Suppose that you want to gain muscle mass by using a pair of dumbbells which are NOT so challenging for you anymore.
You could probably increase the resistance with heavier weights, but you train at home and don’t have heavier dumbbells.
What about the following strategy?
Performing every set in the 8-12 rep range till you arrive at a set (maybe the sixth-seventh one) where 8-12 is challenging and produces failure.
I don’t know if I am clear: I basically want to mantain the 8-12 rep range and just increase the number of sets. So, if you are well trained and the exercise would be easy for you in case of just 3 sets, you increase the set number instead of the rep number to reach the desired failure. Your first 8-12 rep sets won’t be enough for reaching failure but probably your ninth set will be challenging.
I am surprised that nobody seems to encourage this strategy I've just talked about.