Most of us don’t have countless hours to spend within the health club, however that doesn’t imply your exercises need to endure.
Methods like Myo reps will help you do extra high-quality coaching in much less time, making your exercises extra environment friendly with out sacrificing muscle progress.
They work by packing more practical reps into shorter units, so you may make good positive aspects with out dragging out your coaching.
On this information, you’ll be taught precisely what Myo reps are, how they work, and tips on how to use them to get essentially the most out of your time within the health club.
Key Takeaways
- Myo reps allow you to construct simply as a lot muscle as conventional coaching in much less time by retaining relaxation durations brief and permitting you to achieve failure a number of occasions in every set.
- As a substitute of doing a number of lengthy units, you carry out one activation set, then use brief rests and small “Myo-rep units” to get extra productive reps in much less time.
- Myo reps are simpler in your joints and tendons as a result of you’ll be able to prepare with lighter weights whereas nonetheless stimulating muscle progress.
- They will help you break by way of plateaus by growing your coaching quantity with out including an excessive amount of fatigue.
- In a Myo-rep match set you determine a rep goal in your first set and use Myo-rep units to match it in each following set.
What Are Myo Reps?
Myo reps are a power coaching approach designed to make your exercises extra environment friendly by serving to you do extra “muscle-building” reps in much less time.
As a substitute of doing a number of conventional units with lengthy relaxation durations, Myo-rep sets have you ever carry out one conventional set (known as an “activation set”), then a number of brief units with only some seconds of relaxation in between.
Norwegian power coach Borge Fagerli developed Myo reps as a technique to do extra high-effort reps in much less time. He primarily based his methodology on the concept the ultimate reps of a set, when your muscle groups are near failure, are those that stimulate essentially the most progress—a principle known as “efficient reps.”
Some researchers debate this, however Fagerli and plenty of others imagine that doing more practical reps by taking your muscle groups near failure a number of occasions in fast succession is a extra environment friendly technique to construct muscle than following a conventional set construction.
Myo Reps and Henneman’s Dimension Precept
Fagerli’s stance attracts closely on Henneman’s Dimension Precept, which explains how your physique recruits muscle fibers. Right here’s the gist:
- Your muscle groups don’t activate all fibers without delay. They begin with smaller, weaker, “slow-twitch fibers” and solely name within the bigger, extra highly effective, “fast-twitch fibers” when completely essential.
- These fast-twitch fibers—which even have essentially the most potential for progress—solely “swap on” whenever you both elevate heavy weights or turn out to be so fatigued that your physique has no selection however to make use of them.
- In conventional coaching, you utilize a number of “lengthy” units to achieve the purpose at which your muscle groups recruit all obtainable muscle fibers. As compared, Myo-rep sets get you so far quicker by retaining relaxation durations extraordinarily brief so your fast-twitch fibers keep switched on.
Right here’s a graph as an instance this level:
How Do You Do Myo Reps?
Myo reps are easy when you perceive the construction. Right here’s tips on how to do them step-by-step:
Step 1: Activation Set
Carry out 15-to-30 reps with a weight that’s 30-to-50% of your one-rep max (1RM).
- Rookies: ~30% of 1RM
- Intermediates: ~40% of 1RM
- Superior lifters: ~50% of 1RM
Finish your activation set 1-to-2 reps shy of failure.
Step 2: Myo-Reps Units
- Relaxation for 5-to-15 seconds. The easiest way to time this with out dropping focus is to take 3-to-5 deep breaths.
- Do 3-to-5 extra reps.
- Repeat this cycle for as much as 5 Myo-rep sets or till your reps drop beneath 3 reps per Myo-rep set.
Listed here are a number of examples of how your Myo-reps units would possibly look:
- 20 reps + 5 reps + 5 reps + 5 reps
- 22 reps + 3 reps + 3 reps + 3 reps + 2 reps
- 25 reps + 5 reps + 4 reps + 4 reps + 4 reps + 3 reps
3 Ideas for Extra Efficient Myo-Rep Sets
- Chill out on the finish of every Myo-rep set. When attainable, set the load down. When you can’t do that (e.g., through the bench press), lock out the limbs concerned within the train to permit the goal muscle groups time to relaxation.
- Restrict your self to not more than 5 Myo-rep sets. Doing extra might be tempting, nevertheless it doubtless received’t produce higher outcomes however will make your coaching extra uncomfortable, hinder restoration, and place extra stress in your tender tissues.
- Use Myo reps for isolation workout routines solely. Whereas Fagerli says you are able to do Myo-reps on compound workout routines, most individuals discover this too taxing.
