One of the least understood terms in weight lifting jargon is the word repetition. The number of repetitions, or reps, that you perform matter quite a bit to your overall weight training strategy. Basically, if your goal is to build the biggest, strongest muscles that your physiology allows, then you need to be performing low numbers of repetitions, about 4 to 6 (perhaps even as low as 1 to 2). The key here is to lift a heavy enough weight so that by the end of the last repetition, you are unable to perform another rep in good form. If you are seeking more moderate growth and are more concerned with body tone then muscle mass, then you would aim for 8 to 12 reps before muscle failure.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has classified
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The ACSM recommends performing between 10 to 15 repetitions.
Why does performing less repetitions result in more strength?
This is only a valid statement if you follow the basic tenets of weight lifting. The number of reps you perform should link directly to the amount of weight you lift. So if you are only performing 6 repetitions, you should be using a MUCH heavier weight then if you were performing 12 reps. Remember, the goal here is to use a weight that is heavy enough so that the last repetition should be very challenging, if not almost an outright struggle.
Weight training isn 't an exact science where you can plug in numbers and expect to get a certain result. Everyone 's body responds differently to exercise. The key things to remember are this, to increase muscular endurance, you want to focus your efforts on doing longer repetitions, like 12 to 15, but doing only 2 to 3 sets. To increase muscular size, you want to do much lower reps, like 6 to 12, but doing many mores sets - anywhere from 3 to 6 sets. To increase muscular strength, you want to do less reps, fewer then 6 and anywhere from 2 to six