To promote muscle hypertrophy, or growth, it’s generally recommended that you work with about 85% of your one rep max (1RM) and keep the reps in a range of between 6 and 8 per set. Of course, resistance training also helps promote bone density and a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research looked at the ideal load for maximizing osteogenic potential.

The word ‘osteogenic’ relates to the formation of bone which many scientists believe is strongly influenced by the magnitude of training loads. Researchers recruited 12 subjects and had them perform back squats at 80%, 100% and 120% of their 1RM. A supermaxial load of 120% performed with a partial range of motion was determined to be best for developing bone density. It’s an interesting change up to any traditional routine, but be sure to bring a spotter to the gym if you want to try this.