How Many Reps to Build Muscle? The Ultimate Science Overview (50+ Studies)

This is the Ultimate Science Overview of the optimal repetition range to build muscle! In this video, you'll find the results of more than 50 studies on the topic along with my critical thoughts on these results and the way you can benefit from them in practice. You'll also find a presentation of the 9 most important factors that affect the rep range that you as an individual should work on and an example of how to use them in practice.
I hope you enjoy the video!
bit.ly/3SIwH4o
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Contents of the video:
00:00 - Intro
00:42 - How Do Reps Relate To Load?
01:58 - Science of 40+ Reps
04:30 - Science Of 25-35 Reps
11:13 - Science Of 1-5 Reps
17:54 - 6-20 Reps
18:40 - The 9 Factors Tha Determine The Optimal Rep Range For You
23:17 - Example: How To Use The 9 Factors To Build Your Program
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References:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22518...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27433...
www.researchgate.net/publicat...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25177...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27042...
www.researchgate.net/publicat...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24714...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12436...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32304...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27928...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26272...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28463...
www.researchgate.net/publicat...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28965...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27187...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25051...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9134916/
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28006...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28006...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28834...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30386...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29564...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31486...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28532...

[@johnnyk7132]

Amazing video as always, the amount of research you do is crazy.

[@YiannisChristoulas]

Thanks Johnny I appreciate it 😁

[@AndreasKurz]

You are seriously one of the most in-depth, profound and thorough youtubers I know. That is not correct: You are THE most in-depth, profound and thorough youtubers I know.

[@YiannisChristoulas]

Thank you Andrea! I really I appreciate your support 🙏 comments like this keep me going 💪

[@pqsnet]

Again. Great breakdown, great pedagogy, explanatory and researched! High rep workout should be done in combination with low rep workouts 1c or 2c a month. The reason is that low reprs give you 1. Endurance training. 2. Strenghtening the Neural response (better control, micro motoric in muscles). which in turn will give you greater control when lifting heavy weights.

[@pqsnet]

Also. Low reps at 3-6 can be combined in the same logic as high reps. With the similar results but the opposite, meaning, you will gain strenght rather than endurance and growth. Strenght is also good for control, especially in the initiation of an exercise. It gives control, good form and makes sure every fiber is triggered so as much of your muscle is engaged when working out at 10-15 reps. And just like the high rep logic, you do this 1c or 2c a month, or you could do it 1c as a last single set for each exercise.

[@huhyou4271]

I got a bit confused with all the studies and comparisons. However, the presentation of the factors at the end was REALLY insightful!

[@gonkula]

What I love about the 9 factors model is that you included one very important but often overlooked factor - prior injuries. Most people offer advice based on "perfect realities" or "textbook form", while most people may be slightly off or unsuitable for their mobility/length reality. Furthermore, the amount of complex data, condensed into great visualisations and clear explanations, is bound to make your channel grow! Well done, coach Yiannis!

[@YiannisChristoulas]

Thank you Gonçalo I really appreciate this comment! I do my best for this channel

[@la812]

Just WOW! What a CONTENT what a PRESENTATION! 👏 This kept me on my toes... Such a great quality Yiannis... Your videos are precious! What a way to refer to so many studies!! You may be the only one that has tackled all the aspects of these papers and even more brought them to actual real-life scenarios! Bravo! I am definitely keeping this as reference and will revisit. Thanks and hope you will keep up the good work! 🙏 👍

[@YiannisChristoulas]

Thanks friend! I appreciate it a lot!

[@vladimirjaskovitch5161]

Fantastic video man, appreciate it as always!

[@YiannisChristoulas]

Thank you Vladimir!

[@pyronix]

thank you for this. you are such an excellent communicator. you are literally answering all of the questions i have in fitness in your videos and i really really appreciate the amount of research and citations you put in these videos, as well as the level of scientific rigor you put in surveying all of these studies.

[@Shizo_san]

Another awesome video, appreciate it 🥰

[@YiannisChristoulas]

Thank you friend 🙏😁

[@hsscha]

always blown away by your content, absolutely fantastic!

[@YiannisChristoulas]

😁 thank you my friend I appreciate it a lot!

[@camiyo]

Very good video ! Thank you

[@YiannisChristoulas]

Thank you Camille 😁

[@kirilkamenov7927]

Brilliant video!

[@YiannisChristoulas]

Thank you 🙏

[@SGameDesigner]

Awesome content! But it looks like the video is cut short. Anyway, thank for sharing all this useful information

[@YiannisChristoulas]

Thanks you Mattia! I had some difficulties on this one

[@owais146]

Awesome Thanks Sir

[@YiannisChristoulas]

😁

[@okdokie278]

Could you also please do a video comparing Dynamic Stretching with Static Stretching for ROM gains? Thank you so much for the work that you're doing, honestly this is one of the BEST new fitness channels because of the quality of the science in your vids!

[@YiannisChristoulas]

Hi friend! Thanks a lot I appreciate it! Unfortunately there is nothing much to compare on dynamic vs static. All the research shows that static stretching is superior for increasing flexibility.

[@clockwork5889]

I thought this video has like 300 000 - 400 000 views and its just 3600 ?! You my man deserve so much more subscribers. The quality of the information in this video is super good. And easily digestible! I´m a physiotherapist in training, and will definitely share this with the class. Huge probs!

