Rather than prescribing a fixed number of repetitions, at calyx health and fitness we use test sessions. The test sessions take into account your physiological characteristics of your muscles which make you more suitable for either strength or endurance exercise. Since we tailor our programs according to individual variability we use the data from your test sessions to determine repetition targets for each exercise so you can train according to your genetic strengths.

In other words, people tend to respond favorably to the type of exercise they’re genetically good at. Each muscle has a different fiber type composition. Some muscles are fast-twitch dominant while others are slow-twitch dominant.

The test sessions determine the individuals training intensity in which to begin each exercise of the program. Inter-individual variability is important to consider when designing a training program because of muscle fiber types. People with a greater proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers have a greater potential for strength and power sports and therefore generally perform better and gain more strength using higher intensities (more weight x lower reps) and lower volumes (less sets) training. Moreover, individuals with a greater proportion of slow- twitch muscle fibers gain more muscle training with lower intensities and higher volumes.