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Repetitions are the basic building blocks of any strength or muscle building
program but it is something that many lifters take for granted. How often do
you see people at the gym speed through their reps, breathe haphazardly or fail
to complete each rep correctly from a technical perspective? There is much more
to the simple rep than meets the eye.
The first thing to note is that a repetition consists of three elements - namely
lower, pause and lift. The speed at which this is achieved depends on the
desired outcome, but to maximize muscle growth a slow, controlled tempo is
required. The process should never be rushed, jerky or bouncy but instead
should be controlled and smooth.
The second consideration relates to how many reps need to be performed. Once
again, this depends on what you hope to achieve but you can use the following
as a basic rule of thumb:
1. A single repetition maximum (1RM) increases muscle strength.
2. A six to eight repetition maximum increases muscle size.
3. A higher number of repetitions will have more effect on muscle endurance and
little impact on size or strength.
Your aim therefore should be to complete six to eight reps of a load equivalent
to 75-80% of your 1RM. This will maximize your muscle building potential,
provided you complete each lift with perfect form in a smooth controlled
manner.
You can find out more about building muscle by visiting the site listed below.
Richard
Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com
website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all
levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding
Advice to learn more about the issues covered in this
article.
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