Myo-Reps Instance Exercise
Right here’s a 3-day PPL routine that makes use of Myo reps for all isolations workout routines:
Myo-Rep Exercise #1: Push
Myo-Rep Exercise #2: Pull
- Deadlift: 3 units of 4-to-6 reps with 3-to-5 min relaxation between units
- Pull-up: 3 units of 4-to-6 reps with 3-to-5 min relaxation between units
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 3 units of 6-to-8 reps with 2-to-3 min relaxation between units
- Dumbbell Curl: 1 activation set of 15-to-30 reps + 3-to-5 Myo-rep units of 3-to-5 reps with 5-to-15 seconds (3-to-5 breaths) between units
Myo-Rep Exercise #3: Legs
- Again Squat: 3 units of 4-to-6 reps with 3-to-5 min relaxation between units
- Leg Press: 3 units of 4-to-6 reps with 3-to-5 min relaxation between units
- Bulgarian Break up Squat: 3 units of 6-to-8 reps with 2-to-3 min relaxation between units
- Leg Curl: 1 activation set of 15-to-30 reps + 3-to-5 Myo-rep units of 3-to-5 reps with 5-to-15 seconds (3-to-5 breaths) between units
The Advantages of Myo Reps Defined
Myo Reps Are Time-Environment friendly
The largest benefit of Myo reps is that they assist you construct simply as a lot muscle as conventional coaching in a lot much less time.
To construct muscle, it is advisable push your muscle groups near failure, the place they’re pressured to work as onerous as attainable.
With conventional coaching, you solely attain this level on the finish of a set, after a number of lower-effort reps. To get extra of these muscle-building reps, you’d must do extra units and extra complete reps—which extends your exercises and probably how lengthy it takes to get well from coaching.
Myo reps clear up this downside by letting you hit failure a number of occasions in a single prolonged set, retaining your muscle groups in that high-effort, high-reward zone with out having to relaxation for lengthy durations or do much less productive additional work.
For instance, in a examine revealed within the Journal of Science and Drugs in Sport, weightlifters utilizing Myo rep-style coaching accomplished the identical quantity of labor greater than 7 occasions quicker than when utilizing conventional units.
Myo Reps Are Simpler on Your Joints and Tendons
Lifting heavy weights is nice for constructing muscle and power, nevertheless it additionally stresses your joints and tendons, particularly when you don’t stability quantity (units), depth, and restoration correctly. Myo reps assist cut back this pressure by letting you prepare with lighter masses whereas nonetheless stimulating muscle progress.
This additionally makes Myo reps a wonderful choice when you’ve got joint ache, are recovering from an damage, or wish to reduce long-term put on and tear with out sacrificing progress.
That mentioned, Myo reps nonetheless require you to carry out numerous reps in a short while, typically whenever you’re already fatigued. When you let your kind break down or do them too typically, they’ll nonetheless trigger aches and pains.
A easy technique to keep away from that is to make use of them for less than 1-to-2 isolation workout routines per exercise and hold them to 3-to-5 reps per Myo-rep set and 3-to-5 Myo-rep units per train.
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Myo Reps Could Assist Break By way of Plateaus
In case your progress has stalled, Myo reps might provide help to get shifting once more. One of many easiest methods to push previous a plateau is to improve your coaching quantity.
However this technique can backfire when you overdo it.
An excessive amount of additional work can disrupt restoration, drain your power, and make progress even tougher. The problem is discovering the candy spot—doing sufficient to stimulate progress with out operating your self into the bottom.
Myo reps provide help to stroll this line by permitting you to build up extra productive quantity with out inflicting extreme fatigue. As a result of they take little time, in addition they make it simpler to coach cussed muscle teams extra incessantly with out spending additional hours within the health club.
RELATED: 6 Confirmed Methods to Break By way of Weightlifting Plateaus
What Are Myo-Rep Match Units?
Myo-rep match units are a variation of Myo-rep units the place you set a “rep goal” in your activation set, then use Myo reps to “match” your rep goal in all subsequent units.
Their most important profit is that they mean you can attain failure much more occasions per train than common Myo-rep units, which can provide help to construct extra muscle, supplied you’ll be able to get well from the additional quantity.
How Do You Do Myo-Rep Match Units?
Comply with these steps to carry out Myo-rep match units:
- Carry out an activation set, stopping 1-to-2 reps shy of failure.
- Word what number of reps you accomplished—that is your rep goal for all subsequent units.
- Relaxation as you usually would between conventional units (sometimes 2-to-3 minutes).
- Carry out your subsequent set, aiming to match your rep goal in a single go.
- When you can’t hit that quantity, relaxation 5-to-15 seconds (or 3-to-5 breaths), then do a Myo-rep set of 3-to-5 reps.
- Proceed doing Myo-rep units till you attain your rep goal.
- Relaxation for 2-to-3 minutes, then repeat the specified variety of units following the identical steps.
To grasp how this would possibly look in follow, let’s say you’re utilizing Myo-rep match units for dumbbell aspect lateral raises.
