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Set And Rep Variations For Bulking

Bulking is a time when a bodybuilder aims to put on some serious size that can in turn be turned into muscle so that the bodybuilder has more size, therefore is bigger. There are specific workout routines that people can do when they are bulking, but also specific sets and reps that a person can do to really make the most of their bulking period to make the most gains.

When it comes to bulking an athlete will most likely train with heavier weights than usual due to the fact that the heavier the weight the more muscle it can be made of, that being said, it will be very difficult to do an exercise for example the bench press and do 8 reps of your 1 rep max, it's just not possible, which is why athletes will tend to adopt a low rep routine when bulking.

This allows for maximum effort during the entire heavy weight, so you can get the most out of the push of that heavy weight and make the most gains.

As described in the previous paragraph when on a bulk, the training has shifted to more compound movements that require heavier weights, so by adopting low reps and high sets, it allows you to lift the highest weight possible while working the muscle.

A rep range between 2-4 or 4-6 will be ideal when training on a bulk with compound movements and about 5 or 6 sets. The benefits of doing these low reps and high sets mean that the athlete can perform to the best of their ability with regards to each set, the rest times between each set will be longer than the usual 30 seconds to a minute. 

When doing large compound lifts such as a deadlift, the more time you take to rest after the set means that the more recovery your body has for the next set, so can lift the same heavy weight again.

This is the advantage of compound training during a volume so that you can take rest times even after the 4 reps, this may not seem like much, but if you are lifting 140 for 4 reps for 5 or 6 sets, that is a lot of heavy lifting, so the 2-3 minute break in between will be very beneficial to your lifting ability

Take Home Message

During a bulking phase, it is important to remember that you should lift heavier weights than usual by about 70% to 90% of your 1 rep max, as heavy weights will make the most gains.

4-6 reps is the most ideal as it allows the muscles to be worked with a weight it is not used to, while higher sets of about 6 will ensure that your muscles get enough work out of the exercise.