The Perfect Plan
The trick isn’t in alternating between different rep ranges on every workout, though. You need to spend adequate periods of time in both the lower rep and higher rep ranges in order to reap the benefits we’ve discussed above. Some guys who recognize the importance of training in different rep ranges think it’s a great idea to cram all possible variations in their weekly routine. They end up with routines that include 3 sets of 10 reps on Mondays, 5 sets of 5 reps on Wednesdays and perhaps 10 sets of 3 reps on Fridays. With a program like this, you’d think that you will be able to get the most bang for your buck and pretty much outsmart everyone else in the gym.
However, the fact is that your muscles will be receiving a lot of mixed messages and your body will end up being a bit more confused than we want it to be, which will decrease the effectiveness of the regime.
Instead of doing this, you need to structure your workout in a way that emphasizes different types of training stimuli for prolonged periods of time so that you can really use the potential of each rep range to the maximum. In other words, you need to spend sufficient time on both ends of the neural-metabolic continuum and explore them one at a time.
For example, have at least 6 weeks of 8-12 reps per set followed by 6 weeks of 4-8 reps per set, and so on. On rare occasions, depending on your choice of exercises and goals, you can also work in the 15-20 and 1-5 rep ranges. The point is that if you manage to constantly coerce your body to struggle and adapt, you will constantly grow and improve.
The next step would be to alternate the level of intensity over the course of the training cycle. If you think it’s a great idea to go for maximum intensity every time you visit the gym, think twice. Training like this will only lead to a devastating burn-out and perhaps a few nasty injuries.
Instead, strive to create a well-balanced mix of high-intensity and low-intensity training days. It’s true that alternating between higher and lower rep ranges will already create fluctuations in intensity, but that’s not quite enough for achieving the goal of maximum gains in the shortest period of time possible, which is what we’re talking about here.
That being said, here’s an example of a smart way to structure your workout:
- Week 1: 4 sets of 5 reps at 70% of your 1RM
- Week 2: 5 sets of 5 reps at 80% of your 1RM
- Week 3: 4 sets of 3 reps at 75% of your 1RM
- Week 4: 3 sets of 5 reps at 85% of your 1RM
Here’s another, simpler one that will work just as great:
- Week 1: 3 sets of 10 reps at 70% of your 1RM
- Week 2: 3 sets of 8-10 reps at 75% of your 1RM
- Week 3: 3 sets of 8 reps at 80% of your 1RM
- Week 4: 2 sets of 8 reps at 70-75% of your 1RM
This way you can create a cycle of periods of training with higher intensity, where you will push your body beyond its limits, and periods of training with lower intensity and lower volume which allow your body to recover and super-compensate (the point when growth and strength gains actually happen). In the long run, this works infinitely better than going as hard and heavy as possible every single week.
Final thoughts
Here’s a simple truth: the process of muscle building depends on many factors which are interconnected to different degrees. Here’s another simple truth: muscles need to be forced to grow because they naturally tend to adapt to the training stimulus they’re being presented with, so sticking to only one way of doing things tends to slow down progress.
Based on this, by making sure you vary as many training elements as possible at adequate time intervals (the golden rule is every 4-6 weeks), you can incorporate both ends of the neural-metabolic continuum and train as many different muscle fibers as possible, which will lead to better results than you can imagine. Not only that, but you’ll also decrease your chances of injury, as well as your chances of getting bored with the same old training pattern and losing the motivation to meet your long-term goals.
There you have it, now it’s finally time to pound some iron. Good luck and keep it tight!