In your activation set, you full 20 reps. This implies each subsequent set should additionally attain 20 reps.
In your subsequent set, you push till you’re 1-to-2 reps shy of failure and handle 15 reps. You’re 5 reps wanting your goal, so that you relaxation for 5-to-15 seconds (3-to-5 breaths), then do a Myo-rep set of 3-to-5 reps.
On this set, you do 4 reps, taking you to 19 complete reps—nonetheless 1 rep wanting your goal. You relaxation one other 5-to-15 seconds, then do 1 rep to match your rep goal and end the set.
You relaxation 2-to-3 minutes, then repeat the method for all units of dumbbell aspect lateral raises in your exercise.
FAQ #1: Are Myo reps efficient?
Sure, Myo reps generally is a extremely efficient technique to construct muscle—particularly when you’re seeking to prepare extra effectively or improve your coaching quantity.
That mentioned, they aren’t at all times essential or ideally suited for everybody. Some gymgoers discover that repeatedly pushing to failure is extra uncomfortable and mentally draining than conventional units, which might make coaching much less pleasurable.
As a result of they’re so fatiguing, different individuals battle to take care of good kind throughout Myo reps, which might be offputting and improve damage danger.
When you’re new to power coaching, Myo reps are additionally pointless for muscle progress and will needlessly overcomplicate your routine. Rookies progress simply nice utilizing normal units, so there’s little cause so as to add complexity that might detract out of your coaching.
FAQ #2: What number of Myo-rep units ought to I do?
To keep away from extreme fatigue, use Myo reps for simply 1 or 2 isolation workout routines per exercise and restrict your self to 3-to-5 Myo-rep units per train. Doing greater than that received’t essentially result in higher outcomes and will make it tougher to get well.
FAQ #3: What does Myo reps imply?
Borge Fagerli by no means explicitly outlined Myo reps’ that means, however the most definitely clarification is that “Myo” comes from “myofibrillar hypertrophy”—a kind of muscle progress that occurs when muscle fibers construct extra contractile proteins.
Since Myo reps intention to extend the reps that drive muscle progress, the identify doubtless displays their deal with constructing muscle effectively.
FAQ #4: Myo reps vs. Relaxation-pause: What’s the distinction?
Technically, Myo reps are a kind of rest-pause coaching, developed and popularized by Borge Fagerli. Nonetheless, “rest-pause coaching” is a broad time period that refers to any methodology the place you are taking brief breaks to increase a set—whether or not for muscle progress, power, or endurance.
What makes Myo reps completely different from different rest-pause coaching is that they have a selected construction, with an activation set adopted by brief relaxation durations and small clusters of reps referred to as “Myo-rep units.”
That mentioned, bodybuilders together with Mike Mentzer, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Joe Weider used related strategies for many years.
One other variation is cluster units, that are extra widespread in powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting. In contrast to Myo reps, individuals extra generally use them to achieve power and energy moderately than muscle.
Scientific References +
- Gustavo, et al. “How Do Relaxation-Pause and Sarcoplasma Stimulating Coaching Fashions Have an effect on Metabolic and Psychoaffective Responses in Bodybuilding Athletes In comparison with Conventional Coaching?” Frontiers in Sports activities and Energetic Residing, vol. 6, 29 Oct. 2024, https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2024.1467762. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
- Karimifard, Mahmood, et al. “Twelve Weeks Relaxation–Pause and Conventional Resistance Coaching: Results on Myokines and Efficiency Diversifications amongst Recreationally Educated Males.” Stresses, vol. 3, no. 1, 8 Feb. 2023, pp. 302–315, https://doi.org/10.3390/stresses3010022. Accessed 10 Feb. 2023.
- Prestes, Jonato, et al. “Power and Muscular Diversifications after 6 Weeks of Relaxation-Pause vs. Conventional A number of-Units Resistance Coaching in Educated Topics.” Journal of Power and Conditioning Analysis, vol. 33, July 2019, pp. S113–S121, https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000001923. Accessed 27 Aug. 2020.
- Marshall, Paul W.M., et al. “Acute Neuromuscular and Fatigue Responses to the Relaxation-Pause Methodology.” Journal of Science and Drugs in Sport, vol. 15, no. 2, Mar. 2012, pp. 153–158, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2011.08.003.
- Refalo, Martin C., et al. “Affect of Resistance Coaching Proximity-To-Failure on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Assessment with Meta-Evaluation.” Sports activities Drugs, vol. 53, no. 3, 5 Nov. 2022, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-022-01784-y.
- Burd, Nicholas A., et al. “Resistance Train Quantity Impacts Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis and Anabolic Signalling Molecule Phosphorylation in Younger Males.” The Journal of Physiology, vol. 588, no. 16, 13 Aug. 2010, pp. 3119–3130, https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2010.192856.
