Is 8 or 12 reps better for muscle growth?

Author: Marion Gottlieb  |  Last update: Thursday, January 15, 2026

A moderate repetition scheme with moderate loads (from 8 to 12 repetitions per set with 60% to 80% of 1RM) optimizes hypertrophic gains. A high repetition scheme with light loads (15+ repetitions per set with loads below 60% of 1RM) optimizes local muscular endurance improvements.

Is it better to do 8 reps or 12 reps?

It turns out that 8-12 reps is actually good advice. It sits in the Goldilocks Zone of reps and loading, it's time efficient in that it can maximize the number of tough reps per set, it's energy efficient in that it doesn't require too many reps to stimulate hypertrophy, or involve loads that are unnecessarily heavy.

What rep range is best for muscle growth?

The optimal rep range for maximum muscle growth, often referred to as hypertrophy, typically falls between 6 to 12 repetitions per set. This range allows for a balance between mechanical tension, muscle damage, and metabolic stress, all of which are key factors in promoting muscle growth.

Is 12 sets enough for muscle growth?

Weekly set volume positively correlates with muscle growth. However, there are diminishing returns beyond approximately 12-20 sets per muscle group per week. The most effective range for muscle growth is noted to be around 5-10 sets per week per muscle group.

Is 8 sets good for muscle growth?

Subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMW Science can be quite confusing when it comes to answering this dilemma. The general consensus is somewhere between 8 and 32 sets per week for a given muscle group (like the chest muscles) is what is required to create gains in muscle size and strength.

High vs Low Reps (Science-Based)

Is 8 sets too much for biceps?

4 to 8 sets per muscle per week is now your minimum. If that's what you were doing as a beginner, you'll want to aim for 8 to 15 sets per muscle per week. At this point, your weekly volume will be much more manageable if you train three to five days a week, working each muscle at least twice.

What is the best volume for muscle growth?

A volume of about 10 to 20 sets per muscle per week is generally recommended for building muscle. Advanced lifters might need to do even more sets to maximise muscle growth, possibly toward the higher end of this range. Experimentation is necessary to find out what works best for each individual.

What is the best number of sets for muscle growth?

If you want to absolutely maximise muscle growth: 30-40 sets would deliver the best results, but it's important to note that above this point isn't for everyone. 10-20 sets would be a more realistic goal.

Do high reps build muscle?

Strength-training workouts that employ low weights and high reps are good for your heart and lungs as well as building muscles. This includes high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts, which entail alternating between pushing your body hard and taking short breaks.

Is 4 sets of 12 reps too much?

If your aim is hypertrophy (to build muscle), the sweet spot is 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps.

Is it better to lift heavy or high reps?

Working with higher reps and lighter weights or lower reps with heavier weights will affect your body differently. According to the strength-endurance continuum, low rep counts are best for building muscular strength, moderate rep counts for building muscle mass, and high rep counts for building endurance.

What is the 10 3 1 7 fitness plan?

The “10-3-1-7” Fitness Plan: 10,000 steps/day to stay active. 3 strength workouts/week to build and maintain muscle. 1 hour of a fun activity/week for pure joy. 7 hours sleep/night for recovery.

What is the best rep time for muscle growth?

As long as a total rep duration of two to eight seconds is maintained, muscle growth is more likely to occur – so there's no need to sweat it over exact tempo durations for muscle growth. What's most important is that you adjust it to suit your needs and goals.

Is 4x8 good for muscle growth?

Recent studies have shown that while 4x8 workouts are effective for inducing muscle growth, they are not the best way to do so. The key to maximizing muscle growth is to overload the muscles with heavier weights and volumes.

Does 12 to 15 reps build muscle?

Medium numbers, like six to 12, are said to be for building muscle size. If you're a woman and want to “tone,” you may be told that eight to 12, or maybe 10 to 15, will give you definition while keeping your muscles from growing too much. A rep range of 15 or more is usually held to be for muscular endurance.

Is 3 sets of 8 enough squats?

You can still build muscle with 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps — provided you train close to failure and progressively overload. But it isn't the most optimal, instead: Choose your rep range based on the exercise — the larger and more the muscles involved, the lesser the reps. Even then, don't venture below 3 reps or above 30.

Should I lift heavy or light to gain muscle?

They sometimes think they can't train hard anymore, but if they just go lighter and do more reps, they can build muscle too.” Bottom line: “It's the effort you put in that matters most,” Hyson says. “Lifting heavier builds more strength, but lifting to failure with any weight can build bigger, more aesthetic muscles.”

Do high reps make you leaner?

If you are looking to increase your muscular endurance you should be lifting lighter weights for more reps (12+) (Baechle & Earle, 2019). If you are looking to lose fat, then you are looking to lift light to mid weight for higher reps (10-15) (Tuminello, 2014).

Is 3 sets of 10 enough to build muscle?

Your rep range doesn't matter nearly as much as you think, so don't overthunk it! Here are some examples: If you're trying to build muscle and get bigger, doing sets of 3 or sets of 5 or sets of 10 will ALL help you get bigger, if you're eating enough to get bigger!

What builds the most muscle mass?

Resistance training promotes muscle growth. Examples of resistance training include the use of free weights, weight machines, your own body weight or resistance bands. Suggestions include: Train just two or three times per week to give your muscles time to recover.

Is 8 reps better than 12 reps?

Based on the decades of research on strength training, it appears that using light weight and high reps (reps of 12 or more) is best for boosting muscle endurance, while using moderate weight for moderate reps (reps in the 8-12 range) appears to better boost muscle size, and using heavy weight for low reps (reps of 3-7 ...

What range of reps is best for muscle growth?

The mid-range of the repetition continuum (from 8 to 12 repetitions) is commonly referred to as the “hypertrophy zone” [33], reflecting the belief that such a loading scheme is ideal for building muscle (see Figure 1).

How long to rest between sets?

Rest between set durations should be based on sets/exercise (volume), and not load or training goal. General recommendations include moderate (2 min) rest between sets if performing 2 sets/exercise, long rest (3 min) if performing 3 sets/exercise, and very long rest (> 4 min) if performing 4 sets or more/exercise.

Is too much volume bad for muscle growth?

One study says higher training frequencies improve muscle growth, the next says they don't. One study suggests the optimal training volume is as high as 45 sets, the next says doing more than 10 sets is counterproductive and reduces your gains.

What is most optimal for muscle growth?

Compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, presses, and pull-ups will help you gain muscle more efficiently and increase your strength. You'll also maximize your time in the gym by working several muscles at a time. Make compound exercises the core of your workout, and add some isolation training when you can.

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