These 4 factors make or break how much muscle you build, according to a trainer
Building muscle seems to be on everyone’s mind lately, as it should be. Packing on lean mass has benefits for your metabolism, blood sugar, daily functioning, and longevity, just to name some of the highlights. But, with all the interest in getting to the weight room, there is endless noise and misinformation that can cloud your gym plan. Luckily, there’s an expert-created tactic that tells you everything you need to know about building muscle and leaves out all the extras you don’t: the REPS framework.
'If you are to just search what's important for building muscle—if you're looking online or if you're scrolling Instagram—there is a lot of information on how to do it', says Shannon Ritchey, DPT, who came up with REPS. 'What I wanted to do with a framework like this was really simplify and say "these are the things that you need and really nothing else matters".'
The REPS framework focuses on just four factors: repetitions, exercise selection, protein, and structure. 'If you're nailing these basics, you are pretty much guaranteed to see results', Ritchey says.
Meet the expert: Shannon Ritchey, DPT, PT, is the founder of Evlo Fitness and host of The Dr. Shannon Show podcast.
What REPS stands for
Repetitions
Rule of thumb for muscle growth: Get close to muscular failure in six to 30 reps.
When you’re working out with the goal of hypertrophy (that is, building muscle), you’re going to want to work yourself close to failure in anywhere from six to 30 reps. Studies show that anything fewer than six won’t yield muscle growth, and anything more than 30 won’t either, according to Ritchey. (This might be why high-rep workouts like barre aren’t the first choice for body builders, for example.)
As long as you’re within that range, what really matters is that your muscles are getting close to failure, which is the point where you physically couldn’t do another rep even if you wanted to, says Ritchey. If you’re doing a pre-planned workout that tells you to do eight hip thrusts but you aren’t feeling pretty fatigued at the end of the set, you’re not going to see muscle growth, even though you’re following that plan to a tee. You’ll either need to pick up a heavier weight or do more reps to get the right stimulus. If you do decide to tack on more reps and get closer to 30, just make sure you’re lifting heavy enough that the final few reps feel very challenging.
Here’s why: As you’re cranking out reps of, say, a biceps curl, the first few use smaller muscle fibres to lift the weight. But, as you continue to use and fatigue those small muscle fibres, larger ones are recruited—and those are the ones responsible for growth. 'I always say, yes, the first few reps are important—they're all important—but the last few reps are the most stimulating ones because you are utilising those larger muscle fibres', says Ritchey.
You don’t need to reach total failure (in fact, it’s best to not go all the way there so your body has an easier time recovering), but you want to be one to three reps away from that sensation of 'I can’t do a single rep more'. You’ll know you’re in the right zone when your rep speed decreases, and your heart rate might rise too.
A trick Ritchey uses to see if she’s close to failure is setting her weight down for a few seconds and picking it back up to try a few more reps. If she’s able to do more, she knows she didn’t reach failure because larger muscle fibers need minutes, not seconds, to recover.
Having a tough time getting close to failure? Try lifting heavier and doing fewer reps. A lower weight and higher rep combo leaves more room for ambiguity when it comes to your fatigue. It also gives more room for other interruptions like burn or boredom to end a set prematurely.
Exercise selection
Rule of thumb for muscle growth: Keep your moves simple and focused on one muscle group at a time.
You know how it’s hard to pat your head and rub your belly at the same time? Picking overly complicated exercises is kind of the same problem when it comes to hypertrophy because it could keep you from effectively working your muscles. Instead of doing a move that works multiple muscle groups at once like a squat to overhead press, pick moves that target each muscle group individually. (Some simple, single muscle group-focused moves include: the lunge, hip thrust, Bulgarian split squat, chest press, biceps curl, and skull crusher.)
'When your movements are more complex, like a combination movement where you're doing a lunge and a bicep curl at the same time, there's a lot for your body to coordinate', says Ritchey. By doing a more complicated move, you’re spreading out your effort across your body, rather than focusing on really fatiguing one muscle group, and this can keep you from seeing the results you’re looking for. Incorporating multiple muscle groups into a movement also introduces more variables that could interrupt your set beyond just getting to failure.
