Problem: Most sets have a lot of “set-up reps” before you get to the ones that actually drive adaptations. Take any exercise and do a set of 10 reps to task failure (basically, failure with good form). The beginning reps aren’t as effective as the last few reps because you’re not recruiting enough motor units, and because the speed isn’t slow enough yet. Therefore, you’re not getting much mechanical tension. In order for an exercise to be effective to elicit a hypertrophy response, you need two things: 1) a high amount of motor unit recruitment. 2) a high amount of mechanical tension.
Solution: Myo-Reps.
Recently, I came across a training concept through a podcast interview with Dr. Antonella Schwarz, conducted by Dr. Mike T. Nelson on his Flex Diet podcast. She did her thesis on the topic of Myo-Reps, and Norwegian strength coach Borge Fagerli was the guy that developed this training method.
The Science Behind Effective Reps
Effective reps are the final reps of a set, when muscle fibers are fully recruited and under enough tension to actually drive growth mechanisms and strength gains.
This happens because of something called the Henneman Size Principle. in simple terms, your body recruits muscle fibers in order of size: the smaller, more endurance-oriented fibers come first, and the larger, more powerful fibers only join in when the effort becomes demanding. As you fatigue during a set, those bigger fibers are finally called into action. That’s why the hardest reps at the end are the most effective-they’re the ones that fully recruit the fibers with the greatest potential for strength and size gains.
With conventional sets, you can’t just skip the early reps (less effective reps) that don’t really contribute to muscle and strength gains. But with Myo-Reps you can.
"Effective Reps - A Model, Not a Law"
- Consensus: There’s agreement on the fact that full motor unit recruitment + high mechanical tension = best growth stimulus.
- There’s some disagreement on the exact number of reps per set that meet this. Some say the last 5 reps before you reach task failure of an exercise. Others think that you have to come much closer to actual task failure, such as 1 rep shy of failure.
- Practical takeaway: Use it as a programming framework, not a rule carved in stone.
- My opinion: I think most people aren’t that good at knowing how many more reps they could do with an exercise, so my default setting is to leave as few reps in reserve as possible, and come as close to task failure of an exercise as you can, but without a concern of getting injured.
Progressive Overload is The King, Frequency is The Queen
- Progressive overload is the main driver of progress. This is agreed upon with exercise scientists.
- Frequency seems to be the second most important aspect to driving results. Exercise scientist Chris Beardsley says that the more first sets you have in a week, the better, when it comes to gaining muscle.
- If you’re going to have a high weekly training frequency though, you cannot have too high of volume within a workout, or you won’t be recovered enough to have the high weekly frequency. So there is a sweet spot between training volume and weekly frequency. When I use Myo-Reps, I like two to three sets with the last set being the Myo-Rep set, and I like to only use two exercises at the most with Myo-Reps such as antagonist exercises (push/pull, or biceps curl/triceps extension as an example).
How Myo-Reps Fits The 2-Set Approach
- Set 1: ~10 reps, ~2 RIR — builds fatigue and primes full recruitment.
- Set 2: Myo-Rep set — activation mini-sets with short rests.
- Keeps volume low but time-in-effective-zone high.
"Why Myo-Reps works physiologically"
- Activation set gets close enough to failure to hit full recruitment.
- Short rests keep recruitment elevated without starting over.
- More stimulus per minute of training.
When and Where to Use Myo-Reps
- Best with isolation lifts, machines, or cables.
- Good with moderate loads (e.g., 30–50% 1RM).
- Avoid with very heavy compounds (fatigue + form risk).
Why This Works in the Real World
- Mechanical tension + metabolic stress combo.
- Shorter sessions without losing results.
- Allows high frequency without trashing recovery.
My Personal Experience
- Your results with this method.
- Any noticeable changes in pump, recovery, or strength.
Closing Takeaway
- Myo-Reps = a technique, not a full program.
- Use to get more out of less.
- Works best when integrated with solid load progression and smart recovery.
