Myths about strength training part 1

Despite generally available knowledge about strength training, you can still come across erroneous statements on the Internet that have been repeated for many years. Sometimes they are used in the form of a joke, but people who laugh at the data often do not really know why the sentence they are jokingly repeating is not true.

Myth 1: 10 repetitions for mass, 20 for reduction

If we want to build muscle mass, we need, among others: caloric surplus, adequate amount of sleep and strength training. It is also worth noting that strength training that focuses only on the number of sets and repetitions will not bring hypertrophic benefits when the sets are performed far from muscle failure. However, returning to the topic of the number of repetitions, in order to obtain hypertrophic effects, it is recommended to perform from 6 to 20 repetitions in a series. However, a meta-analysis has recently appeared proving that we can achieve the same hypertrophic effects by training in the range of 5-30RM, which may expand the range mentioned above.¹.

Moving on to the topic of reduction, it should be mentioned at the beginning that even a perfectly designed training plan and its subsequent impeccable execution will not lead to fat loss unless the person striving for it is in a calorie deficit.

Myth 2: More is better

This phrase often refers to the number of sets performed. Research shows that performing more than 10 sets close to muscle failure in one training unit will not bring significant results in terms of hypertrophy. On a weekly basis, the maximum number of sets that can bring hypertrophic gains is 30 sets close to muscle failure. Performing a larger number of sets most often leads to stagnation and in some cases even regression.

Myth 3: When it hurts, it grows

In this case, it is most often about delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS - Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), incorrectly called soreness. Pain can be caused by training too hard, a change in plan, insufficient recovery, a new training stimulus, etc. Appearing after each workout is not a good sign at all, and more importantly, it does not mean that the sore muscles will grow.

Summary

1. No, 10 reps is not for mass.
2. No, 20 reps is not for cutting.
3. 30 sets per chest during one training session is not wise.
4. If it hurts, it hurts.

1.  LACIO, Marcio, et al. Effects of resistance training performed with different loads in untrained and trained male adult individuals on maximal strength and muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 2021, 18.21: 11237. ↩︎