How Many Reps

As you progress in your strength training career, it's helpful to remember that you don't always have to strictly follow the prescribed rep scheme.

The reps we choose have a specific intent. Either to build strength, promote muscle growth, improve coordination and skill or challenge your stamina. The reps have a counterpart they rely on - how hard you're working. In strength and conditioning terms, volume and intensity.

Generally, the last two reps of something should be substantially more difficult than the first two. If you're doing 8 goblet squats, and they're all relatively easy, I'd like to empower you to do a few more reps, which is called adding volume.

Conversely, if you don't want to do more but you probably could, you could increase the weight. This is adding intensity while keeping the volume the same.

Listening to your body is a useful skill to hone in on. Knowing when it wants a little more will excel your strength and stamina.

Bonus thought:

There are certain times when I'll have you do 10 reps of something, and it's okay if it feels like you could 100 of them. Specifically in conditioning components when the goals is to improve endurance. Also when learning new movements, doing a movement for the first time in a while, coming back from a week off are the obvious ones that come to mind.

Justin Miner

@justinminergain