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Often, when you read bodybuilding-related blogs and websites, you’ll see the term “heavy.” But what does “heavy” mean?

Let’s say you can Bench Press 315 pounds one time. For you, that’s the heaviest you can go, right? But is 285 for 2 reps heavy? Hell yeah.

Is 225 for 20 reps heavy? If 20 is the most you can do, then yes, it is heavy.

Bottom line: If you cannot do another rep, it’s HEAVY.

It’s not the absolute weight, but rather the effort that is involved.

Maximal effort = HEAVY

Now, if you’re doing 50 reps, you’re probably not going to grow much, and that’s the whole idea behind bodybuilding, right? So, stick to a rep range for the upper body of 5-12 reps, 8-20 for the lower body. Make your “last” rep the last one possible. If your last rep, #12 in a Bent Row for example, is “easy” (meaning you could have done 1 more), then do 13. Your “last” rep ought to be a near-maximal effort. We’re talking full reps here.

Here’s a rule of thumb (provided you have a good spotter and/or you can safely do this by yourself) -

On your last rep, try to do another. If you can, then try another. If you cannot, you’ve done another 1/4 or 1/2 rep; there’s nothing wrong with that!

And also remember that this “last rep” is on your last set. I rarely recommend more than 3 sets of an exercise, so we’re talking 2 sets that build to the 3rd – and last – set. It’s on this last set where you would try for that “last rep.”

Got it? Make sense? Let me know your thoughts in the Comments!

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