Creating new synapses during play
Plus, reps and sets specific to your fitness goals
Dr. Karyn Purvis, a developmental psychologist is attributed to this quote. “It takes 400 repetitions of an act or learning skill, 400 times, to get one new synapse. Or-would you like to know an option-there’s an option. Or, 12 repetitions with joy and laughter and you get a synapse because there’s a release of a chemical dopamine.” Unfortunately, I have been unable to find research that backs this up, so I can’t say this is true. But, I can give you some guidelines for how many repetitions you may need to complete when you exercise or when you are trying to gain a new skill! Let’s explore some of that based on evidence and research.
There is a repetition continuum for muscles depending on how you train for strength, hypertrophy(related to the size of the muscle fibers) or endurance according to BJ Schoenfeld1
Low reps of 1-5 with heavy loads 80-100% of one rep max(RM) is optimal for strength gains
Moderate reps of 8-12 with moderate loads of 60-80% of 1 RM is optimal for hypertrophy of muscle
High reps of 15 or more with light loads below 60% of 1RM is optimal for muscular endurance
What’s your 1 RM? There are 1 RM calculators online. Your 1 RM varies from muscle to muscle depending on the exercises completed so you would need to calculate your 1 RM for each muscle group you want to work on. There are also several formulas you can use to determine your 1 RM. Here’s one:
Brzycki formula: Weight in kilograms x (36/(37-number of reps))
There’s also a recommended amount of sets to complete with each exercise. According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association(NSCA) here’s a guideline:
2-6 sets for strength
3-6 for muscle hypertrophy
2-3 for endurance
Rest between sets is also important. Again, according to NSCA, here are recommendations:
Rest 2-5 minutes between each set during strength training
Rest 30-60 sec between each set when training for hypertrophy
Rest 30 se or less when training for muscle endurance
More food for thought when exercising is to consider neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is related to the ability of the brain and nervous system to form and reorganize synapses according to the Oxford Languages dictionary. What do we need to do to create changes in the brain as related to functional skills and exercise? Studies with rats demonstrate that a functional task needs to be completed 400-600 times to create a change in the brain by creating new neural pathways. Animal studies have also shown that it takes 1000-2000 steps per session to make improvements in a gait pattern.
Play releases chemicals necessary for neuroplasticity. Play that is non-competitive but that requires focus and provides a challenge allows us to have a broader framework from which to learn. Regular engagement in play increases your brain’s ability to learn and adapt over time. While I don’t have an exact number of reps to complete with play, there is plenty of documented researched evidence to support engaging in playful activity even as adults.
Just as rest is important in between sets, rest is valuable in relation to neuroplasticity. Adequate rest improves the plasticity of the brain over time.
To wrap up, getting stronger, growing muscle size and improving endurance of muscle is a benefit of regular resistance training. Engaging our brains and nervous system as well as resting adequately allows us to reap the benefits of total mind and body fitness.
How do you like to play? Have you found that you give yourself the rest you need in between exercises or to replenish your body? Are you working at the intensity you need for your own goals related to resistance training?
I have things to work on in relation to all of this, for sure. How about you?
Take good care,
Sharon
Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Van Every DW, Plotkin DL. Loading Recommendations for Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Local Endurance: A Re-Examination of the Repetition Continuum. Sports (Basel). 2021 Feb 22;9(2):32. doi: 10.3390/sports9020032. PMID: 33671664; PMCID: PMC7927075.