Key takeaways:
- Any rep range can build muscle equally well if sets are taken close to muscular failure.
- Muscles are made up of fibers that grow when exposed to sufficient tension.
- For low reps, all fibers are activated at once due to the high force required.
- For high reps, different fibers are progressively recruited as others fatigue to sustain the set.
# Muscle Fiber Recruitment
Our bodies adjust the amount of strength we use for a movement by adjusting how many of these fibers we turn on at a given time.
- Muscle fibers can only contract fully or not at all, not partially
- For high force movements, more fibers are activated simultaneously
- For lower force movements, different fibers are gradually recruited as others fatigue
# Low vs High Reps
# Low Reps
- Activate all fibers at once due to high force requirements
- More taxing on joints and recovery ability
- Don't improve conditioning as much
# High Reps
- Don't use all fibers initially, but will recruit them as set progresses
- Less joint stress and easier recovery
- Better for improving conditioning
# Key Point
By the time we get close to failure we've basically recruited and trained all of the fibers that we have available and gets us the same growth response.
As long as sets are taken close to muscular failure, both low and high rep ranges can maximally fatigue all muscle fibers and trigger growth equally well.
# Other Benefits
- Reps not taken to failure still provide benefits:
- Recovery sessions
- Building work capacity
- Technique practice
- Connective tissue health
- Preparing for higher frequency
In summary, the key driver of muscle growth per set is the proximity to muscular failure, not the specific rep range used. Both low and high reps can build muscle optimally when taken close to failure.
Summary for: Youtube