Keeping Rep Ranges Variable

While you can spend as much time as you like perfecting your overall workout program - getting the exact exercises you need to be doing included, making sure your rest times are optimal, double checking to ensure that you're getting enough days off over not only the course of the week, but the course of the month as well, unless you take into account rep ranges, your missing a big part of the picture.

Max Size

Generally, in order to strictly focus on getting your muscles as big as possible, you'll want to aim to work in the higher rep range - around 8-12 reps.

This will still allow you to lift a decently heavy enough weight to make strength gains, but will also account for the development of that 'muscle pump' that you'll often experience at the end of these types of workouts.

Max Strength

On the other hand, if you're goal is to develop max strength, you'll want to bring that rep range down a bit more, closer to the four to six rep range.

This will allow you to hoist a heavier weight, which then really gets you strong.

It's important to note though this will not make you as big as the prior method as quickly, but when you do increase in size (which you will, over time, provided you are eating in a calorie surplus), these gains will be more likely to stay.

Mixing It Up

Finally, as a last suggestion, one thing you can do to push your workout to the next level, is to vary the rep ranges across time.

This will essentially give you the best of both worlds, while also helping to prevent a plateau.

So, be sure you keep this important training factor in mind.

Constantly monitoring and adapting your weight training workout program as you go is going to be key to getting the results you're looking for.

For more information on this, please see this post:

- The Benefits Of Periodizing Your Rep Scheme
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