Recent studies have shown some controversial findings that high-rep training is as effective as the traditional medium rep training for muscle growth. If you missed it, you can find out more in my two previous articles:

Training for maximal muscle growth – is heavy low-medium reps really the best way to go?

Muscle growth with high rep training - has time come to challenge our egos?

In this article I will show some examples of how high-rep sets can be implemented in a serious weight lifting program, and look at the results of some studies that have investigated this.

Read more: Is there a place for high-rep sets in serious weight training programs?

In a previous article I reported the controversial results of a study that compared the muscle (myofibrillar) protein synthetic response of a traditional "bodybuilding" high-load low rep workout (90FAIL) to a higher rep low load workout (30FAIL), both taken to failure ¹. If you haven't read that article, here's a lowdown:

The workout with higher rep lower load sets (30FAIL) was equally effective in stimulating muscle (myofibrillar) protein synthesis as a workout with low rep high load sets (90FAIL) ¹. But more notably, the high-rep low load workout (30FAIL) resulted in a more prolonged muscle protein synthetic response and a greater elevation of muscle protein synthesis rates than the low rep high load workout (90FAIL) 24h after exercise, and also induced a greater stimulation of anabolic signalling pathways ¹.

However, this study was an acute study with measurements taken for only 24 hours after one single workout bout. This doesn't tell us whether higher rep sets would lead to long term increases in muscle mass, which is what we are ultimately interested in. Well, the same research group just published an actual 10 week training study ² to find the answer to this nerve-itching question....

Read more: Muscle growth with high rep training - has time come to challenge our egos?