Do legs respond better to higher reps?

Use Higher Reps

The rule of thumb for gaining size is to use a rep range of 8-12. With legs, however, I always found – and research backs me up – that higher reps produce the biggest gains. I experienced great results with squats, lunges, leg presses and leg extensions when doing sets of 15-20 reps.

Which muscles respond better to high reps?

Delts generally respond better to high reps, though the front portion can respond well to lower reps. This is why delt-dominant bench pressers tend to have large front delts.

Do legs need more volume?

Legs need more volume and higher reps. Most people, guys especially, will go too low with reps for leg day.

Should athletes do high reps or low reps?

Strength training with higher weight and lower reps allows an athlete to gain maximum strength via plyometrics and Olympic weightlifting. The rep range will vary depending on the athletes and training goals, but typically it's up to six reps.

How many reps are good for legs?

As a beginner looking to increase general fitness — and following the theme of keeping things simple — choose 3–5 exercises per leg workout. Then complete 3 sets of 8–12 reps of each exercise, ensuring that you're working your muscles to fatigue but not failure (1).

Tom Platz On Leg Training (high reps vs low reps)

Is squat enough for leg day?

No, it's not a good idea, you should do more than just squats to strengthen your leg muscles. Even though traditional squats have several variations, you should include various exercises in your workout regimen, too, such as lunges. You can also walk, jog, and jump to tone your legs.

Do you need to squat heavy for big legs?

You don't need to squat heavy to get big legs. But it sure helps. Volume is a major key in muscle growth.

Is 20 reps too much?

Anything greater than 20 reps in a set is probably far too many. Performing this many reps in a set will have diminishing returns. If you can easily do more than 20 reps, then the weight you are using is probably too light or too easy to elicit any significant growth.

Does high reps build lean muscle?

It is made clear through all of these studies that resistance training done with high reps needs to be accompanied with high intensity (training to failure). If done, high reps can produce significant improvements in lean muscle mass, strength, fitness, body composition, and bone mineral density.

Will high reps build muscle?

More repetitions with lighter weights can build muscle as well as heavier weights -- assuming they are done to the point of exercise-induced fatigue. And fatigue is the important point. That means even with light weight, the last two to three reps should be hard.

Are legs the hardest muscle to build?

Each person may have a single muscle group that both infuriates and perplexes them, one that differs from somebody else, but generally the hardest muscles to build are those found in the calves. This is due to the anatomical configuration of the calf muscles.

Does flexing your legs build muscle?

It can also be a way to build strength. Muscle flexing is more accurately known as muscle contraction, because when you flex your muscles, you're creating tension that's temporarily making the muscle fibers smaller or contracted.

Why are my legs getting stronger but not bigger?

You Don't Have Enough Training Volume

Hypertrophy adaptations (I.E. building muscle) are ruled by the principle of volume. The more volume in your training (more sets and reps) the greater the hypertrophy response you will get (up to a point of course).

Is leg day 3 times a week too much?

Working out legs 3 times a week isn't too much. It's safe to exercise your quads, hamstrings, calves, and glutes 3 times a week, but you don't want to overdo your exercises or do high-intensity interval leg training if you're still a beginner. The more leg days you invest into, the better your legs perform.

Do forearms respond better to high reps?

HUGE TWIST: HIGH REPS

If not overused, high reps are especially effective when training forearms, as well as calves, because these areas are built to respond to endurance work.

Do biceps respond better to high reps?

It's much easier to activate the biceps than the triceps or forearms. Biceps are such an easy muscle to stimulate and target, that the rep ranges aren't as important — though they can still be a factor. However, when you want to target the triceps and forearms, I would suggest using higher repetitions.

Why do bodybuilders use high reps?

High reps build muscle and connective tissue strength, and give your body respite from the grind of low-rep sets, too. Similarly, low-rep sets build neuromuscular and CNS efficiency.

Is it better to be lean or bulky?

Bulking and gaining lean muscle are two very different tasks that necessitate two very different types of exercise. If you want a slimmer and cut appearance, go for lean muscle, while if you want a bigger, more bodybuilder-like appearance, go for bulk.

Is it better to lift heavy or more reps?

Generally, exercises with higher reps are used to improve muscular endurance, while higher weights with fewer reps are used to increase muscle size and strength.

Can 100 reps build muscle?

“Your 100-rep max is likely to be at or close to the minimum resistance available for an exercise,” Looney points out, “meaning you will not be stimulating strength, power or muscle gains. In fact, certain exercises can be too difficult to complete 100 reps with even using just your bodyweight.”

Why is 8/12 reps best for hypertrophy?

It turns out that 8-12 reps is actually good advice. It sits in the Goldilocks Zone of reps and loading, it's time efficient in that it can maximize the number of tough reps per set, it's energy efficient in that it doesn't require too many reps to stimulate hypertrophy, or involve loads that are unnecessarily heavy.

Is 8 reps good for hypertrophy?

The researchers concluded that heavy loads are best for maximal strength goals, while moderate loads of 8-12 reps are best suited for hypertrophy goals when performing the same number of sets.

Is a 225 squat good?

No matter what comes afterward, 225 in the squat or deadlift is a respectable milestone for any non-powerlifter, amateur athlete, or weekend warrior. A 200-plus deadlift is also a tough but realistic goal for most fit women.

Is it better to squat heavy or light?

Squats with good form and range-of-motion using lighter weighs is the best way to meet your goals. When you squat for muscle endurance, keep the resistance less than 50% of your one-rep max. Using this resistance should allow you to do 15 to 20 reps before fatiguing.

Do all bodybuilders squat?

Bodybuilders of every generation have considered squats the golden fleece of leg training, and for good reason… they just plain WORK. It is, in fact, true that before putting in the work in any other leg exercise, you've gotta squat, and squat more.