5x5 vs 3x10 for Hypertrophy Which Is Better Explained

5x5 vs 3x10 for Hypertrophy The Clear Winner

For pure muscle growth or hypertrophy, a 3x10 rep scheme is generally more effective than 5x5. The primary reason is that it allows you to accumulate more total training volume, which is the main driver of muscle size. While 5x5 is excellent for building maximal strength, its lower rep count and higher intensity can limit the amount of work you can perform and recover from.

A hypertrophy-focused program prioritizes volume and muscular fatigue. The 8-12 rep range, which includes the 3x10 structure, achieves this balance perfectly. It provides enough mechanical tension to signal growth without causing the excessive neural fatigue associated with very heavy, low-rep sets. This approach works best for anyone whose main goal is to increase muscle size rather than test their one-rep max. Here's why this works.

Why Total Volume Is the Only Metric That Matters

The debate between 5x5 and 3x10 is a distraction. The real engine of muscle growth is total training volume. Volume is a simple calculation of your total workload. The formula is sets × reps × weight. The more volume you can consistently apply and recover from, the more muscle you will build over time. While mechanical tension (lifting heavy) is crucial, it's only one part of the equation. The other two key drivers of hypertrophy are metabolic stress (the 'pump') and muscle damage, both of which are better stimulated by the higher repetitions and shorter rest periods associated with volume-focused training.

Let's look at the math for a single exercise. If you squat 100kg for 5 sets of 5 reps, your volume is 2,500kg (5 × 5 × 100). If you use a lighter weight of 75kg for 3 sets of 10 reps, your volume is 2,250kg (3 × 10 × 75). At first glance, 5x5 seems to produce more volume. However, this comparison is misleading. The heavy, neurologically demanding nature of 5x5 leaves you with less capacity for other exercises. A 3x10 scheme allows for enough energy to perform additional accessory exercises, leading to a much higher total volume for the entire workout and the week.

The most common mistake we see is focusing on one lift instead of the total work done for a muscle group. Hypertrophy requires hitting muscles from different angles with sufficient volume. A typical 3x10 structure allows you to do a main lift plus 2-3 accessory movements, accumulating far more growth stimulus than a single, exhausting 5x5 lift would. The goal is to consistently increase your total weekly volume over months, not just lift the heaviest weight possible in one session. Here's exactly how to do it.

Tired of guessing? Track it.

Mofilo tracks food, workouts, and your purpose. Download today.

How to Structure Your Training for Hypertrophy

A smart training plan uses different rep schemes for different goals. You can combine the best of both worlds to build both strength and size. This hybrid approach provides a balanced stimulus for long-term growth.

Step 1. Start with Heavy Compound Lifts for 5-8 Reps

Begin your workouts with a heavy compound exercise like the squat, bench press, or deadlift. Perform 3-4 sets in the 5-8 rep range. This builds a strong foundation and targets fast-twitch muscle fibers responsible for strength and power. This is not a pure 5x5, but it incorporates the principle of heavy lifting to drive progressive overload.

Step 2. Add Accessory Lifts for 8-12 Reps

After your main heavy lift, move on to accessory exercises. These can be isolation movements like bicep curls or less demanding compound lifts like dumbbell presses. For these, perform 3-4 sets in the 8-12 rep range. This is where you will accumulate the majority of your training volume and create the metabolic stress that contributes to hypertrophy.

Step 3. Track Your Total Weekly Volume

To ensure you are making progress, you must track your total weekly volume per muscle group. Aim for 10-20 hard sets per muscle group spread across the week. You can do this manually with a notebook or spreadsheet, but it gets tedious calculating sets × reps × weight for every exercise each week. The Mofilo app is an optional tool that automatically calculates your total volume for each exercise and muscle group, so you can see if you're progressing without any manual math.

A Concrete Example: The 3-Day Hybrid PPL Split

To make this crystal clear, here is a sample 3-day Push/Pull/Legs (PPL) workout plan that applies these principles. This routine is designed to be performed on non-consecutive days (e.g., Monday, Wednesday, Friday) to allow for adequate recovery.

Day 1: Push (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps)

• Barbell Bench Press (Strength Focus): 3 sets of 5-8 reps. This is your primary strength driver for the upper body. Focus on perfect form and adding weight to the bar over time. Rest 2-3 minutes between sets.
• Incline Dumbbell Press (Volume Focus): 3 sets of 8-12 reps. This targets the upper chest and allows for a greater range of motion than the barbell version, accumulating more volume. Rest 60-90 seconds.
• Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press (Volume Focus): 3 sets of 8-12 reps. Builds overall shoulder mass. Using dumbbells ensures each shoulder works independently. Rest 60-90 seconds.
• Tricep Rope Pushdowns (Isolation): 3 sets of 10-15 reps. This isolates the triceps, which make up two-thirds of your upper arm mass. Focus on the squeeze at the bottom. Rest 60 seconds.
• Dumbbell Lateral Raises (Isolation): 3 sets of 12-15 reps. Crucial for developing the 'capped' shoulder look. Use a lighter weight and control the movement; don't use momentum. Rest 60 seconds.

