{"id":3163,"date":"2018-09-18T08:28:13","date_gmt":"2018-09-18T08:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.staging.womenshealthandfitness.com.au\/?p=3163"},"modified":"2018-09-18T08:28:13","modified_gmt":"2018-09-18T08:28:13","slug":"391-how-many-reps-should-you-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.womenshealthandfitness.com.au\/fitness\/workouts\/391-how-many-reps-should-you-do\/","title":{"rendered":"How many reps should you do?"},"content":{"rendered":"

You may think your reps are doing the job, but a subtle switch could maximise your fat loss and send your metabolism through the roof, writes Grant Lofthouse<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"How<\/div>\n

Five by six is the new three by 10. It\u2019s a big statement, I know \u2013 three sets of 10 reps has become the default setting for gym-goers, regardless of individual circumstance and goals. And surely the majority wouldn\u2019t do something sub-optimal, right?<\/p>\n

But before you follow the crowd into a practice that may undermine your\u00a0fitness\u00a0goals, it\u2019s worth taking a look at the science (which, as it happens, agrees with me).<\/p>\n

The origins of 3 x 10<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 3 x 10 originated from a couple of studies published by Dr Thomas DeLorme. In the 1940s Dr DeLorme was working in the military with injured soldiers, whom he instructed to perform 7-to-10 sets with 10-to-12 reps per set.<\/p>\n

He published the improvements he witnessed in his patients in 1945, but before 7 x 10 had a chance to stick, Dr DeLorme issued an amendment deeming the set count too high and revising it to three. And that\u2019s where it\u2019s been since 1948, in what became known as \u2018the DeLorme Technique\u2019, which demands a different weight proportionate to 10 rep max, or RM (a weight you can lift for only 10 reps, not nine or 11) \u2013 50, 75 and 100 per cent, respectively.<\/p>\n

The adoption of his protocol, however, misses a crucial point: you, and what you want to achieve. Dr DeLorme was working with injured people and found the 3 x 10 effective for rehab purposes. So if you currently train the ol\u2019 three sets of 10, my next question is\u2026 Are you injured? If you answer \u2018no\u2019, why aren\u2019t you lifting a heavier weight six times, for five sets?
\n
\nThe lightweight waste<\/strong><\/p>\n

The two biggest mistakes I see females make in the gym are:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Too much cardio and no\u00a0strength training.
\n2.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0For those who do strength training, performing too many reps. Say, 10.<\/p>\n

When it comes to\u00a0fat loss workouts, in particular, the problem with the dominant\u00a0high rep<\/strong>\u00a0training is that because you\u2019re so weak in the final reps, the weight you can accommodate is too light to do anything.<\/p>\n

Nowhere is the evidence greater than in a strength seminar DVD featuring Charles Stanley and Pavel Tsatsouline, in which a participant performs a 10 rep max on the bench press, as his overall rep speed and power output of each rep is recorded with a FiTRO dyne unit, which registers velocity and power in the concentric phase of weight exercise.<\/p>\n

In rep one he registers 92 per cent. At my suggested limit of six, he still manages an impressive 84 per cent. But after that his speed and power drop dramatically, to 69 per cent at rep 10 and a futile 53 by rep 12, which he only does because he underestimates his 10 rep max \u2013 another hazard when it comes to reps. Quality, not quantity, is key.\u00a0
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Get more\u00a0fitness tips\u00a0and don’t forget to join the debate on our\u00a0Facebook page.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You may think your reps are doing the job, but a subtle switch could maximise your fat loss and send your metabolism through the roof, writes Grant Lofthouse   Five by six is the new three by 10. It\u2019s a big statement, I know \u2013 three sets of 10 reps has become the default setting […]\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow many reps should you do for fat loss & muscle gain?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How many reps for fat loss & muscle gain? Fitness expert Grant Lofthouse reveals the truth about heavier weights and 3 x 10 reps. 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