Masheen

Sets and reps

Rep range

Also called repetition range, rep target, 8-12 reps

A rep range is a low and a high number of reps to aim between on each set, written with a dash, such as 8–12.

60× 1260× 1060× 8
Set 3: 60 kg for 8. Range 8–12. Three sets at 60 kg: 12 reps, then 10, then 8, all inside the range.

In plain words

A range is two numbers rather than one, and any set that lands between them counts as done to plan. Programs use a range because the reps you can do change from set to set and from day to day. With one fixed number you either hit it or miss it. With 8–12, sets of 12, 10 and 8 are all on plan. A range is also what makes double progression work: your reps climb through the range, then the weight goes up and the reps start again at the bottom. The ACSM's 2009 position stand recommends loads matching an 8–12 rep maximum for beginners, and 1–12 with emphasis on 6–12 for muscle growth.

An example

Bench press in the range 8–12, three sets at 60 kg. The first set gives you 12 reps. The second gives 10. The third gives 8. Every set sat inside 8–12, so the day went to plan. A 2021 review proposed that muscle can be built across a wide spectrum of loads, while heavy loads of 1–5 reps at 80–100% of one-rep max suit maximum strength.

Often confused with

Sets and reps "3 × 8" is sets and reps; "8–12" is a range of reps for each set.
Sets and reps A rep is one complete movement of an exercise, and a set is a group of reps done one after another without resting.
Double progression Double progression is a rule for progressing in two steps that take turns: reps go up at the same weight to the top of a range, then the weight goes up.
Rep max A rep max is the heaviest weight you can lift for a given number of reps and no more: a 5RM is the most you can lift five times.
Hypertrophy Hypertrophy is the growth of a muscle in size; training for hypertrophy means training with muscle size as the goal rather than a heavier single.

Go deeper

Double progression: reps first, then weight Double progression explained with numbers. Add reps to the top of your range, then add the smallest plate. The rule as a table, a worked example, and the sums. Updated

Sources

  1. ACSM 2009. Position stand: Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc 41(3):687–708 Read
  2. Schoenfeld et al. 2021. Loading recommendations for muscle strength, hypertrophy, and local endurance: a re-examination of the repetition continuum. Sports 9(2):32 Read

Updated . How these pages are researched and corrected: editorial policy. Every term in the glossary.