If you're looking to build muscle quickly, whether you've been training for years or are just starting out, then doing slower reps is the way to go. Workouts with slower reps cause your muscles to experience more time under tension, much more than with faster reps.
Slow down your reps. The time your muscles spend under tension matters. That's where progress happens. Whether you're trying to build muscle mass, endurance or strength, you have to load muscles over time to induce a training effect.
But how fast should you go and what's the ideal rep speed? Based on Schoenfeld's meta-analysis, between 2 seconds to 6 seconds per rep seems optimal for muscle growth.” “But closer to 2 seconds (faster reps) seem to be slightly more beneficial.
If your fitness goals involve max strength and power, then using a faster tempo may be more beneficial. For example, if you're training to improve your vertical jump, you need to be able to not only generate a lot of force, but do so quickly. Fast reps are going to be the best way to do that.
Basically, there's minimal or no resting time during the set. Pros of doing it fast: “Fast repetitions can help you gain strength and build muscle endurance,” says Khemani. Akshar is quick to add, “Weight training at a faster pace involves a greater overall muscle engagement and build muscle endurance.”
Lifting heavy weights with low reps won't help you lose much weight, but it will help you maintain hard-earned muscle while losing fat. High reps (12 or more reps per set) build muscular endurance but don't really build strength.
They found that based on all of the studies currently published on lifting tempo (which to be honest is quite limited) a lifting tempo between 2 to 6 seconds per rep seems to maximize growth.
The lowering of the weight, slowly or just under control, causes muscle trauma, which in turn leads to the birth or recruitment of nascent muscle cells known as satellite cells. Bring enough of them on line, and you've reconstructed your muscles to be bigger and badder.
Workouts with slower reps cause your muscles to experience more time under tension, much more than with faster reps. The amount of time your muscles stay strained beneath a certain amount of weight will lead to an increase in muscle size.
Low repetitions with heavy weight increases strength, whereas high repetitions with light weight increases endurance. According to the concept, as repetitions increase there is a gradual transition from strength to endurance. Below is a commonly used graph of the strength continuum.
Training at a fast rep speed increases the pace at which your muscles can move a given weight. The faster you can move a given weight, the more power you have. Power is important for overall muscle strength because it helps you accelerate a weight, so increasing power will successfully increase your strength.
Most people have a very high proportion of slow twitch fibers in their calves, so they're going to be particularly difficult to grow.
It's true that slow-twitch fibers don't grow as much as fast-twitch fibers, but they can still grow enough to make a significant difference in your physique. For example, researchers from Ohio State University found that both fast- and slow-twitch muscle fibers grew significantly after 20 weeks of strength training.
Reps for muscle growth
In order to get bigger and stronger, you must ensure your muscles work harder than they are used to. Generally, between 6-12 reps for 3-6 sets will help to build overall muscle size.
If the goal is to develop hypertrophy (muscle growth), then research suggests that one should stick to a cadence of one to two seconds on the concentric (lifting) phase and three to four seconds on the eccentric (lowering) phase.
Creatine and protein supplements are likely the most effective choices for muscle gain, but other supplements may be beneficial for certain people.
Generally, exercises with higher reps are used to improve muscular endurance, while higher weights with fewer reps are used to increase muscle size and strength.
Lifting for pure strength is best partnered with heavy weights. "If you're trying for strength, or your max force output, the heavier the weight, the more strength gains you'll have, along with size gains," Tuminello says. It's also super time efficient.
In general: For fat loss: One to 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps using enough weight that you can only complete the desired reps. To gain muscle: Three or more sets of 6 to 8 reps to fatigue. For beginners, give yourself several weeks of conditioning before going to this level.
Resistance training with slow speed of movement is better for hypertrophy and muscle strength gains than fast speed of movement. International Journal of Applied Exercise Physiology.
A loaded barbell isn't the only path to building muscle. According to a new study published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, you don't have to lift super heavy in order to boost strength and gain muscle. As long as you go to failure, it doesn't matter how much weight you lift.
Glute Muscles
Perhaps the most neglected muscle group in the body, the Glutes are also one of the most important muscle groups for proper biomechanics and optimal sports performance. They're also connected to your spine, so weak Glutes muscles can lead to back pain and injury.