Rep (Repetition)
One complete movement of an exercise from start to finish.
Updated
A repetition, or rep, is one complete movement cycle of an exercise. This includes both the concentric (lifting) and eccentric (lowering) phases. The number of reps you perform affects your training outcome: 1-5 reps for strength, 6-12 for hypertrophy, and 12+ for endurance. Proper rep execution with full range of motion is crucial for results and injury prevention.
What a rep is
A rep, short for repetition, is one complete movement of an exercise: lowering into a squat and standing back up is one rep. Reps are grouped into sets, so 3 x 10, or three sets of ten, means ten reps, a rest, and so on three times. When people talk about reps they usually mean both the number in a set and the weight that number implies, because the heavier the load, the fewer reps you can do.
Rep ranges and what they are used for
Low reps, around one to five, use the heaviest loads and are the most direct way to build maximal strength, because they practise lifting heavy. For muscle growth the range is much wider than the traditional 6 to 12: research comparing loads finds similar growth from heavy and light sets when both are taken close to failure, roughly from 5 up to 30 reps. In practice compound lifts suit 5 to 10 reps and isolation exercises 10 to 20, because very high-rep squats are limited by breathing before the legs.
Tempo: how long each rep takes
Tempo describes the speed of each part of a rep, usually written as four numbers starting with the lowering phase. A 3-1-1-0 tempo means three seconds down, a one-second pause at the bottom, one second up and no pause at the top; an X means lift as fast as possible. Most people need nothing more detailed than controlling the lowering over two to three seconds and not bouncing out of the bottom.
Common mistakes
Counting reps that were not full reps: half squats, bounced bench presses and swung curls inflate the number without the work. Chasing a target number at the cost of form. And treating the rep count as the whole story, when ten reps that stop five short of failure and ten reps that stop one short are very different sets. Track the weight, the reps and roughly how close to failure you were, and the numbers start to mean something.
Examples
- Pressing the barbell up and down once = 1 rep
- 10 reps of squats
- 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Related Terms
Compound exercises
Put this into practice with exercises from the library.
Common questions
What is Rep?
One complete movement of an exercise from start to finish. A repetition, or rep, is one complete movement cycle of an exercise.
What exercises train the Rep?
Good options include Power Stairs, Press Sit-Up, Prowler Sprint, Pull Through, Pullups. Each links to a step-by-step guide with demonstration images.
What are examples of Rep?
Pressing the barbell up and down once = 1 rep; 10 reps of squats; 3 sets of 8-12 reps.
Put it into practice
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A 12-week, four-day hypertrophy plan in three phases, with a modest calorie surplus