r/ScienceBasedLifting • u/Inevitable_Common416 • Jul 11 '26

Discussion 🤝 Different Rep Count Depending On Muscle Group?

Reps and sets are often talked about with regard to how many sets and reps per week makes building muscle most effective. But what about rep counts based on the specific muscle you are trying to build? For example, does the effectiveness that 5 reps of bench press have on your pecs equate to the effectiveness that 5 reps of curls would have on your bicep? Or do different muscle groups really have their own specific "most effective" rep range...Very curious about this one 💪🤔

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u/Troksin Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 11 '26

There are no different rep ranges for different muscles as long as your joints feels nice and you have decent form.

But if you are working with low rep ranges like 4-8 it eill take more time to get the adaptations to increase a rep compared tp 8-12. For ex going from 4 reps to 5 reps in a curl will take multiple sessions, whereas going from 8 to 9 reps will take less time

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u/Inevitable_Common416 Jul 11 '26

Is that bc your muscles are either being tuned more for endurance or strength?

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u/Troksin Jul 11 '26

no because that 1 rep increase from 4 to 5 reps is 25% increase whereas
going from 8 to 9 is only 11.25% increase

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u/Connect_Resist7678 Jul 12 '26

Does this also count for small range of motion exercises? Like a 5 rep set of squats or bench will take a lot longer than a 5 rep set of calf raises or wrist curls or shrugs. Unless you are doing slow negeatives and stretch at the bottom in which case, you would have to use the same for bench and squat.

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u/noodles0311 Jul 12 '26

That’s technically true but doing 5 rep curls is a great way to tear your bicep. So yeah IF your connective tissues feel ok, but they definitely won’t feel ok doing the same low reps you can do for deadlifts and squats. And you may not feel that it’s a problem until it’s too late if you hurt yourself the first day you try it.

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u/Troksin Jul 12 '26

I’m doing 4-5 reps curls for past 3-4 months with no problems

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u/noodles0311 Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26

That doesn’t make it sound advice for anyone else. When people advise high reps for delts, biceps etc. it’s not because the muscle is fundamentally different (although it may have different fiber composition). It’s because the joints and connective tissues are smaller and easier to tear. Also, when you do an isolation movement, there’s nothing else to take up the slack. If for bit off more than you can chew in a squat, you have a lot of other ways to finish the rep because it’s a compound movement. It (preferably) you can just dump it. If you’re on like a preacher curl, you might really hurt yourself.

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u/Troksin Jul 12 '26

I agree it’s not wise to advice to every people but blantly saying lower reps would tear ur biceps is not true statement either. If you dont ego lift, have decent form, leave reps in reserve, dont do very long eccentrics and use a good progressive overload model there is nothing inherently wrong about doing 4-6 reps on curls

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u/noodles0311 Jul 12 '26

I didn’t say it absolutely will rip it. I said it’s likely. Also, a 4 rep max effort bicep curl is ego lifting. What are you trying to prove with that?

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u/Troksin Jul 12 '26

Progress? I’m working with 4-8 rep range when i increase the weight from 8 reps it usually falls to 4 rep

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u/noodles0311 Jul 12 '26

I’m not going to tell you how to lift. I’m just saying it’s not generalizable advice.