# Best Rep/Set ratio for building strength



## TriZZle305 (Jul 22, 2004)

In your opinions what is the best rep/set ratio for building strength?... ive been doing 5x5 for the the majority of the summer... i have some fellow teamates who prefer 3or4sets of 10 and some that prefer 7or8 sets of 2 or 3...all of us are looking for strength more so than mass or weight loss


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## AJbuilder (Jul 23, 2004)

If you're looking for maximal strength along with some needed functional hypertrophy, I tend to go with 10 sets of 2 with 50s rest in between sets, using 4RM, 3 second on eccentric, one second on concentric and one second pause at top of movement.  It's worked extrememly well for me and continues to do so. It really hits the high frequency type 2 threshold fibers which would give you that power look.  10 sets might be a lot but it's there to increase time under tension and also as a way to increase the work/rest ratio :density.  

In more conventional powerlifting routines they usually don't do too many sets because they are lifting over 95% of their 1RM , while taking longer rest periods. And that's why most gains are usually neurological because synchronization of motor units and muscle tissue are upgraded with minimal microtrauma to muscle fibers itself.  To gain mass while lifting with heavier poundages like a powerlifter, the solution would be to add more sets and sacrifice a 5-10% in intensity.  So you would have the 10x2 at 4RM.

 If I used 10x2, i am able to lift closer to my 1RM to lift more total poundage.  Heavier weights stimulates type 2 fibers, high number of sets makes up for TUT.  If I did the oppposite, 2x10reps, TUT would be the same but density would be lower than 10x2 since in 10x2 I am lifting heavier loads.  You also involve the CNS to a greater degree in 10x2 in terms of synchronization .  And this is how a lot of the old time strongmen used to train.

But no one should use a set rep/set range all the time , every week because the body will of course eventually adapt.  It works very well to cycle , Ie. have a 3 week phase of 10x2, then jump back to 2x10 or 3x8, and cycle back to 10x2.  5x5 works into the plan as well.


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## Saturday Fever (Jul 23, 2004)

Westside is what you want to be doing.

Basically it uses bits of everything you've just mentioned. There are a number of people in the Online Journals section who use Westside, including myself, and they've seen great results. Take a look at atherjen's journal, first page, for a good sample Westside routine. To get the most out of the routine you'll need to lift properly. There are numerous articles here in the Training forum on form for bench and squats, etc.

And I'm always happy to help.


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## camarosuper6 (Jul 23, 2004)

WestSide definitely seems the most popular for strength from reading around on this board and a few others.

I personally like the MAX-OT system for strength/hypertrophy, using 6-9 sets per bodypart and between 4-6 reps on most bodyparts (6-8 and 10-12 on a few, but not many).

To each his/her own.


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