MYO-REPS: The Most Overhyped Training Technique? (Science Explained)

In this video, Dr. Milo Wolf breaks down the hype behind myo-reps. Are they a good approach for building muscle? What does the science actually say about them?

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"MYO-REPS: The Most Overhyped Training Technique? (Science Explained)"

Music from Uppbeat.

[DragonballG.]

I use Myorep match sets for every workout, in combination with supersets where tenable. I doubt I’m seeing better results, but I am out the gym in half the time. That’s a huge win IMO.

[EminenceRed]

In 2022, a team of researchers at University of Tampa, Florida compared 1 Myo-rep set to 3 normal sets, and confirmed that the muscle growth was the exact same - even though the subjects spent 70% less time and did 30% less reps.

[oioioi-]

This is somewhat disingenuous. As others have mentioned, it's not about increasing hypertrophy, but rather about trying to reduce the time wasted in the gym. Let's face it, doing 20 traditional sets with 3 minutes rest in-between equals 60 minutes of resting... Who has time? Myo-reps are just a variant of the old "rest-pause, " for which plenty of scientific evidence supports the notion that the SAME level of hypertrophy can be achieved in a shorter period of time. The same goes for drop-sets.

[RjTheTrigun]

Honestly I like Myo rep match because it gives me a baseline to hit every subsequent set. Plus it saves me aLOT of time when doing biceps/triceps or shoulders/calves. I APPRECIATE YOU ALWAYS WOLF.

[ImpulseFortune]

For what it’s worth, I think they are very useful as an efficiency technique rather than an intensity technique. I only have about 30 minutes to train so I do everything as a circuit (or multi exercise superset) with very little rest between exercises. I use a myorep match approach for every exercise so that, even if I’m not getting quite enough rest between exercises/sets, I still end up getting about the same volume in as I would have with straight sets because the myorep match forces me to get as many reps on sets 2, 3, and 4 as I did on set 1, regardless of my fatigue.

[rj]

Back in the golden era of bodybuilding these were called rest pause sets

[DCJayhawk]

I used to do traditional myoreps and got good results initially, but in hindsight it was likely because they taught me to train closer to failure. Haven't used them for a couple years at least and I'm getting equal or better results.

Lengthened partials and just focusing on directing my attention to the lengthened position has really pushed my training a step forward. I used to spend so much time focusing on the peak contraction and mind muscle connection that I would spend little effort focusing on the deep stretch and active tension in that position, I would usually just bounce out of that position using stretch reflex.

Your research on LPs has helped me re-evaluate my training on the whole, I have modified many exercises to focus on the lengthened position even when not doing LPs. My training volume has come down overall but intensity and quality have gone up dramatically, e.g. I've eliminated a lot of junk volume and less stimulative sets. My joints and tendons feel so much better, very important as I'm in my late 30s and still wanting to drive progression, maybe more than ever before.

Keep up the great content, I really like these shorter videos over specific topics.

[SHREKISMYLOVE-lx]

I've migrated from traditional straight sets -> atagonistic super sets -> to myo reps.

Why, becuase I like the time savings to be made, I like the intensity I feel in that shortened timeframe (really keep the focus and mind-muscle connection) and I can still progressively overload (either reps, weight or both) over 6-8 week mesocycle.

For me it feels and looks like I am growing more than tradiitonal straight sets, not significantly more than super sets, but the time saving is the biggest bonus, without feeling like I have left anyting in the gym.

As long as I have a deload week every 6-8 weeks to manage fatigue (important for a 50yo), I keep motivated, consistent and most of all enjoying the challenge. This technique is ideal for a busy family life.

Very interested when the University of Tampa study is FINALLY published, but for me it works.

[lbbproductions]

i started implementing myoreps (or rather myorep match) on some of my lifts like lateral raises and bicep curls (mainly because of dr mikes recommandation), but i never thought of it as a magical tool to more growth, but rather a more time efficient and maybe even fatigue reducing ( because you kind of skip the less effective reps and just perform the more important reps, not sure about this tho, would love to hear your take on this?) way of getting probably the same gains as with straight sets (which i assumed mainly because of the data we have on dropsets), but as i said nothing magical about them. great video as always!

[thsstphok]

The edition is top tier. You're putting a lot time and effort on this. Love it!
Thank you for the info.

[Yunghater]

I've seen progress for them on shoulders and forearms and I sure as shit am not doing 12 sets for each of those tiny muscles tbh 4 myorep match or myorep 1-3 pause sets or even drop sets takes like 7 minutes instead of 25

[LukePettit]

Could there be something going on at the cellular level that makes resting a very short amount of time, eg. 5-15 seconds (myo-reps style) that is different to resting 60 seconds which is often the "inferior short rest period group" length?
Maybe metabolites or some other bio-chemistry stuff that I don't properly know about?

[Omar]

Thank you for addressing this topic. When that Myo Rep study is finally published please consider doing an updated video.

[nd_otd]

I think the real utility of myoreps are for finishers, convenience and time-efficiency. I especially use myoreps for exercises that are quite a hassle to setup. After every set, you just rest in that position for a few seconds, and then continue. No need to get in and out of it.

[Kyle-yscv]

If myo reps allow for more “effective reps” in the same amount of time, how is this approach not unambiguously superior?

[tubenunofabio]

I am pretty sure that Myo-reps will deliver better results than the lenghtened partials you are pushing for constantly. And the hype I see is not on Myo-reps, but on that you are trying to create with this (strategic) type of videos ;)

[cloudysky]

Ive been doing myo rep for years without seeing any gains. But recently, in the last few months, Ive seen significant improvement of incorporating myo reps with progressive overloads as well as drop sets. So, my rep range for the first set is between 15 to 25 reps, if under 15 reps, the next time you go in, you decrease the weights by next increment, if over 25 reps, you increase the weights by next increment. Each time you go to the gym, you try to add another rep than previous. So you go from 15 reps to 25 reps, where you then increase the weight. For dropset, when I reach failure in my sub reps, i decrease load up to 3 times.

I had to uptake my carbs and protein to keep up, and so far, the hour that Im in the gym, doing Push-Leg-Pull splits have created extremely fast growth rate for me and my wife.

You don't need to wait for research, try this for 2 months.

[gate]

Well their purpose is time efficiency just unlike dropsets you dont have to drop the weight whitch can come in handy on a number of exercises (i.e. Barbell bicep curl). I switch between dropsets/myoreps/myorep match sets depending on the exercise and they definitly have their place imo.

Like for example training calves on the leg press, Im not gonna wait 3 minutes for 4 sets and loading/unloading plates for dropsets is just a giant waste of energy. I'd rather pump out a ton of minisets, completly frying my calves in 3 minutes. It also gets me sore/pumped much easier.

[joshuapeek]

People like milo and Joel seedman are actually true inspirations. They show day in an day out that getting a PhD just means you have to be a good test taker; and not actually understand what you’re taking a test on 🙏🙏🙏

[Ruba...]

“Absence of Evidence is not Evidence of Absence”. Myoreps (IMO) are a great (and time efficient) way to hit failure points in a way you can progress. I've had great success including them in my training (especially myorep matching (and not conventional myorepping)). I'd love to see a study on it, but until then I think Dr Mike and the like have done enough to earn my confidence in including them until proven wrong.