100-Rep Sets - Muscle & Fitness (2024)

100-Rep Sets - Muscle & Fitness (1)

One hundred. It’s crazy, right? It’s the length of a football field in yards. It’s a century. It’s enough miles per hour to earn a painful fine. In those contexts, it’s big. But in regard to reps per set, it’s huge. Dorian Yates didn’t do 100 working reps in an entire workout! You may not have ever considered cranking out a set of 100—until now.

The training style popularly known as 100s targets slow-twitch muscle fibers and permanently enhances blood flow to your muscles. In other words, it’s a unique and effective means of boosting growth. And there’s nothing crazy about that.

THE CENTURY CLUB

Rory Leidelmeyer, one of the best bodybuilders to never turn pro, used a 100s program for extended periods. Another top ’80s amateur who barely missed a pro card, Tom Touchstone, followed Leidelmeyer’s lead, as did Diana Dennis, who finished third in the 1985 Ms. Olympia. 2004 NPC Nationals winner Chris Cook plowed through a 100-rep shock set of curls and another of pushdowns on a non-arm day to drive blood to his arms and aid recovery. And Moe El Moussawi, who finished ninth in the 2008 Mr. Olympia, performed high-rep and high-volume training for years, including many sets in the 50-100 range.

Okay, so some famous and semi-famous bodybuilders repped out marathon sets. But does it work? And if so, how does it work? Advocates claim it boosts growth, enhances vascularity, and brings a subtly different look—more detailed, more distinct—to their muscles. Think of the constant polishing of a diamond to enhance its shape. Marathon sets thoroughly stress a muscle’s slow-twitch fibers during the slog of the initial approximately 50 reps. But they tax fast-twitch fibers, too, as you approach failure points on your way to the century mark. High reps also enhance circulation to the targeted muscles. In turn, improved blood flow better feeds your muscles with growth-inducing nutrients.

There are two ways to join the Century Club. You can do an entire program consisting of only three or four 100-rep sets per body part. Stick to this for periods of two to four weeks, and follow it with at least 10 weeks of a traditional workout regimen. This is a full-body growth turbocharger. Your strength may be a little depressed when you return to moderate reps, but it should bounce back within a couple of weeks.

Alternately, you can work 100s into your usual routine as a shock treatment. Do an occasional century set session for a lagging body part, or rotate such workouts so that all body parts get the treatment from time to time. Not only can this jump-start new growth, but it can also recharge your training in general, especially when you have nagging injuries. Don’t have time for your usual workout, or your joints are still reeling from your last one? Do one set per exercise for 100 reps. Such a routine will be faster and also allow you to train around injuries. You may look a little crazy and a lot weaker doing marathon sets. But, if used only occasionally, 100s is a smart way to foster heavyweight gains.

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100-Rep Sets - Muscle & Fitness (2)

100-REP BASICS

  • Select three to four exercises per body part. Doonly one set of 100 reps per exercise. Warmupsare unnecessary.
  • Ideally, you want to reach failure at between 60–70 reps. Then pause and continue. Pause asmany times as necessary to get to 100 strict reps.
  • Use a weight that is approximately one-third of your 10-rep max. So, ifyou normally max out at 225 for 10, use 75.
  • Pause for as many seconds as you have remaining. So if you get 64 reps, rest for 36 seconds. Ifyou then get to 89, rest for 11 more seconds.

100-REP TIP SHEET

  • Either count out the seconds of rest periods, use thesecond hand of a clock or watch, or have a partner time them with a smartphone.
  • Set down or rerackthe weight duringlengthy pauses.
  • When you can get more than 70 reps without pausing, moveup to a heavier weight.
  • Choose bilateralexercises, so you don’t need to do 100 reps for each side separately.

100-REP ARM WORKOUT

  • Lying Triceps Extension | SETS: 1 | REPS: 100
  • Smith Machine Close-grip Bench Press |SETS:1 |REPS:100
  • Pushdown |SETS:1 |REPS:100
  • Barbell Curl |SETS:1 |REPS:100
  • Seated Dumbbell Curl |SETS:1 |REPS:100
  • Preacher Curl |SETS:1 |REPS:100

FLEX

100-Rep Sets - Muscle & Fitness (2024)

FAQs

Do 100 rep sets build muscle? ›

The training style popularly known as 100s targets slow-twitch muscle fibers and permanently enhances blood flow to your muscles. In other words, it's a unique and effective means of boosting growth. And there's nothing crazy about that.

