Evidence Uncovers Options; Personal Preference Leads to Choices

A couple of years back, Stronger by Science did an exhaustive review of much of the literature out there regarding strength programs (talking strictly about force production here). Basically, they did a study of studies. Specifically, they were looking at set and rep ranges that led to strength gains. What they found is not that surprising if you've been coaching for a while, or if you've been part of the iron game for a while.

They found that folks can get strong across a number of rep ranges, even very high ones (20+). But they found the optimal set and rep range was 4-6 sets of 4-6 reps. This is pretty much a standard recommendation and has been done for as long as strength training has been around. 

The reason for the conclusion was twofold, and this is the key point of the entry. The first reason was that that rep range, and total volume, is a nice middle point between lower rep work (think 1-2 reps--primarily a neurological adaptation) and medium rep work (think 8-12 reps--primarily a muscular adaptation and a classic bodybuilding rep range). This comports well with what science tells us about rep ranges and is less surprising. But the second point was even more telling. They found that compliance was highest when folks do 4-6 sets of 4-6 reps. They postulated that this rep range wasn't too taxing neurologically or exhausting muscularly. It was a perfect middle ground and enabled folks to remain on this type of program longer.

I personally recommend 3-6 sets of 3-6 reps for most people when it comes to strength training as the base. Sets of 3 are too valuable to not include in your training. We can deviate from those rep ranges during certain phases for certain reasons, but this should be the go-to for most of your strength work (again, talking strictly about force production; many people throw around the term strength and sometimes mean something else).

The more general point here is that evidence will often point to many different options. But the deciding factor is almost always personal preference. For example, I know a few people who train sets of 10 throughout most of the year, and then throw in one or two strength cycles where they try and build to a max at the end of the cycle. And they make great progress year over year.

The most important factor here is choosing the rep range, and more generally, the training program, that will yield the most consistency. We all want to do the things we like. So if you can match an evidence-based protocol with a version that you really like (your personal preference), you're more likely to comply and stay consistent. The more consistent you are, the more training sessions you'll get in, which is where the magic happens.

And that magic will pay off in the long run. Choose wisely, trust the process, and stay consistent. It's not rocket science.