Best Rep Range to Build Muscle Faster

Do you know what is the best rep range to build muscle faster?

When you get to the gym, likely you already have mapped out the training of the day. You know which exercises are programmed and how long you will be lifting weights.

After a while, once you change your training because you want to keep adding variety to your sessions to keep building muscle, you notice that sometimes you will go back to doing the same exercise as before, but with a different rep range. Likely with a different weight as well.

So what is better? Heavy weight with a low rep range or light weight with a high amount of reps? What is the best rep range to build muscle faster? That is what Max Posternak talked about in one of his videos.

Max Posternak is the founder of Gravity Transformation, a website focused on giving tips and training guidance for people looking to improve their fitness and lose weight. His YouTube channel has over 5 million subscribers.

Check out what is the best rep range to build muscle faster below.

Best Rep Range to Build Muscle Faster

According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine, the best rep range to build muscle faster is 6-12 reps. This makes sense if you think that above 12 reps makes the weight feel less challenging, and when you do less than 6 reps you don’t feel much of a pump.

However, according to Posternak, research studies concluded that you can build muscle the same amount of muscle in the low, medium, and high rep range.

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There is one thing that many studies concluded that is necessary. No matter if you are training in the 4 rep range or the 20, there is one thing you must do to achieve muscle hypertrophy: do your sets to failure.

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The problem with doing high reps is that most people do them without getting close to failure, rendering the exercise not effective as doing in a lower rep range but with a heavier weight.

Even more, doing sets in a high rep range can put you in an unnecessary higher risk of injury. “This is because the extremely long duration of your sets will fatigue your stabiliser muscles so much that it will become near impossible to maintain proper form during the last few reps.”

If you still choose to do higher reps, make sure they are done with isolation exercises, since doing them is relatively safer than compound movements.

In short, this is what you should keep in mind:

Very low rep range is not optimal for muscle growth (1 to 2 reps)
Include low rep range (3-5 reps) to gain strength
High and low rep range activate different growth pathways in your body
Vary your reps every couple of weeks or months
Do not get fixated on one best rep range

And that is the answer to what is the best rep range to build muscle faster. To learn more about it, click on the video below and hear the explanation from Max Posternak himself.