[rorytbyrne]

> heavy weights with few reps (common body builder wisdom)

It is strength training (not body builder) wisdom to use heavy weights with few reps. Hypertrophy (i.e. body builder) programmes usually call for 8-12 reps, which implies relatively low weights.

[NooneAtAll3]

is "8-12" not "few" for you?

[rorytbyrne]

Relatively speaking, no. Strength training (as opposed to hypertrophy) calls for fewer reps, around 5 per set.

Many people advise spending about a year doing more sets of fewer (~5) reps to build strength, and then switch to fewer sets of more reps (8-12) when you want to build muscle mass.

Point being, the idea of doing lighter weights until failure is already kind of there in body building wisdom.

[SoftTalker]

3-5 reps per set for powerlifting training. Competition lifts are a single rep.

[solumunus]

No that’s definitely considered to be a moderate rep range. Roughly speaking low is 1-5, mid is 6-12, high is 12+. Above 20 is practically irrelevant.

[throwaway6734]

1-3 is few