What matters more?

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Leah_62803
Leah_62803 Posts: 292 Member
edited January 2015 in Fitness and Exercise
Which one matters more, how many reps of an exercise you do at once or how many reps you do total through the day?

I'm asking because I'm trying to find different ways to sneak extra exercise into my day while I'm at work. Yesterday I was doing 15 squats every time I went to the bathroom, which is a lot since I'm drinking so much water! I lost count of how many times I did them but I know it totaled to at least 100 squats.
I'm just wondering if I'm really doing anything. I know I'm not burning through calories doing this, it's just a little something extra. I go to the gym a few nights a week but I'm trying to add extra stuff here and there at home and at work.

Replies

  • jasoncollins79
    jasoncollins79 Posts: 44 Member
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    I think if your moving more throughout the day that can't be bad at all.
  • jaystepper4life
    jaystepper4life Posts: 26
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    It matters what you want bulk up muscles or to be lean. fewer reps and more weight for muscle and to be lean less weight more reps but if you do reps all day long you will start to bulk up those muscles.
  • Leah_62803
    Leah_62803 Posts: 292 Member
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    I just want a nice butt! :)
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
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    jaystepper4life wrote: »
    It matters what you want bulk up muscles or to be lean. fewer reps and more weight for muscle and to be lean less weight more reps but if you do reps all day long you will start to bulk up those muscles.

    Incorrect. Bulking; regardless of modality of weights and reps, needs excess calories; regardless of adding (building) muscle or adding fat (which both happen anyway when bulking). More weight and thusly, are able to do less reps, have a slight more focus on strength as you are forcing the muscle to heavier stimuli but less time under tension. Less weight and more reps, while still producing strength gains (to a lesser extent), do not provide as great as a stimuli, but typically provide more time under tension causing more muscle breakdown. If a muscle is in need of repair and there are no extra calories to give it, then the net result will be 0 gain. So to state it simply, strength gains can happen regardless of a caloric surplus or deficit and regardless of training modality (reps, sets, weights) as long as there is an ever increasing stimulus. Muscle gains cannot (provisionally...can explain further if needed) as they need a caloric surplus, regardless of modality.

  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
    edited January 2015
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    mccord62803 wrote: »
    Which one matters more, how many reps of an exercise you do at once or how many reps you do total through the day?

    I'm asking because I'm trying to find different ways to sneak extra exercise into my day while I'm at work. Yesterday I was doing 15 squats every time I went to the bathroom, which is a lot since I'm drinking so much water! I lost count of how many times I did them but I know it totaled to at least 100 squats.
    I'm just wondering if I'm really doing anything. I know I'm not burning through calories doing this, it's just a little something extra. I go to the gym a few nights a week but I'm trying to add extra stuff here and there at home and at work.

    OP, you have to take into context of what your goal is. So in your example, you are squatting 100 extra times a day of bodyweight squats as your stimulus or 15 times when going to restroom. So use one as your measure and do 16 the next day, then 17 the next. Or if you want to measure the entire day and do 101 or 105 the next day and so on. The gist is you are increasing the stimulus over time, thus getting stronger/better/burning more calories at that movement, slowly over time. It's also a matter of practice. You establish a motor pattern for a movement by practicing the movement. So the better a person can do a pattern, the better weight can be moved following that pattern because you have trained your central nervous system to that pattern.

  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    mccord62803 wrote: »
    I just want a nice butt! :)

    If you want a nice butt, pick up a serious lifting plan that targets the glutes. Strong lifts incorporates squats and deadlifts that hit the glutes. Strong curves is a program specifically written to target the glutes.
  • hmcbride68
    hmcbride68 Posts: 72 Member
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    cajuntank, you really know your stuff man

    stress + recovery = adaptation. increase the stress. rinse. repeat
  • Leah_62803
    Leah_62803 Posts: 292 Member
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    auddii wrote: »
    mccord62803 wrote: »
    I just want a nice butt! :)

    If you want a nice butt, pick up a serious lifting plan that targets the glutes. Strong lifts incorporates squats and deadlifts that hit the glutes. Strong curves is a program specifically written to target the glutes.

    I want to really bad but I'm a beginner when it comes to going to the gym and I've never lifted. Unfortunately my small town gym is very "guys on one side, girls on the other". When I went to join and they gave me the tour the manager said "usually the women stay over on this side" where the cardio and weight machines are. The other side has all the weights and benches, and usually has about 20 guys sitting around hanging out.

    So as much as I would love to walk over there and start lifting, in reality I'd probably hurt myself and look like an idiot. Unfortunately I don't know anyone who lifts that could help me learn.

  • punchgut
    punchgut Posts: 210 Member
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    mccord62803 wrote: »
    auddii wrote: »
    mccord62803 wrote: »
    I just want a nice butt! :)

    If you want a nice butt, pick up a serious lifting plan that targets the glutes. Strong lifts incorporates squats and deadlifts that hit the glutes. Strong curves is a program specifically written to target the glutes.

    I want to really bad but I'm a beginner when it comes to going to the gym and I've never lifted. Unfortunately my small town gym is very "guys on one side, girls on the other". When I went to join and they gave me the tour the manager said "usually the women stay over on this side" where the cardio and weight machines are. The other side has all the weights and benches, and usually has about 20 guys sitting around hanging out.

    So as much as I would love to walk over there and start lifting, in reality I'd probably hurt myself and look like an idiot. Unfortunately I don't know anyone who lifts that could help me learn.

    Find out who really knows what they are doing on the "guys side" and ask them to introduce you to the big five: squats, deads, bench, bent over rows and overhead press. Once you get strong you can consider power cleans if you want to do them, but build a good foundation first.

    Generally, people like to help and share their knowledge. Just make sure you find the people who know what they are doing, and most trainers do not know. Find a good lifter and ask.
  • Codilee87
    Codilee87 Posts: 509 Member
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    I have a similar approach to fitness, since my kids make it tough to do an actual proper-length training session (I swear they act mortally offended that I would dare try to lose the weight that they worked so hard to make me gain lol).

    So, to compensate, I do little bursts of exercise throughout the day: 60 squats when I brush my teeth, calf raises while washing dishes, 10 burpees every hour, 60second step-ups every time I go downstairs and I keep a set of dumbells by the couch and do curls, triceps and overhead press while watching cartoons.
  • Leah_62803
    Leah_62803 Posts: 292 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Find out who really knows what they are doing on the "guys side" and ask them to introduce you to the big five: squats, deads, bench, bent over rows and overhead press. Once you get strong you can consider power cleans if you want to do them, but build a good foundation first.

    Generally, people like to help and share their knowledge. Just make sure you find the people who know what they are doing, and most trainers do not know. Find a good lifter and ask.

    I'm going to look and see if the gym has some sort of bulletin board. Maybe I can put a little flyer up asking for help.

  • Leah_62803
    Leah_62803 Posts: 292 Member
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    Codilee87 wrote: »
    I have a similar approach to fitness, since my kids make it tough to do an actual proper-length training session (I swear they act mortally offended that I would dare try to lose the weight that they worked so hard to make me gain lol).

    So, to compensate, I do little bursts of exercise throughout the day: 60 squats when I brush my teeth, calf raises while washing dishes, 10 burpees every hour, 60second step-ups every time I go downstairs and I keep a set of dumbells by the couch and do curls, triceps and overhead press while watching cartoons.

    Haha. This sounds like what I'd have to do too. I have a 6 year old and a 4 year old. I've been sneaking off to the gym after they go to bed (my husband is home).

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