targeting muscular endurance will aim for a range from 12 to 20+ reps. I’m going to start with the “widely accepted numbers here.”ġ) MUSCULAR ENDURANCE (long-lasting muscle) – Endurance means encouraging and training your muscles to perform for an extended period of time. I’m going to share with you the commonly accepted answers, but they ALL come with a HUGE caveat that I’ll share at the end of this article. We’ll group different rep ranges into different goals, for: When deciding on how many sets and reps to do, it begins by asking “ What am I trying to get out of this workout?!“ So “2 sets of 5 reps of push-ups” means, “5 consecutive push-ups, a rest, then another 5 consecutive push-ups.” Remember, “Rep” stands for “repetition” and is more or less one complete exercise.
#Rest time for muscular endurance for free
I’ll send it to you for free when you join the Rebellion (that’s us!).Īlright, let’s break down reps and sets for you, because I can see you still have questions. Well, make sure you grab our free guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. Oh, you’re just starting your strength training journey? (This has nothing to do with this article, but it’s a fun word to say.)Īs we mentioned throughout our Strength Training 101 series, how many reps and sets you should do is really going to be dependent on your goals.ĭepending on what your goal is, the sets, reps, and rest intervals will change.
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The Correct Number of Reps and Sets for a WorkoutĪs Coach Jim mentions above, “Rep” stands for “repetition” and defines one complete motion of an exercise.Īnd one “set” is a consecutive number of reps without stopping.Īnd one “smorgasbord” is a buffet of food.
#Rest time for muscular endurance how to
This article is part of our Strength 101 series, and we’ll show you exactly how to determine the number of repetitions and sets for specific exercises, so you can build your own workout routine. If you’ve ever asked yourself “Am I doing too little or too many reps and sets?” then this guide is for you.
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