How Many Repetitions Should I Perform? Rethinking Reps Through the Lens of Motor Learning and Athletic Development

“Should I do sets of 3, 8, or 10?”
 
It’s a common question in athletic development and strength training. And while the answer depends on your goals, it’s also easy to get lost in the numbers and lose sight of something more fundamental: the intention behind each movement and the connection between them.
 
Reps matter, but not as much as why and how you’re doing them.
 
Repetition Schemes Have Their Place
 
Let’s not dismiss reps entirely. Different rep schemes serve different physiological purposes. These ranges are useful tools in the toolbox, but they’re not the whole picture, especially when the goal is improved movement capability, coordination, or transfer to sport.
 
Movement Intent Comes First
 
If you’re mindlessly grinding through a set of 10 without understanding what you’re trying to achieve, you’re missing the mark.
 
What matters more than the exact rep count is:

• Are you moving with purpose?
• Are you feeling the sensations?
• Are you creating the shapes & positions that transfer outside the weight room?

 
Intent drives adaptation. If your focus is on owning internal rotation during a split squat, or maintaining inside edge pressure during a lateral step-up, that intent will shape the outcome, regardless of whether you’re doing 3 reps or 10.
 
The Power of Connection: Movement Truths
 
Every exercise is an opportunity to reinforce movement truths, the fundamental motor strategies that show up both inside and outside the weight room.
 
When reps are approached with connection in mind, the result is what some coaches call “sticky” behaviors, patterns that hold under pressure, fatigue, or the unpredictability of sport.
 
Examples include:

• Center of gravity management
• Foot plant from above
• Knee separation
• Steering the foot 
• Generating force in the opposite direction of the subsequent action

 
These aren’t isolated movements; they’re puzzle pieces that fit into the broader picture of athletic performance.
 
Reps Are a Tool, not a Rule
 
Instead of asking, “How many reps should I do?”, consider asking:

• What movement solution am I trying to build?
• What athletic quality am I emphasizing today?
• How can this movement connect to others in my session?

 
If those questions are answered clearly, then 3 reps might be plenty, or you might need 8 to get the desired effect.
 
Don’t let numbers on a page dictate the depth of your training. Reps don’t build athletes. Intention and connection do.
 
Let the reps support your purpose, not define it.
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