And remember, you’re in charge of the moves you do. 'One of the things that I see often people get wrong is they choose exercises that hurt or that they really don't like', says Ritchey. 'I always like to give people the freedom to choose exercises that feel good in their body and that they actually enjoy.” There’s a few reasons why. First, if you’re doing exercises you actually enjoy, you’re more likely to stick with them (and your workouts) day in and day out. And second, you’re gonna need to stick with a move to reach near-failure to stimulate muscle growth.
After you’ve chosen your simple exercises that you enjoy, Ritchey says doing three to four sets per muscle group per week is the minimum for growth in trained individuals. If you’re a beginner, you could get away with fewer at first—but she wouldn’t necessarily recommend that.
Protein
Rule of thumb for muscle growth: Aim for a little over .5 grams of protein per pound of body weight.
Ritchey is a physical therapist by training and not a nutritionist, but she still recognises the importance of protein when it comes to muscle-building. WH’s trusted nutritionists recommend eating a little over 0.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight (or 1g per kg) for active women, just FYI.
'This is outside of my formal education, but I will say I have emphasised it because I just know from personal anecdote and from the science that you could be doing all the right things in your training, but if you're not eating enough protein, you frankly will not see the results', Ritchey notes. It’s true. Protein is the building block for muscle mass, after all, and it’s crucial for anyone with hypertrophy goals.
As for how Ritchey hits her protein goals, she thinks about the macronutrient first when it comes to planning meals, and then builds them around it. She also makes sure to prioritize protein in her snacks.
Structure
Rule of thumb for muscle growth: Don’t work the same muscle groups on back-to-back days.
When it comes to building muscle, more isn’t always better. Giving your muscles at least 48 hours to recover is key, says Ritchey. If you don’t take enough time to recover, it could lead to burnout, unnecessary soreness, or injury—all of which could interrupt your goals.
So, when you think about how you structure your workout plan for the week, space out major muscle groups on nonconsecutive days. “We need an equal work to recovery ratio,” says Ritchey.
Ritchey typically thinks about breaking up the muscle groups into shoulders, chest, upper back, abs, glutes, quads, hamstrings, triceps, and biceps. You might break these up by doing an upper-body day followed by a lower-body one, but not two upper- or lower-body days in a row.
How to apply the REPS framework for muscle building
Getting started with the REPS framework is super straightforward. Choose simple exercises that you enjoy, make sure you work your muscles close to failure in six to 30 reps, and don’t work the same muscle group two days in a row. And, never, ever forget the protein! If you're abiding by all four guidelines, you should see results within a few weeks (timing may vary depending on individual factors such as your starting strength level, genetics, and nutrition).
There’s one more tip to keep in mind: gentle consistency. This is another term courtesy of Ritchey that is all about avoiding burnout so you can reach long-term goals. 'Building muscle takes years, so you really do have to have a long-term mindset', says Ritchey.
Some days, you might not want to workout, but allow yourself to show up in smaller, gentler ways that can keep you working toward your goal. This might look like doing a warm up and then one single set of your workout followed by a cool down on a day where you’re really lacking motivation. Getting yourself moving and doing one set will allow you to maintain all the work you’ve put in, but having an 'out' and telling yourself you’ll only do one set lets you go easier on days you need it.
The REPS framework in action
Do all moves to near-failure in six to 30 reps.
Upper-Body Workout
Chest press
Skull crusher
Biceps curl
Repeat 3x
Lower-body workout
Bulgarian split squat
Sissy squat
Hip thrust
Reverse Nordic curl
Hamstring curl
Repeat 3x
Full-body workout
Step-up
Row
Hamstring curl
Biceps curl
Repeat 3x
Cut through the noise and get practical, expert advice, home workouts, easy nutrition and more direct to your inbox. Sign up to the WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWSLETTER
You Might Also Like
