[douglas]

I've been 5 repping since starting lifting weights because I want to maximise power and minimise mass.

There must be a limit to how long one can continue this before power is maximised and mass must be increased to continue making gains. My question is, is it necessary to switch to more reps, say 8, for a period of time? After how long? For how long? I assume the same applies to finger training but the desire to keep mass to a minimum isn't really present.

Thanks!

[rosmat]

According to the theory performing 5 reps will result in some muscle gain:

Guidelines as per The Kinesiology of Exercise by Michael Yessis:

• 1-4 reps per set @ 2-4RM increase pure strength but do not increase muscle mass
• 4-9 reps per set @ 5-9RM increase strength together with muscle mass
• 10-15 reps per set increase muscular strength, muscular endurance and muscle mass
• 16-30 reps per set increase muscular endurance with little to no increase in muscle mass
• 31-50 reps per set or circuit increase muscular endurance with no effect on muscle mass
• 50-100 reps per set or circuit increase muscular endurance, cardio-respiratory endurance, and there will be a possible loss of muscle mass (or fat) but absolutely no increase in strength

[ianv]

Isnt 8-10 for mass?

What about going even lower 2-4, I have been doing sets of 4 max recently (down from around 8 ) and I have definately seen strength improve without any weight gains.

Beaten to it. 

[Nibile]

I don't think you need to go up with number of reps.
You can either do 1-4 reps for max strength, or train different aspects such as speed or use particular techniques such as making a pause of 3 secs between every rep.
I think.

[Rocksteady]

Are you saying that there must be a limit to how much you can maximise power at your current level of muscle mass? i.e. you max out recruitment?

As Nibs is saying reps/weight isn't the only factor in power - speed is part of it too.

But logically, yes, if you recruit all the muscle fibres available and train them to their peak of power then you need to train for hypertrophy to build more fibres. Drop the weight a bit, up the reps (rosmat's answer seems pretty definitive on training ranges). Once you've achieved some hypertrophy (usually slower gains than recruitment like 8-10 weeks), time to up the weights again (recruit) then up the speed again (power) to reach your new power potential.

[douglas]

This is making a bit of sense, thanks guys. How should increased speed be incorporated?

[Nibile]

I have no science, but I would do it in cycles, dropping the usual lifting routines and performing some excercises only at max speed. I used to do it with pull ups, doing sets of 10 in the shortest possible time. But you can tailor the number of reps obviously.
I wouldn't mix it with normal lifting, speed puts a big stress on everything.

[douglas]

Okay thanks boss. I'll start 8 repping especially for chest, I haven't made progress on bench in ages.

[a dense loner]

Do you do bench with a bar? If so change to dumbbells for a bit