Behind the Whiteboard: Rep Ranges

Think about reps existing on a spectrum. On the far left side is a single rep and on the far right side is say, 50 reps. One of the aspects of our training that is quite unique is how much of the spectrum of reps we like to utilize. The reason is because each spot on the spectrum represents a different physiological outcome that we can take advantage of. After all, we are Performance360. Three hundred and sixty degrees of performance. Best to not ever forget that.

Today, we’ll shed a little bit of light on what each rep range typically means and its purpose for being on the whiteboard.

1-3 Reps: Absolute Strength
We are training our highest output of strength. Load should always be as heavy as you can safely lift it while not compromising your technique. It does no good at all to underachieve in this rep range.

4-5 Reps: Relative Strength
Still heavily biased towards strength, but as we get up to five reps we begin to see a bit more of a muscle building effect and we are no longer exclusively focused on our nervous system-based strength output. The goal here is still to challenge the load, but you should not be hitting failure on these sets.

6-8: Dense Muscle Growth 
Load becomes a little bit lighter in these rep ranges but it still challenging. This rep range is kind of that spot smack dab in the middle of the Venn Diagram of strength, muscle, and endurance and it’s why we offer it so damn often on our STRENGTH days. Muscle built in this range tense be more dense.

10-12: Muscle Growth & Endurance
In a strength-based tier, as we creep up towards ten reps we transition almost exclusively to a muscle growth and muscle endurance training protocol. Friday BUILD days often center around these rep counts as the goal becomes one of new muscle development, not strength building. Muscle built in this range tends to be more full.

10-12: In a conditioning tier, load should always be relatively challenging but we want to be able to complete the reps in an unbroken set, every time. For example, if a conditioning tier calls for ten barbell rows then we complete the ten without setting the bar down.

12 – 25: Muscle Endurance
Everything past ten becomes exclusively about muscle. In some circumstances it’s about growth at more challenging weight and in others it’s about endurance at more moderate and sustainable weight. Either way, the goal of your load in these rep ranges should never be focused around as much as you can lift and always about challenging yourself at a pace that keeps you moving.

25+: Overload
Days where we might include overload sets include our ‘Giants‘ format and select ‘First, Then‘ formats. In these rep ranges, we are trying to overload the working muscles and deprive them of recovery to force adaptation (growth and endurance improvement). Load in these rep ranges should always be moderate and sustainable, as the goal is typically to complete the prescribed amount of work in as little of time as possible. It can be a delicate dance between “too much weight that defeats the purpose” and “not enough weight and completed too quickly.” But that’s why we have Coaches, right?

These are broad strokes to help a better understanding of the general nature of our program design. Exceptions exist but aren’t worth getting hung up when the above is about 90% accurate.

Enjoy them all and don’t cherry pick.