Differences between men and women in repetition performance and between-set repetition loss at 50% and 80% 1RM in recreationally resistance-trained adults

Percentage of one-repetition maximum (%1RM) is widely used to prescribe resistance-training intensity, yet a fixed relative load may not produce equivalent repetition responses across individuals. This study compared repetition performance and between-set repetition loss between men and women during bench press and leg extension at 50% and 80% 1RM. Forty recreationally resistance-trained adults (20 men, 32.65 ± 3.67 years; 20 women, 25.45 ± 2.58 years), each with at least six months of regular resistance training performed three times per week, completed two sets to voluntary concentric failure per condition with 3 minutes of rest between sets. Repeated-measures outcomes were analyzed using participant-clustered generalized estimating equations and planned comparisons with 95% confidence intervals, Hedges' g, and Holm-adjusted p values. Women completed more first-set repetitions than men in bench press at 50% 1RM (17.00 ± 2.00 vs. 15.00 ± 2.18) and 80% 1RM (6.90 ± 1.55 vs. 5.85 ± 1.23), and leg extension at 50% 1RM (19.70 ± 2.70 vs. 18.00 ± 1.92) and 80% 1RM (10.30 ± 1.56 vs. 8.45 ± 1.50). Women also showed smaller absolute between-set repetition loss in all four conditions (women-minus-men mean differences, -0.90 to -1.80 repetitions), with the same direction for percent loss. These findings indicate different repetition-performance profiles between the sampled women and men. Monitoring actual repetitions and set-to-set loss may complement %1RM-based prescription, although these data do not establish sex-specific programming rules.