Is doing 100 reps too much? ›

For decades, we have been told that anywhere from 6-12 reps is the golden mean to build a killer physique. This still holds true, but doing an occasional 100 rep workout achieves several things: It pushes your mental pain barrier so you'll be capable of performing at a higher intensity during your other workouts.

What does 100 reps mean in exercise? ›

The idea behind doing one hundred repetitions is that you only do one set per exercise. You choose a weight light enough to hopefully get through one hundred full range repetitions.

How long should 100 reps take? ›

You want to perform 100 total reps, resting as often as you need to get there. Keep the rest periods short and sweet. Catch your breath, regain your composure, and then knock out a few more reps. Depending on the exercise, 100 reps might take you 20 minutes or 45 minutes.

Do high reps still build muscle? ›

Strength-training workouts that employ low weights and high reps are good for your heart and lungs as well as building muscles. This includes high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts, which entail alternating between pushing your body hard and taking short breaks.

How many sets for max muscle growth? ›

In fact, the more advanced you are, the more volume your muscles can recover from (and the more they need in order to grow any further). A meta-analysis found that doing more than 10 sets per week per muscle is more effective than doing five to nine, which in turn is more effective than doing one to four.

How many reps is too heavy? ›

Training for Muscle Size (Hypertrophy)

That means if you can do only 6-7 reps, the weight is too heavy, so reduce it on subsequent sets. It also means that if you can do more than 12 reps, but simply stop at 12, that's not a "true" set.

Are high reps a waste of time? ›

Research suggests lifting smaller weights and doing more repetitions (or, in gym parlance, “reps”) can have a role to play – but it all depends on your goals. In short: if your goal is to build serious strength and bone density, lifting heavy is an efficient way to do it.

Is 200 reps too much? ›

So, performing 200 reps of a movement repeatedly over an extended period will let you build strength and muscular endurance. With workouts like these, bodyweight is more than enough resistance to create fatigue and force your body and muscles to adapt.

How many reps is perfect? ›

The NSCA recommends doing 1-6 reps for strength, 6-12 for muscle growth, and more than 15 repetitions to build endurance. If lifting heavy weights to build strength or muscle mass, aim to lift heavier weights and complete fewer repetitions - anywhere from one to six per set.

How long to rest between sets? ›

To increase strength and power, the best rest period is 2-5 minutes between sets. To increase hypertrophy (muscle growth), the best rest period is 30-90 seconds between sets. To increase muscular endurance, the best rest period is 30 seconds or less between sets.

Is 50 reps too much? ›

A good rule of thumb is that when you reach the 50th rep, you should feel as though you can complete more reps. If you feel like you could do, say, another 20 or 30 reps, it's too light. But if you're failing early in the set, the weight is too heavy.

Will 100 reps build muscle? ›

Incorporating low-weight, high-repetition workouts like the 100s Full Body Dumbbell Workout into your routine can empower you to achieve a holistic transformation — from improved muscular endurance and definition to reduced risk of injuries.

How many reps does it take to see results? ›

1-5 Reps is where you want to be if you are looking specifically for strength gains. Stick to this rep range of top end strength is your goal. 5-8 Reps is used for what is known as functional hypertrophy. This is for people who are looking to gain some size, strength and speed, without too much muscular building.

What are the benefits of 100 rep bench press? ›

Lactic Acid Training is one of THE best methods for burning fat while maintaining muscle mass. The mechanism by which this happens is Growth Hormone... massive Lactic Acid accumulation ramps up GH secretion in the body in response.

Is 50 reps a set too much? ›

First, a quick definition: “ultra-high” means at least 25, and probably 50-100 reps per set. When you're doing this many reps, I honestly don't think it's crucial to count each and every one. As long as you're in the ballpark and pushing hard, the effects will be the same.

Is 100 reps low weight good? ›

Incorporating low-weight, high-repetition workouts like the 100s Full Body Dumbbell Workout into your routine can empower you to achieve a holistic transformation — from improved muscular endurance and definition to reduced risk of injuries.

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