Training Misconceptions (Part 1)
Misconception 1 - “There is a specific repetition range I should stick to in order to reach my training goal.”
Repetition ranges serve as helpful guidelines, but the most important indicator of an effective strength workout is related to muscle fatigue.
Goal: muscle definition - Having well defined muscles the goal for a lot of people. If you want to increase muscular definition, you should aim to completely fatigue the working muscles. At the end of a set, you should feel like it wouldn’t be possible to perform another rep with good form. True fatigue (not mental, but physical) is a good sign that you’ve successfully recruited all the muscle fibers you intended to target. For muscle definition, the repetition range varies quite a bit. A good place to start for most exercises is somewhere between 8 and 15 reps. You don’t want to make the mistake of going too light here. I’d say a weight that allows you to do 20+ reps in a set is not heavy enough, although there are some exceptions. More important than repetitions per set is the time under tension (TUT), or the length of time a muscle is contracting against an external resistance. This means more intentional repetitions where you really focus on proper muscle contraction, continuous movement, and engagement.
Goal: power - if your goal is to train for power (meaning producing a ton of explosive force per rep), your focus should be primarily on the quality of, and power behind, the exercise performed. These moves are complex and often high impact (think snatches, jerks, etc.) so you should not aim to feel completely fatigued after a set. If you’re completely fatigued, your muscles will not be producing the maximal amount of force (that’s the goal) and you’ll be more likely to injure yourself. Focus on the quality and power behind each repetition and limit yourself to short sets of 2-5 reps. I’d suggest 5 rep weights at the beginning. Hold off on 1-2 rep weights until you’re super confident in your form.
Goal: strength - if your goal is to increase muscular strength (this usually goes along with increasing mass), you should feel fatigued at the end of your set. In contrast to definition related goals where time under tension and fatigue are your main guidelines, a heavy weight is essential for strength programs. This means the standard rep range is a little less flexible. You should choose a weight that fatigues muscles after about 3-6 reps.
How can one achieve fatigue? How do you tell when we have adequately fatigued a set of muscles?
Level of fatigue is really important no matter what your training style and goals. The problem is that it’s got a lot to do your own perceived exertion - are you really fatigued or just mentally tired? There are a lot of grey areas, so people often base everything on set repetitions per set. Here are a few ways you can program to reach fatigue (if that’s your goal, which it is for most of my clients).
Proper form - maybe you feel like it would take a really long time to be so fatigued that you literally can’t lift a weight. You don’t have to reach that level. If you can’t complete a rep with perfect form (maybe you’re swinging, over engaging shoulders, etc), you’ve adequately fatigued the set of muscles you aimed to engage.
Experiment with new set patterns that cause fatigue - drop sets and supersets are great examples of ways to challenge your muscles to spend more time under tension. Plus, with fewer rest breaks, your workout will be more efficient and done in less time.
Limit rest breaks - if your goal is general wellbeing, muscle definition or endurance, you don’t need long rest breaks. Generally 30-60 seconds after a complete set or superset is adequate. Set a timer and get into your next set quickly. If your goal is strength and mass, you need longer breaks. Still - set a timer! 1-2 minutes is usually enough.
Split your workouts up to focus on specific muscle groups - if you’re able to commit 2-3 or more days to strength training per week, a muscle split will help you to fatigue a group of muscles during every workout. If you’re only getting in 1-2x, a full body workout may still work best for you.
Unless you’re super new to exercise, you don’t have time to completely fatigue every muscle in your body during the time you spend in the gym for a workout. If you do, you’re spending hours there - that’s not necessary, plus the quality of the movements would probably really be suffering by the end. Using a muscle split program will help you achieve increased strength and definition. You can devote more days to areas that you find more difficult to develop. Below are some examples.
Two day split: upper/lower
Three day split: chest/back/legs
Four day split: chest/back/hamstrings and glutes/general lower body
References:
https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/blog/5867/how-many-reps-should-you-be-doing
https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/expert-articles/5661/7-techniques-for-promoting-muscle-growth