German Phrase
Mach 8-12 Wiederholungen, um Muskeln aufzubauen.
Meaning
The sentence is a short instruction that tells someone to perform eight to twelve repetitions of an exercise with the goal of building muscle. It combines a direct command with a purpose clause.
When to use
You would hear or use this phrase in a gym, during a personal‑training session, in a workout video, or on a fitness plan written in German. It’s informal, so it fits a friendly trainer‑trainee relationship.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Mach8-12Wiederholungen,umMuskelnaufzubauen.
Imperativ (Mach)
‘Mach’ is the informal singular imperative of ‘machen’ (to do). It’s used for direct commands between friends or in a trainer‑trainee setting.
Zahlbereich (8‑12)
Numbers can be written with a hyphen to indicate a range; the plural noun that follows (Wiederholungen) agrees with the whole range.
Um‑zu‑Konstruktion
‘um … aufzubauen’ is a purpose clause. The infinitive ‘aufzubauen’ is placed at the end of the clause and is preceded by ‘um’.
Komma vor um‑zu
In German a comma separates the main clause from the infinitive purpose clause, so a comma is required before ‘um’.
🗨In Conversation
Mach 8-12 Wiederholungen, um Muskeln aufzubauen.
Do 8‑12 reps to build muscle.
Wie viele Sätze soll ich machen?
How many sets should I do?
✕Common Mistakes
Mache 8-12 Wiederholungen um Muskeln aufzubauen.
Missing the required comma before the ‘um‑zu’ clause.
Mach 8-12 Wiederholungen, um Muskeln zu bauen.
‘Bauen’ is used for constructing objects; for muscle growth the verb ‘aufbauen’ or ‘entwickeln’ is idiomatic.
Mach 8-12 Wiederholung, um Muskeln aufzubauen.
‘Wiederholung’ must be plural ‘Wiederholungen’ because the number range refers to multiple repetitions.
↔Alternatives
Führe 8‑12 Wiederholungen aus, um Muskeln zu entwickeln.
Perform 8‑12 repetitions to develop muscles.
Mache 8‑12 Wiederholungen, damit du Muskeln bekommst.
Do 8‑12 repetitions so that you get muscles.
Trainiere 8‑12 Wiederholungen, um Muskelmasse zu erhöhen.
Train 8‑12 repetitions to increase muscle mass.
Cultural Tip
German fitness instruction is often very direct. Using the informal imperative ‘Mach’ is perfectly natural when the trainer and trainee are on a first‑name basis. In a more formal setting you would switch to ‘Machen Sie …’ or use a neutral verb like ‘Führen Sie … aus’. Also, German speakers tend to count repetitions in ranges (8‑12) rather than giving a single number, reflecting the common recommendation of a rep‑range for hypertrophy.