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Arith,
Many people think that strength and hypertrophy are synonymous. Although there is a relationship, it is not as direct as most think.
On gaining strength: less reps per set. When I train for strength I use 4 or less reps. No more than 4 sets total per type of movement. For example, 2 sets of parallel bar dips and 2 sets of shoulder presses.
On gaining mass/hypertrophy: I believe the current recomendation by NSCA is 8-12 reps per set. There is a fair amount of debate on the number of sets per exercise. Honestly I hate going above 2 sets per exercise even with hypertrophy. On some occasions I will do 3 or 4. This is rare.
If you are new to weightlifting: Most folks will recommend what Zoco recommends. I agree. I have a tough time even getting 8 sets done (2 movement types, 2 exercises each, and 2 sets each exercise). If you are working hard, 8 sets is more than enough. It is beyond me how anybody can lift Deadlifts for 6 sets for strength. Some can, but I feel like I am going to throw up after 6 sets of DLs alone. If your diet is right, you will gain. There is no reason to worry or fret a lot about your lifting routine until you are experienced. If you are experienced, your diet is still important but I still don't see why a person would do a ton of sets. But hey, that might just be me.
On MAX-OT: I used MAX-OT for quite some time. I found that the 4-6 rep range got stale. I like to mix my rep ranges up for various reasons. The reasons are scientifically supported and it keeps me excited about lifting.
I gained a fair amount on MAX-OT, but I was a teenager at the time. In retrospect, I think new lifters and experienced lifters should focus on compound exercises with some supplemental exercises.
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