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Monday, December 7, 2009

Build Muscle Fast: The Secret to Knowing How Many Reps to Do

By Klint Newton

How Many Reps Should I Do? Many people ask this question, and there are as many answers to this question as there are people asking it. One expert will tell you one rep scheme will produce mass gains, and that no other scheme will work. The next expert will tell you that you need to do a completely different amount of reps to gain mass, and that any other amount of reps will not produce favorable results.

With so many ideas how do you know what's right? I'll give you the scientific facts, and you can decide for yourself.

Different rep schemes concentrate on different parts within the muscle structure, and different muscle types. To keep it simple, let's say there are basically two different types of muscle fibers, fast and slow twitch. We will also say there are three different types of rep schemes.

1. Low reps (3-5), very heavy weight (88-93% of 1RM)

2. Medium reps (6-8), moderate weight (84-88% or 1RM)

3. Many Reps (15-25), light weight (60-70% of 1RM)

The low rep, high weight rep scheme is for building strength but not muscle mass. Normally a muscle has to be engaged in 36 seconds of continuous tension to spark the muscle growing mechanism. These reps should be done repeatedly and explosively through the entire range of motion, focusing on maintaining form.

The next program is best for building mass along with strength. The weight should be lifted slightly slower than the first example, lowering the weight in four seconds and lifting in two, which passes the 36 second test. If you are using between 84 and 88 percent of your 1 rep max you will be stimulating muscle growth for fast twitch fibers.

The last example uses slow twitch fibers, it will increase endurance and aerobic fitness and is much easier to recover from. The reason for an increase in endurance is because of a lactic acid build up in your muscles, which usually fatigues your cardiovascular system before your working muscles.

What's best? It depends on what you want. There are two types of muscle fiber, Type I and Type II. They are also referred to as Slow Twitch and Fast Twitch. These muscle fibers usually are found in the bigger muscles like the pecs, biceps, and quads and are made for quick power. Most people focus all of their attention on the fast twitch muscles, as they have more potential for growth than slow twitch fibers. Just remember, your body adapts to your workouts in two to four weeks, so you need to change your rep scheme every few weeks to keep introducing new stimuli to your body. Also, changing up your workouts will eliminate any change of a plateau. Also, be sure to use proper form, and when you can't lift the weight for one more rep, the set is over.

One of the fundamentals for muscle building success is to have a plan from the start with different rep schemes so that you will be targeting fast and slow twitch muscles how and when you should be. - 17268

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