| > It really doesn't matter whether you do 5 reps or 20 As long as you're training to the point that you are getting close to failure and you don't have efficiency in one particular area in mind, sure. >as if magically you stop benefiting because you did 10 reps instead of 5 There are different methods of action that come into play doing low reps at very high weights vs. moderate reps at lower weights. Being strong isn't just about muscle gain - your central nervous system has to adapt when it comes these higher weights in a way that it doesn't with moderate weights. And if you're training properly, you're not doing the same weight if your sets are only 3-5 reps than if they're 10. > There's particularly less of a case for low reps if you're not specifically training for powerlifting and competing in powerlifting. Not everyone wants to be strong specifically for powerlifting competitions. I fundamentally agree that most people are perfectly fine doing 10 reps and plenty of very effective strength focused programs will have sets of 10 being a common component. In reality if you want to be serious about weight training, be it for strength or hypertrophy, these numbers aren't consistent anyway. You might primarily target one or the other, but basically everyone benefits from periodization. |