A question as old as time

How many times have you seen that old saying, ‘6 reps for strength, 10 for growth, 12 or more for toning’? It’s everywhere online, and it’s a prime example of fitness misinformation that just won’t die. Even the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) has it in their curriculum—crazy, right? Then there’s the classic ‘men lift heavy, women lift light’ trope, or ‘men thrive on low reps, women on high.’ Turns out, that’s mostly a marketing gimmick, not science.

So why all the nonsense? Money. For instance, back in the late 20th century, women’s fitness was all about aerobics and dance. Serious muscle research was thin, and pro bodybuilding—like with Arnold and Coleman—was just heating up. Gyms were packed with grunting guys slinging heavy metal. But gym owners saw dollar signs in the other half of the population. So how do you sell weights to women hooked on cheerleading and step classes? You invent a ‘feminine’ training style—light weights, high reps, ‘toning’ instead of ‘bulking’—and slap a bow on it. Check out what Elaine Powers and Dr. Richard Proctor pulled off; they basically owned women’s fitness for decades.

Fast forward to now. Tech and studies have blown the lid off this stuff. Here’s what I’ve pieced together from research and my college training:

• Genetics trump gender in how training works. Ending a set within 3 reps of failure beats obsessing over a rep scheme like 3×10.
• Muscle adaptation shifts with consistent rep ranges, sure, but not as much as the old myths claim.
• Big muscles don’t need a special plan compared to small ones.
• Most people only need 4-12 sets per muscle group per week for growth. ‘Toning’? That’s just muscle growth plus fat loss—aka body recomposition.
• No magic workout exists—just discipline and consistency.

The fitness industry’s old lies are crumbling. Time to train smarter, not harder.