You’ve probably asked yourself this question at some point:

Should I lift heavier weights for fewer reps, or lighter weights for more reps?

Is 12 reps the sweet spot? Is 4 reps too little? What’s actually right?

In this post, I’m breaking it all down so you can walk into the gym with clarity, confidence, and a clear plan—no more guessing mid-set. Whether your goal is strength, muscle growth, or stamina, you're about to find out what rep range is best for you.

Let’s get into it.

Why Reps Even Matter

First, it helps to know why we lift in the first place. Most resistance training goals fall into three main categories:

Strength (lifting heavier, producing more force)

Hypertrophy (building bigger muscles)

Muscular Endurance (being able to do more work for longer)

Each goal has an optimal rep range—and yes, those ranges do overlap a little, but here’s the general breakdown:

The 3 Key Rep Ranges (And What They’re For)

Strength:

2–5 reps

Focus: Heavier weights, longer rest, slower progression

Goal: Get better at producing force (i.e. lift more weight)

Hypertrophy (Muscle Growth):

6–20 reps (some say up to 30)

Moderate weight, good form, consistent time under tension

Goal: Grow muscle fibers by creating muscle damage and metabolic stress

Muscular Endurance:

20+ reps

Lighter weights, shorter rest, focus on volume

Goal: Improve your ability to keep working without fatiguing

The Overlooked Key: Proximity to Failure (RIR)

Knowing your rep range isn’t enough. You also need to understand something called RIR (Reps In Reserve) or how close you are to failure.

If you do a set of 4 reps and feel like you could do 10 more? That’s not strength training.

If you do 12 reps and could only squeeze out 1 more if your life depended on it? Now you’re in the hypertrophy zone.

Here’s a good rule of thumb:

Strength: Stop with 2–5 reps left in the tank

Hypertrophy: Stop with 0–2 reps in reserve

Muscular Endurance: Also 0–2 reps in reserve (you should feel like you’re working hard)

The closer you are to failure, the stronger the stimulus.

Real-World Gym Examples

Let’s get practical. These are examples I coach clients through all the time inside the 10WT:

Example 1: Dumbbell Bench Press

Someone doing 10 reps with 35lb dumbbells and thinking, “That felt kinda easy...”

→ They need to go heavier. If you’re trying to build strength or muscle and not reaching near-failure by rep 10, you’re just doing maintenance.

Example 2: Pull-Ups with Assistance Bands

Many of my clients can’t yet do full bodyweight pull-ups, so we use bands for help.

Green band = more assistance

Black band = less assistance

→ As you get stronger, you want to reduce the assistance over time. If 5 reps feels easy with a thick band, try a thinner one next week.

This progression builds confidence and strength at the same time.

So… How Many Reps Should YOU Do?

Ask yourself:

What’s my goal right now?

Want to get stronger? Stick with 2–5 reps and heavy weights.

Want to grow muscle? Focus on 6–12 reps with good form and intensity.

Want to boost endurance? Go 20+ reps and chase the burn.

Then, combine that with proper intensity (RIR) and progression (doing more over time), and you’re on your way.

Final Thoughts

Don’t just go through the motions in the gym.

Don’t just chase reps or weight.

Chase the adaptation you're after.

Know your goal, pick the right rep range, get close to failure, and stay consistent. That’s how you get results you can feel and see.

👊 Want to train with a clear purpose—and have a coach guide you through it every step of the way?

Join the next round of the 10 Week Transformation: nickcarrier.com/10WT

And if you want more clarity with your nutrition, check out the upcoming Fat Loss Forever Workshop: nickcarrier.com/fatloss

Let’s go crush it. 💪