Combining High Reps and Low Reps


We are all have a mixture of both white muscle fibers (slow twitch) and red muscle fibers (fast twitch). This tells tell us if we want to gain mass we need to work with both high reps and reps for complete muscle development.

If your current workout program is not giving you good gains anymore, then it's time to try 6 20 training. It is a method of combining high reps and low reps that will speed up your muscle growth.

For your low rep sets you should do 6 reps with the heaviest weight you can handle while still keeping good form. Less than 6 reps will build more strength than muscle size. If you can do more than 6 reps it means the weight you are using is too light. Doing six reps while increasing the weight slightly every week will work the deep muscle fibers called myofibrils.

For your high rep sets you should do 20 reps with a lighter poundage, but it still should be challenging to get all 20 repetitions while keeping your form perfect. These higher reps sets perform a different muscle building function than the lower rep sets. High repetitions give you a maximum muscle pump which will enlarge existing blood vessels and build more capillaries, more avenues to carry nutrients to your muscle cells. Elimination of lactic acid, the waste product of muscle exertion, is also improved. Aside from making the muscle more efficient for growth, these components themselves add mass to your muscles.

The 6 20 Routine

Here you start with your compound movements first. Start with the difficult movements using the highest load you can and then move onto the isolation movements doing high reps. For example, you would do low rep squats and/or leg press and then leg curls and leg extensions, you would do high reps.

Day 1
Chest and Back
Bench Press - 3 sets of 6 reps
Dumbbell Fly - 3 sets of 20 reps
Barbell Row - 3 sets of 6 reps
Lat Pulldown - 3 sets of 20 reps

Day 2
Legs
Squat - 3 sets of 6 reps
Leg Extension - 3 sets of 20 reps
Leg Curl - 3 sets of 20 reps
Standing Calf Raise - 3 sets of 6 reps
Seated Calf Raise - 3 sets of 20 reps

Day 2
Shoulders and Arms
Barbell Press - 3 sets of 6 reps
Dumbbell Lateral Raise - 3 sets of 20 reps
Barbell Curl - 3 sets of 6 reps
Dumbbell Concentration Curl - 3 sets of 20 reps
Triceps Dips - 3 sets of 6 reps
Triceps Pushdowns - 3 sets of 20 reps

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