I’ve thought about this because failure is achieved in both the 12RM and 3RM and all fibers are fully recruited. If you say it’s because the 12RM has more time under tension, it still doesn’t make sense because those high twitch fibers only come online at the very end of the set so how can they be exposed to more time under tension compared to the fibers in a 3RM?
How much more growth is “a lot more?”
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Chris Beardsley (among others) expound 4-6 repetitions to 1 RIR or 0 RIR.
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Too many variables to make a definitive statement like that. Volume plays a big role. Which lift?
Will I grow more if deadlift 405x3 for 5 sets 3 times a week, or 405x12 for 1 set 1 day a week?
5 sets of 3 reps 3 times a week with 405lbs in the deadlift would be a tall order if your 1 rep max was less than 600lbs.
But doing a 12 rep deadlift max once a week is at least doable.
I prefer doing 8 reps for upper body and 10 reps for lower body with max sets with 1 or 2 RIR.
Yes. But it is a hard sell to the “to failure” crowd.
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What about ease of use?
Wuth a 3 rep max weight it’s hard to keep tension on the target muscle. You need to focus (stress?) on technique and execution.
It can be hard to recover between workouts and make progress with big weights. Some days you’re not feeling great, and can barely lift the weight you’re supposed set PRs with.
With a 12 rep max weight its easier to keep Mind Muscle Connection and work the target. You can adjust position at any time.
And its easier to recover between sets and workouts, without stressing “central fatigue” and “optimal rest” and all that complex junk.
You just burn the muscle, catch your breath, and do it again.
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You just burn the muscle, catch your breath, and do it again.
I’m going to “no true scotsman” on this one and say that any weight that can be repeated for the same amount of reps in the same session is, by definition, NOT a rep max. Had to be an RIR 1.
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Why does a 12RM stimulate a lot more growth than a 3RM?
It does not.
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Sometimes I wish my life was this simple so I could ponder such trivial things.
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No matter how you interpret this, you will sooner or later need to shift (cycle) rep ranges, weights and volume for continous growth. There is no perfect rep range as long as there is a need to resist adaptation. Furthermore, the strength you will get from lower reps is well needed for continous growth with higher rep ranges. Strength precedes gains, in my humble opinion.
For the record, it’s much better to do a slow, strict 3 RM (or similar) than a sloppy 12 RM (whatever that is).
I just now realized I’ve taken part in what could be an endless discussion. We need @planethealh to sort things out.
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