Let's start this article with the basics. We have two different kinds of muscle fibers in our body. One is called slow twitch, and the other is called fast twitch. We use slow twitch fibers in cardiovascular workouts such as long distance runs and long swims. These fibers are used in aerobic exercise, meaning exercise with oxygen. These slow twitch fibers fatigue very slowly but do not have much power output, which is why long distance runners tend to have very skinny builds. Fast twitch fibers, on the contrary, are used for power exercises. The power sprints, power lifts, jumping, etc. all use fast twitch muscle. These fibers are used in exercise called anaerobic exercise, meaning exercise without oxygen. Oxygen is not needed nor used for these types of exercises. These fibers are not fatigue resistant and tire quickly, but have a very high power output. The ratio of fast twitch to slow twitch muscle fibers that each individual has is highly genetic. By exercising you can maximize your genetic potential, but every person has a different ratio of muscle fibers. Olympic sprinters, for example, may have about 80% fast twitch fibers and only 20% slow twitch fibers, while marathon runners are most likely the opposite. Most NBA and NFL athletes are in the higher percentage of fast twitch muscle fibers as these muscle fibers are what allow people to jump higher, run faster, and be quicker.
When lifting, different rep schemes have different effects on the muscle. Listed below are the main rep schemes and their effects. The repetition schemes listed are for slow and controlled repetitions.
3-5 reps:
When doing sets in the rep range of 3-5 reps, you will gain the most strength gains. In this rep range, the size of the muscle won't get bigger, but it will get denser. The reason that the muscle doesn't enlarge is because it doesn't reach muscle hypertrophy, which is when the muscle gains size. The strength gains are caused by neurological factors that allow the muscle to recruit more muscle fibers. This just means that the strength gains come from nervous system adaptations. From an aesthetic standpoint, this rep range causes the muscle to be more "solid." If you ever see bodybuilders that look huge, but just kind of squishy, it is because their muscles aren't very dense. Let me explain what I mean by dense. If you were to cut a muscle in half, you would see a bunch of little muscle fibers making up the one muscle. When training in the 1-6 rep range, the effect on the muscle is one that causes the muscle fibers to be really dense and compact. In summary, this phase, called the strength phase, will not cause the muscle to get bigger, but will cause the muscle to gain a lot of strength. This explains why olympic power lifters can have great strength, but not look as strong as they are. This phase is very good for athletes who want to get stronger, but not gain a lot of size.
8-12 reps:
In this phase of training, muscular hypertrophy is most effectively reached. Muscle hypertrophy is the increase in diameter of existing muscle cells. In addition, the muscles' blood supply and the number of mitochondria (energy-producing organelles) is increased during muscle hypertrophy. If your goal is to look "bigger," then muscle hypertrophy should be the focus of your workouts. This phase is not great for strength gains, though, and lifters who lift in this phase for long periods of time, often appear stronger than they really are. Most bodybuilders train in this rep range so that they get that large appearance. Although you get bigger and stronger in this rep range, strength gains are not maximal. This explains why many lifters look a lot stronger than they are.
12-20 reps:
This rep range is great for muscular endurance. It also causes a very small degree of muscular hypertrophy, but adds very little strength. Therefore, in this phase, not much muscle size is gained and very little strength is achieved. This phase is great for general conditioning and can really get the heart rate up. With good muscular endurance, your muscles will be able to withstand longer, more intense workouts. Many bodybuilders follow this range during the pre-contest phase of training as it burns slightly more calories, preserves muscle size and strength, and reduces the risk of injury.
These rep ranges are fairly basic and if we were to go more in-depth, these phases could be broken down even further. For the most part, though, these rep ranges are all that are needed to know to reach a specific goal. I personally believe that all three of these repetition schemes should be used in a workout routine. If your goal is to get bigger in size, for example, I would recommend doing more of the muscle hypertrophy phase, but I would still do strength workouts and endurance workouts as well. I believe balance is key with everything and that everything should be done in moderation.
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