Training with roughly 6 to 12 repetitions is most effective for which outcome?

Training with roughly 6 to 12 repetitions is optimal for muscular hypertrophy, which is the increase in muscle size. This rep range stimulates muscle fibers sufficiently to encourage growth through various mechanisms, including mechanical tension, muscle damage, and metabolic stress. When lifting weights within this range, the intensity is typically higher than in lighter weight endurance training, promoting the conditions that lead to muscle adaptation and growth.

This specific rep range balances enough weight to create significant tension on the muscles while still allowing for enough volume to foster muscle fiber engagement and metabolic stress, both crucial factors in hypertrophy. Lower rep ranges usually focus more on strength development, while higher rep ranges often emphasize endurance, which is why those outcomes would not be as effectively achieved within the 6 to 12 rep range.