Occasionally I find myself asking how many reps I should do, even though I have been training for ten years.

Is there a secret number?

I get an honest workout from eight sets of eight reps, but if you go four more reps, to twelve then you will bring on a “burn” that you cannot get from eight reps.

High reps will increase capillary size and count!

Lower reps will build muscle fibre (increase it up to 40 percent).

You seem to be worrying about your training. Negative thought will get you nowhere. Do not lock yourself into any one system of sets and reps.

Productive workouts can never be experienced until you let go of all your fears, frustrations, tensions, doubts and indecisions. When this happens a blinding light of total awareness engulfs you.

Example: I first experienced this takeover when I was sitting behind my preacher bench waiting my turn to perform my next set. This particular bench I've always maintained has a life of its own. This is due to the fact that so many famous bodybuilders have literally stood behind it and "prayed" for the magic that they know it contains.

I have never failed to observe the reverence displayed by any man who uses this bench. They all know that no one has ever been able to duplicate the magic proportions that this particular bench embodies. Try to copy it as they have, no one to this day has ever succeeded.

To get on with my story, the man before me finished his set and stepped aside. I picked up my Olympic barbell, took the proper grip, placed my elbows at the top of the bench and with both feet parallel, lowered the barbell smoothly to the low position, then slowly curled the bar to my front deltoids.

I was only interested in working the muscle in good, slow, smooth form (balanced cadence). No number of reps in mind. Just a good honest set in as perfect form as I could manage.

The number of reps I usually did was 12. But due to the fact that I had achieved a total alpha state during the waiting period my body disassociated the reps factor and I performed 24 reps with no more effort or strain than if I had performed the usual 12 reps.

The example I am trying to give is simply that if you limit yourself to any number of reps that is all you will do. I had somehow rejected the fact that 12 reps was my limit.