Day 2: Pull (Back & Biceps)

• Barbell Bent-Over Row (Strength Focus): 3 sets of 5-8 reps. A powerhouse for building a thick, dense back. Keep your back straight and pull the bar to your lower chest. Rest 2-3 minutes.
• Lat Pulldowns (Volume Focus): 3 sets of 8-12 reps. This targets the latissimus dorsi, responsible for back width. Focus on pulling with your elbows to engage the lats. Rest 60-90 seconds.
• Seated Cable Rows (Volume Focus): 3 sets of 8-12 reps. Hits the mid-back muscles (rhomboids, traps) from a different angle. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the peak of the contraction. Rest 60-90 seconds.
• Alternating Dumbbell Curls (Isolation): 3 sets of 10-15 reps per arm. A classic for building bicep peaks. Control the negative (lowering) portion of the rep. Rest 60 seconds.
• Face Pulls (Shoulder Health & Rear Delts): 3 sets of 15-20 reps. This high-rep movement targets the often-neglected rear deltoids and rotator cuff muscles, promoting shoulder health and posture. Rest 60 seconds.

Day 3: Legs (Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes & Calves)

• Barbell Back Squat (Strength Focus): 3 sets of 5-8 reps. The undisputed king of leg exercises. Focus on hitting parallel or below for full muscle activation. Rest 2-3 minutes.
• Romanian Deadlifts (Volume Focus): 3 sets of 8-12 reps. Primarily targets the hamstrings and glutes. Keep a slight bend in your knees and hinge at the hips. Rest 60-90 seconds.
• Leg Press (Volume Focus): 3 sets of 10-15 reps. This allows you to safely push your quads to high levels of fatigue without the stability demands of a squat. Rest 60-90 seconds.
• Leg Extensions (Isolation): 3 sets of 12-15 reps. Isolates the quadriceps. Pause and squeeze at the top of the movement for maximum contraction. Rest 60 seconds.
• Standing Calf Raises (Isolation): 4 sets of 15-20 reps. The calves often respond best to higher reps and volume. Get a full stretch at the bottom and a hard squeeze at the top. Rest 45-60 seconds.

What to Expect When You Focus on Volume

When you shift your focus from just lifting heavy to accumulating volume, your training will feel different. The pump and muscle fatigue will be more pronounced. You should expect to see noticeable changes in muscle size within 8-12 weeks if your nutrition and recovery are consistent.

So, how do you ensure progress with this hybrid plan? The principle of progressive overload is still king. Your goal is to make your workouts harder over time. For your main strength lift (the 5-8 rep exercise), your primary goal should be to add weight to the bar whenever you can hit the top of the rep range (8 reps) for all sets with good form. For your accessory lifts (the 8-15 rep exercises), you have more options. You can add weight, but you can also add a rep to each set, or even add an entire set (e.g., moving from 3 sets to 4 sets). The key is to track your total volume and ensure it's trending upwards. For example, if you bench pressed 100kg for 3x8 last week (2400kg volume), and this week you do 102.5kg for 3x7 (2152.5kg volume), your volume actually went down. A better progression would be to stick with 100kg and aim for one set of 9, or add a fourth set of 5 reps. This is the mindset shift required for hypertrophy.

Progress is not always linear. Some weeks you will feel strong, and other weeks you may need to reduce the weight to hit your target reps. This is normal. The goal is an overall upward trend in volume across months, not a perfect increase every single week. Listen to your body and prioritize consistency over intensity.

You read this far. You're serious.

Track food, workouts, and your purpose with Mofilo. Download today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you still build muscle with a 5x5 program?

Yes, you can build muscle with 5x5, especially as a beginner. The heavy weight provides significant mechanical tension. However, it is optimized for strength and may not be the most efficient method for maximizing muscle size in the long term compared to higher-volume programs.

Is 3x10 good for building strength?

You will get stronger with a 3x10 scheme, as progressive overload still applies. However, it is not optimal for developing maximal strength. Strength is a specific skill that adapts best to heavier loads and lower repetitions, typically in the 1-5 rep range.

Should I use 5x5 or 3x10 for compound lifts?

For a balanced approach, use a lower rep range like 3-4 sets of 5-8 reps for your primary compound lift to build strength. Then, use higher rep ranges like 3-4 sets of 8-12 for your secondary and accessory exercises to accumulate volume for hypertrophy.

How long should I rest between sets?

For your heavy, low-rep compound lifts (5-8 reps), rest for 2-3 minutes. This allows for near-full recovery of the central nervous system and ATP stores, enabling you to lift the heaviest weight possible on each set. For your higher-rep accessory and isolation work (8-20 reps), rest periods should be shorter, typically 60-90 seconds. This shorter rest creates more metabolic stress, another key driver of hypertrophy, and allows you to complete your workout in a reasonable time.