Workout of The Week #93

Rep Ranges

If you didn’t already know, how you train matters. I had a discussion a couple weeks ago with a client that was missing 1-2 workouts per week. He said because he was boxing that he was working out. Your training week is designed with the intention of you completing every single workout, not just the ones you choose to do. Each exercise, tempo, rep range, and rest period has a purpose.

I attached a chart below that lays out rep range zones and their function. The higher the reps, the more metabolic the stimulus will be. Conversely, less reps will ellicit a more neurological stimulus. Low reps doesn’t always mean heavy either. Plyometrics for example may only be 1 to 3 reps but unloaded. Velocity however is high to maintain output.

Before somebody gets their panties in a bunch I want to point out that this chart is more of a spectrum. You CAN get stronger doing sets of 20, and you CAN get better endurance doing sets of 2. You CAN also get hypertrophy from sets of 20 or sets of 1. However, the above scenarios are not optimal and usually the benefit will be indirect. An example would be getting stronger and raising your 1 rep max by 50 pounds improves your endurance since now what you could do for sets of 10 before feels light.

These rep ranges are also for your primary movement (A Series). What you do for accessories depends on your goals and long term plan.

Which Do I Pick?

Short answer: all of them. Just cycle through phases. Folks get stuck doing the same thing all the time. If you’ve been grinding sets of 10 all the time, it’s probably time to shift to endurance or strength.

The Workout

Functional Hypertrophy Upper

Pushup progression emphasis

A1. Bench Press 5 x 7

A2. Chin up | Neutral Grip 5 x 7

B1. Dips 4 x 8-10

B2. Hammer Curl 4 x 8-10

C1. Push up x 20,15,10,20,15,10

C2. Inverted Row x 20,15,10,20,15,10

By the way, i’ve rebranded my coaching to Overload Strength, check it out.