Practically Programming -> "Hypertrophy rep-range"

[Svet]

in the chapter "Intermediate Level" there's a noticed that Atlethes who wants to train for hypertrophy should train in the range
of 5set x 12-15 reps....

so e.g. Benchpresses, monday 5x5 straight and hold this weight straight for next weeks, friday bench 5x12-15, trying to increase reps/weights as possible....

Haven't ever read in this forum that 5x12-15 should be a good rep-range for hypertrophy.... normally everytime the 5x5 stuff will advised or "lift heavy" what is not in the 12-15 rep range....

what's your opion about it ?

Svet

 

[al420]

I think that book is the Bible for weight training.

 

[gimp]

I disagree that 5x5 is best for hypertrophy, I think its the best of both worlds tho, size and strength. If you want mostly hypertrophy and some strength, then 12-15 reps is best from my experience. but don't be surprised if you lack strength tho in that rep range, you get more of a pump in higher reps. I can barely bench 225 lbs. but, I APPEAR like I could..LOL!

 

[SgtSlaughter]

I'm having fun in the 15 rep range on my HST "layout"/program (or whateverthephunkyouwannacalleit).

You have to use less weight (obviously) but if you have some base of strength it's fun... for me at least.

 

[Protobuilder]

The rep ranges aren't mutually exclusive. As mentioned, 5 reps seems to be a good blend of size and strength. And if you believe strength drives size, then you'll want to build your strength as rapidy as possible. Hence, the recommendation of low reps (but not so low that you negate the hypertrophy element completely).

I don't think there's any question that 12-15 is a good rep range for size. People will disagree with me, but IIRC, Zatsiorsky AND Ripp/Kilgore all view that higher range as a good hypertrophy range. Good way to get a boatload of work in. But you don't want to do it to the exclusion of heavy, tension-based work. The heavy work is, again, where you'll make the fastest strength gains. Stronger means stronger in the 12-15 range too. So, again, we're back to "strength drives hypertrophy." Getting stronger lets you move heavier weight in the "hypertrophy" rep range. That's why it's recommended so heavily.

And when we're talking internet trainees, 90% are beginners (less than 2 years serious, regular, logical training). They need to improve their strength base and should get a lot of practice reps on the big lifts. Sets of 5 are just a tried and true scheme. Nothing magic. Just "better" than most internet "programs" people toss out blindly to beginners.

Something I should have added: we're talking intermediates here w/ the 4x12-15 recommendation from Practical Programming. Five heavy sets of 5 on Monday and 4 sets of 10-12 on Friday is a good bit of volume and probably needed for the INTERMEDIATE. It may NOT be needed though for a lesser-experienced trainee, who may hypertrophy quite nicely jsut plugging away at his 5x5/1x5 linear program for a year or so. . . .

 

[Protobuilder]

FWIW, n=1 here. A quote from IronAddict on bench training & rep ranges:

I want to share some thoughts on bench training that I have learned about myself.

1) When I trained for higher reps, I didn’t necessarily get stronger on the top end. There was a time where I could do sets of 15@315 but I had trouble with 365 for a single. However, I looked bigger.

2) When I trained for lower reps, I got stronger on the top end but I also wasn’t as big. I remember struggling with 6@315, yet being able to bench 405 pretty easily.

 

[Svet]

would give this a try maybe next month or so.... what would be a good template for this ....
like it to train mon/tue/wed/fri....

what do you think about :

monday's
squat 5x5
bench 5x12-15
gp-row 5x5
+ab-work


tuesday's
powerclean 4x3
pushpress 5x3
chins 5x12-15
+calf/ab-work


wednesday's
squat light 5x5 (80% of mon) or delete them because of high volumen of mon/fri squats anyway ?
deadlift 1-3x5
inclinebench 5x12-15
dips 5x12-15
+arm iso's/ab-work


friday
squat 5x12-15
shrugs 5x5
bench 5x12-15
gp-row 5x12-15
(military 5x12-15)
+arm iso's

 

[silver_shadow]

well, this isn't an exact science. the nature of the human body makes things fuzzy. so saying this rep range for hypertrophy, that for strength isn't right. these 2 things cannot be separated and moreover each person responds in a slightly different way depending on genetics which itself is fuzzy. hence the use of dual factor training.

 

[ZGzaZ]

From my experiences, if youre getting enough calories to grow and providing a stimulus for growth (for me it is heavy weight/low rep) then there will be growth.

So while those are great sources of information, I don't know if I buy it yet. From my own personal experiences of course.

 

[Protobuilder]

It's definitely not an "either or" thing though. Probably get best results from rotating rep ranges or periodizing in some fashion.

 

[Cynical Simian]

well, this isn't an exact science. the nature of the human body makes things fuzzy. so saying this rep range for hypertrophy, that for strength isn't right. these 2 things cannot be separated and moreover each person responds in a slightly different way depending on genetics which itself is fuzzy. hence the use of dual factor training.

I agreed with this until the last sentence. Did you mean something like 'conjugate periodization' rather than 'dual factor'? The two factors in dual factor training are fitness and fatigue, not strength and hypertrophy.

 

[SDHW]

Ronnie Coleman always say's, "Everyone want to be big, but no one wants to live no heavy ass weights"... and there you have it!

 

[silver_shadow]

I agreed with this until the last sentence. Did you mean something like 'conjugate periodization' rather than 'dual factor'? The two factors in dual factor training are fitness and fatigue, not strength and hypertrophy.

yea i know it's not strength and hypertrophy.... what i was trying to say was that dual factor training is something that some of the guys who say they are exclusively after hypertrophy (aka bodybuilders) should look into more.

 

[Protobuilder]

Fitness and fatigue . . . right. And looking at Madcow's intermediate 5x5 writeup, the 5x5 phase could be considered a "hypertrophy" phase whereas the peaking phase would be more of a "strength" phase, I suppose. Fatigue builds up through the 5x5 phase . . . and dissipates in the strength phase, revealing "fitness."

I think that ties together your two points of view here . . .

 

[thesuaveone]

Ronnie Coleman always say's, "Everyone want to be big, but no one wants to live no heavy ass weights"... and there you have it!

And then he proceeds to do 3-5 sets of 8-15 reps on 5 different exercises per body part, on a 4 or 5 day split.

 

[silver_shadow]

Fitness and fatigue . . . right. And looking at Madcow's intermediate 5x5 writeup, the 5x5 phase could be considered a "hypertrophy" phase whereas the peaking phase would be more of a "strength" phase, I suppose. Fatigue builds up through the 5x5 phase . . . and dissipates in the strength phase, revealing "fitness."

I think that ties together your two points of view here . . .

yep