Reps in reserve is a simple idea that helps you manage how tired you feel during your workouts. Instead of pushing every set to the point where you can’t do another rep, you stop a little short. This means you leave a few reps in the tank, so you don’t completely drain yourself. When you do this, you can keep your form strong and avoid getting too beat up by heavy weights.
Some people think training to failure every time is the best way to grow stronger or bigger. But doing that too often can actually slow you down. When you’re always pushing to failure, your body builds up a lot of fatigue, and that can make it harder to recover and keep making progress. Reps in reserve help you avoid that trap. You still work hard, but you don’t go all the way to the edge every time.
This is especially helpful when your strength changes from day to day. Some days you feel great and strong, and other days you feel tired or worn out. Using reps in reserve lets you adjust your effort based on how you feel. If you’re feeling good, you can push a little harder. If you’re feeling tired, you can back off a bit and still get a good workout without burning out.
Leaving a few reps in reserve also helps you manage fatigue over the week. If you train the same muscle group or do the same exercises more than once a week, you need to be smart about how hard you go. If you go all out every time, you might not recover well and could end up feeling sluggish or sore for days. By leaving some reps in reserve, especially on compound lifts, you can keep your energy up and stay fresh for your next session.
For isolation exercises, you can sometimes go closer to failure, especially on your last set for each muscle group. This way, you still get a strong stimulus for growth, but you don’t pile on extra fatigue that could slow you down later in the week.
Reps in reserve also make it easier to handle back-off sets. These are sets where you lower the weight after a heavy set. This lets you do more reps without adding too much stress to your joints or nervous system. It’s a smart way to build volume and keep making progress without getting injured or burned out.
Using reps in reserve helps you stay consistent and keep making gains over time. It’s not about going as hard as you can every single time. It’s about working hard enough to get results, but not so hard that you can’t do it again tomorrow.
Sources
https://rippedbody.com/rpe/
https://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/what-is-escalating-density-training
https://www.menshealth.com/uk/building-muscle/train-smarter/a69163138/back-off-sets/
https://www.si.com/everyday-athlete/training/unlock-maximum-muscle-growth-why-all-rep-ranges-work-and-how-to-use-them
https://dr-muscle.com/ultimate-strength-5-3-2-program/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkitIE3WuJQ
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/fitness/strength-training/a69105961/two-30-minute-workouts-build-strength-study/