[@YiannisChristoulas]

Hahaha I wish it had! Thanks for the support and your kind words. I appreciate it a lot l 💪

[@QH96]

@@YiannisChristoulas You deserve a lot more views. The quality of the video was fantastic. Just subscribed.

[@YiannisChristoulas]

@@QH96 Thanks for the support! Commnets like this keep me going 💪

[@victorsaude1818]

Extremely well spoken

[@YiannisChristoulas]

Thanks Victor!

[@hcv66666]

I'm doing 8~25 rep ranges from now on because I don't want to be dizzy... neither do I want to vomit... nor do I want to get injured or have joint pain

[@Doing_Time]

interesting, all these new studies and the conclusions are almost exactly what my professors told me in the mid 1990s...

[@alexanderandro1895]

Content quality is 100%

[@YiannisChristoulas]

🙏

[@cydu]

Can you do a video about rep range and sets/time between sets to increase strength and explosiveness without gaining mass. (Since I'm a martial artist and I fight in weight category I want to gain strength and explosiveness without putting unnecessary mass) thanks Edit: if it's not much trouble could you also do rep range and set for polymetric exercise for explosiveness without putting mass. Massive thanks

[@strengthstrength3043]

Sir, how can I increase achilles tendon stiffness

[@arihaviv8510]

More discomfort + more time in the gym means you are much more likely to give up before pushing for the last few reps that make the muscle difference

[@jrg305]

The one thing I didn't think was covered in this video is the benefit of hypertrophy. Why is this a goal? Endurance and max strength are more useful athletic abilities and improve sport performance. Hypertrophy is good for some people's beauty standards, I guess? And when that is the case, many of those with that goal take drugs to enhance that look, drugs that are not studied in the long term on health. You can have the most well done natural program and not be close to someone on drugs who knows a little. Very well done video as usual though. I could not have done better and always learn. I guess I never focused on hypertrophy. But I've played 8 different sports.

[@vijayendranvijay457]

Yes, I had the same concern. Aiming for hypertrophy would probably also increase weight which will weigh down the athlete, reducing speed and stamina. Would it not be best to increase athletic performance while keeping the same weight or even reducing it?

[@dwater18]

It's not only for the looks. For example for certain gymnast movements, you need the muscle mass to be able to perform them, like a handstand pushup or certain lever movements.

[@vijayendranvijay457]

Concerning discomfort with high reps, what if you play a sport where you need to do a lot of high reps of certain movements? If you do not get used to it in training, would you not just tire out quickly and be outlasted by opponents?

[@YiannisChristoulas]

If your concern is to get better on a sport then this is a different goal of the one of hypertrophy. In this video I discuss the concept of high reps in relation to hypertrophy training. High reps for endurance or strength endurance sports is a completely different concept

[@aninalabudda9423]

What should i do if i want strength but Not necessary hypertrophy?

[@YiannisChristoulas]

The science of strength training videos are on their way. I’ll be making many videos on that

[@monkeypunch8781]

I wonder why you haven't mentioned "time under tension"?

[@YiannisChristoulas]

Because it’s a different training variable like the sets, rest, frequency etc

[@monkeypunch8781]

@@YiannisChristoulas Yeah, but I understand time under tension as a different measurement of sets x reps. As a fictional example: 15 reps are 1 minute time under tension. So you have to look at your tut for efficient hypertrophy, not reps and rep ranges.

[@YiannisChristoulas]

@@monkeypunch8781 15 reps can be 30” with 1010 tempo, 45” with 2010 or 75” with 3020. We can make it as complicated as you want. However in science we exclude most parameters to isolate the variables that we want to examine and get clear results. So a normal tempo is used in most studies. A normal repetition tempo is 1010. Tempo, sets, rest intervals, training frequency, recovery, diet, sleep and many other factors affect hypertrophy gains. However this doesn’t mean that we should mention each combination of the aforementioned components in a video that is specifically for rep ranges.

[@railynalmonte3460]

Thank for this, I haven’t watched it yet but I’m early so hi!

[@YiannisChristoulas]

Lol Thanks a lot!

[@railynalmonte3460]

@@YiannisChristoulas I watched it and as I expected I loved it. The Information is always inspiring to me and you make it easy to consume all of that info in one pleasant sitting! Keep doing you!

[@YiannisChristoulas]

@@railynalmonte3460 Thanks for the support! I appreciate it a lot!

[@TheSchneeeewitttchen]

Hmmm… as a Woman i have to think about the sense of push ups and sit ups then… I find them hard, because lifting up my own body weight ist nothing I can do about a hundred times. At least not with push ups… same goes for pull ups… if I can only do max. 15 reps, than I think this will be only 30% or something and will lead to nothing? How disappointing would that be 😢

[@YiannisChristoulas]

No no it does work that way I think you should see the video one more time. Something you can do around 15 reps is more close to your 60%. Btw 15 reps pull-ups are pretty impressive for a woman. Not the best exercise for hypertrophy though

[@TheSchneeeewitttchen]

@@YiannisChristoulas thank you 🙏 will there be a video designated for shoulders/Bizeps/trizeps when it comes to the right choice of excercises for hypertrophy?

[@YiannisChristoulas]

@@TheSchneeeewitttchen I’ll probably do such videos in the future yes

[@loot6]

If you're using much more energy doing a higher rep range then you're also bound to get more fat loss.

[@fredvomjupiter8849]

Nothing more important than to build up muscles these days............................ayyyyiiieee.........................................................