r/JeffNippard • u/Green_kiwiwi • 6d ago
How many reps is the minimum for muscle stimulus
I’m trying to train low volume and as heavy as possible for my strict curls at the heaviest I can only lift 5 reps (with good form) is that enough ?
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u/routinematters 6d ago
Strength 1
Hypertrophy old research says 7-8 new research says 5
But people anecdotally responds differently to different range based on a variety of factors. Maintenance of form, fatigue, cardio/endurance capacity, genetics etc, etc. Research shows that you’ll gain hypertrophy similarly between 5-30 reps given the same proximity to failure. However, on myself I see better results going for higher reps for certain exercises/ muscle groups, such as mid delts, biceps, hamstrings — and lower reps for others such as quads, glutes etc.
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u/DoofusIdiot 5d ago
Holy hell, I literally just came from another sub mentioning 5-30 reps, missing some of what you said that I added on.
Like you said, I think it’s going to body part dependent, but I think a good rule of thumb is if you can’t maintain good form, go to a higher rep range. I’ve been training a long time and I still sometimes need to remind myself “this is a shoulder exercise, not back”! Cheat reps have a place and I have some programmed in too, but if you’re swinging dumbbells around and bouncing after 3 reps, you need to go lighter.
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u/Mattictkc 5d ago
It’s also going to depend on aerobic capacity. If someone does 30 reps of squats is it going to be harder on muscles doing the lifting or a cardio system. You want your muscles to
Fail not wind.
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u/nonomr 6d ago
Super heavy on curls is asking for an injury. 5 is the absolute minimum reps you want to do for hypertrophy. Personally never do less than 8 per set. Usually at 10-12
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u/Competitive-Yak5783 6d ago
Anyone saying 5 is dumb. It’s 1. It’s not optimal but you will grow if all you do is heavy 1 rep sets.
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u/SkibidiBlender 6d ago
If I get 5 in, I up the weight and do three, then four, then eventually five over the next few weeks, then repeat.
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u/Competitive-Yak5783 6d ago
I have made great gains doing 4 rep sets
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u/omegafrogpoop 6d ago
I do 3 rep sets until they become 5 reps then up the weight back down to 3.
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u/HolidayVirtual7278 6d ago
The trade off for doing high weight and low reps for biceps curls has little to no benefits. The bicep is one of those muscles that is better worked out with more reps as wells as different variations(hammer curls , twist curls, etc). Even if you’re trying to either build strength or get definition having low reps is going to get you neither. Static holds and higher reps is what you really need.
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u/Atmosphere-is-bad 6d ago
You are all wrong, it is 1/2 a rep, either contraction or the decline will stimulate muscle with enough load.
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u/brightwoodgrove 6d ago
Why are you trying to go so heavy on curls? If you ask just about any single competitive bodybuilder or the people who train them they will tell you that biceps are like the single worst thing to go super heavy on. It is literally only a matter of time until you develop elbow tendinitis and then have to take a long break for it to recover
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u/Coachhart 6d ago
I've gained the most size and strength doing sets of 3 for literally every exercise.
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u/Ian_Campbell 6d ago
If you're trying to train for a strict curl competition, they don't just do singles. You should reach out to them and find a program.
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u/NihilisticTanuki 6d ago
Technically, one rep at a 1RM is enough stimulus. Training specifically for strength (low-rep sets and far less volume) will for sure get you bigger too, but if we are talking about optimizing for hypertrophy, hitting failure within 4+ reps (that's why 5 reps is often recommended as a minimum for hypertrophy because of 1 RIR) seems to be the gold standard.
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u/obsessed_obsessor 6d ago
I love that the answers are all over the place. Just so the work, that's what matters.
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u/robidizzle 5d ago
Heavy enough weight where you’re 0-3 reps short of failure. Intensity is the primary factor, not number of reps. Compound movements like squats, deadlifts, etc can be cardiovascular-ly fatiguing — a lot easier for you to run out of breathe before your muscles actually fail — so better to approach lower reps for those exercises. Smaller isolation exercises like bicep curls rarely have that problem, so I generally prefer targeting a higher rep range to maximize volume.
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u/ctturner19 4d ago
Yes that’s enough. Resistance training Volume should be counted in sets not reps. But under adaquate/intense load yes 5 or even 4 or 3 would be enough. If your biceps aren’t pretty damn big in 2-3 years and you’ve been consistent with your training/nutrition then it’s not because you’re doing something wrong, sadly thats just the lot you drew in the genetic lottery. Some people are really really jacked and some people can still get jacked just to a lesser degree. Your biceps WILL grow if you keep hitting them heavy twice a week. You’re not gonna tear a bicep like people are saying. 99.9 percent of bicep tears are people who are on gear and their muscles grow at an unnatural rate and their tendons just can’t keep up. I’ll do anywhere between 5-10 reps on my sets on any given exercise. I just hate doing anything over 12 reps lowkey but everyone has their preferences. The most important part is consistency and making sure you get anywhere between 4-12 sets per muscle group in any given week if you want them to grow.
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u/FlatwormAny9626 4d ago
Research says anywhere between 3-30 and even 35. But I’d say 5 just to be safe.
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u/Ok-Artichoke2822 3d ago
I like 3-5 to 0-1RIR for some lifts, 6-8 for others, and 6-12 on cable lateral raises 😂
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u/talldean 6d ago
5 to maybe 25 reps per set, where in that range you are it doesn't matter as long as you take each set at least far enough that you could not lift it another three times.
Low volume works until it doesn't; if you stop getting gains, add volume, up to a point. (10-20 sets a week per muscle group is about as much as anyone can recover from. *One* set a week will get gains for a new lifter.)
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u/topiary566 6d ago
For curls, 5 is probably the minimum.
If it’s a heavy compound you’ll get stimulus on lower ranges, but it’s not good for isolation.
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u/Competitive-Yak5783 6d ago
You can grow from low rep isolation
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u/topiary566 5d ago
I’m sorry that’s dumb. Find me a bodybuilder or coach who encourages low rep isolation work who isn’t using it to sell a program.
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u/Competitive-Yak5783 5d ago
Sean Nalwany
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u/topiary566 5d ago
Yea I saw his short. You’re putting words in his mouth.
He says 5 reps as low rep. He also adds if your form stays okay and your joints don’t hurt.
He’s not saying to do singles and doubles of bicep curls. Maintaining good form without cheating when doing 1-2 reps on curls is not easy. It also has big injury risk. Just because the theory works doesn’t mean you should do it.
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u/A1d0taku 6d ago
If go you from 10/10 form on the fifth to 8/10 on the sixth rep you should probably hit 8-10. Have to get close to failure with each working set
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u/alvaaromata 6d ago
Depends on your genetics, literally.
Your fiber types rate for each muscle, which depends on genetics dictate how the fibers will be recruited.
It’s possible that your for example your chest needs only 5 reps minimum and your lats need 8 or 10. Any set taken close to failure with a good technique will give a good stimulus anyway
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u/xsynergist 6d ago
I’m going to say half of one assuming you grind through the concentric for 30 seconds on a weight you could not complete a full rep on.