High weight reps vs low weight reps...

devilwhiterose

Overall, my goal is to lose all of my jiggle and have some good definition.

I downloaded a "high volume" workout plan but it doesn't specify the weight to use, just reps. 4 sets@20reps for most of the exercises.

Should I be going with lots of reps at a lower weight, or lots of reps with a higher and more challenging weight? What's going to be more effective for fat loss? (I'm doing weights 4 days a week and 2 days of running). Everything I read online has a discrepancy so I'm curious what your guys' thoughts were. Even further, am I completely in the wrong and should be doing low reps and a high weight?

I ask this mostly because when I lift, if I'm not sore the next day or thereafter, I don't feel like I did squat and that just doesn't seem right.

auddii

I chose lower reps, higher weight, which is a program to gain strength. Higher reps are more endurance based; both would be better than nothing, but I've found what I'm doing to be very effective for maintaining my muscle mass while losing. I've also been frustrated that looking through my progress, I back tracked for a while and am now 10lbs higher than my lowest weight. But, I'm wearing the same size now that I did when I was 10lbs lighter. So while the scale tells me I'm not progressing, I clearly am.

nossmf

Fat loss is a function of calories in vs calories out. High- or low-reps won't matter, both methods will burn calories. Do not equate type of lifting with fat burn. Just spend time working out, control your diet so you have a calorie deficit, and you'll lose the weight.

Just as importantly, don't equate soreness with effectiveness. I've been lifting for six+ years now, and it's actually rare for me to be sore the next day. Your body adapts. This does not mean my workouts have been worthless. Push yourself during the workout, recover properly to be ready in time for your next workout, you're miles ahead of "didn't do squat".

Studies have shown lifting low weights for high reps or high weights for low reps will have very similar effects on building muscle. Lifting high-weights will increase strength faster (though low-weights will increase strength as well, just not as quickly) while lifting low-weights will generally be easier on the joints. Both have their place in a well-rounded routine.

WranglerMichelle

I second lower reps, higher weight. I train for performance first. Aesthetics will follow.

auddii

Oh, and to add, one thing that keeps me going back into the gym is that I feel like a badass after my workout. Many times when you start a program you feel like you accomplished nothing. A good program should start you out pretty light while you work on form. It should also have a progress plan in which the weight will get heavier. Once the weight gets heavier, you will feel your workouts more (but as mentioned, being sore or wiped out after a work out is not required as a sign of a good workout).

If your program does not recommend a starting weight (although it may be ambiguous like a weight you can perform 20 reps with), you might want to look into better programs. There are tons out there. Many on bodybuilding.com and other places.

ovidnine

There isn't a "right" way to do it, but 20reps/set is an awful lot of reps. Personally, it wouldn't work for me.

As auddii said, you want to start light to get your form, but I also want to feel like I did something at the gym. Not so destroyed I can't move (I have to go to work afterwards lol) but pumped and maybe a bit sore.

A couple programs to read about for starting lifting (as I've done them both, so they're what I can comment on) are Strong Lifts 5x5 (and there's a massive thread on it here for women I believe) and Greg Nuckols' The Journey which starts you as a beginner, but has programming all the way up to very advanced lifters.

5x5 takes a 5 rep a set approach, The Journey tends to aim for a few more reps, but usually not many more than 8-12. It varies a lot more.

arditarose

Low reps, high weight. You want to work at saving LBM in a deficit. I only add moderate to high rep weight training when I'm in maintenance, and hopefully one day a surplus.

I agree with taking a look at Strong Lifts 5x5 or Starting Strength.

jbuzzed

High weight low reps builds your muscular strength and power where as low weight high reps builds your muscular endurance. Both are important for your overall muscular fitness. Both burn calories but it's like the difference between sprinting and long distance running, both need to be trained.

So if your looking for calorie burn and maintaining muscle either works but if looking for complete muscular fitness do both

cwolfman13

your rep range isn't going to be a factor in weight loss/management. rep ranges have everything to do with what you're training for...i.e. a lower rep range @ a higher % of your max is optimal for building strength. moderate reps and moderate weight (think 8-12 reps) is ideal for hypertrophy and is also common for general fitness. low weight, high rep is for muscular endurance and stamina.

personally, I work in a variety of rep ranges as a matter of general fitness. i personally don't see the need to pigeonholed myself to power lifting when I have no aspirations to be a power lifter (plus lifting like that all of the time can do a number on your CNS). I have certain movements that I do in a low rep/heavy range like my Oly stuff...most of my accessory work (squat variations, bench variations, OH press variations) I do at moderate weight/moderate reps and my isolation work I do in a higher rep range with lower weight.

throughout the year I also cycle through various programming...for example, in the winter It is likely my coach will have me do a heavy program for a good 4-6 weeks or so and we'll really bang on my CNS (Central Nervous System) for awhile before he brings me back down to more of a boot camp type of program for a month or so to prepare me for his undulating periodization program which is the real killer and I usually end up with some kind of respiratory infection 4 weeks in due to the stress.

kwtilbury

Unless you have a specific goal in mind (strength, hypertrophy, etc.) I usually tell people to stay in the 8-12 rep range.

msf74

nossmf wrote: »

Fat loss is a function of calories in vs calories out. High- or low-reps won't matter, both methods will burn calories. Do not equate type of lifting with fat burn. Just spend time working out, control your diet so you have a calorie deficit, and you'll lose the weight.

Just as importantly, don't equate soreness with effectiveness. I've been lifting for six+ years now, and it's actually rare for me to be sore the next day. Your body adapts. This does not mean my workouts have been worthless. Push yourself during the workout, recover properly to be ready in time for your next workout, you're miles ahead of "didn't do squat".

Studies have shown lifting low weights for high reps or high weights for low reps will have very similar effects on building muscle. Lifting high-weights will increase strength faster (though low-weights will increase strength as well, just not as quickly) while lifting low-weights will generally be easier on the joints. Both have their place in a well-rounded routine.

^ This

devilwhiterose

I looked into the 5X5 app but I can't squat right and haven't been able to figure it out. My husband's suggestion was to do more leg exercises before trying again. I can't squat without lifting my heels up (and I even demonstrated with just a broomstick). My suggestion was to have a wider stance, but by the time I can squat without picking my heels up and not pass my knees over my toes, I'm double the width of my shoulders and my husband (weightlifter but not a pro) couldn't figure it out and got frustrated so I'm kind of in limbo until I can read more into it...

Aside from that though, it sounds like I should look into something with a little more weight and not so many reps.

CasperNaegle

So losing fat is all diet, You have to manage your calories to be in a deficit. To build some muscle and definition I would highly recommend high weight/low reps.

auddii

devilwhiterose wrote: »

I looked into the 5X5 app but I can't squat right and haven't been able to figure it out. My husband's suggestion was to do more leg exercises before trying again. I can't squat without lifting my heels up (and I even demonstrated with just a broomstick). My suggestion was to have a wider stance, but by the time I can squat without picking my heels up and not pass my knees over my toes, I'm double the width of my shoulders and my husband (weightlifter but not a pro) couldn't figure it out and got frustrated so I'm kind of in limbo until I can read more into it...

Aside from that though, it sounds like I should look into something with a little more weight and not so many reps.

Perhaps see if there's a knowledgeable trainer that you can work with just on form for a session or two. My guess is your hubs doesn't have the knowledge to identify what you're doing wrong and convey it in a way that you understand what you need to fix. And it may be partially a flexibility issue as well, so look at adding some dynamic stretching as well.

This is a great video for squat stretches: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBHzXF-mVjY

pauldm1

High weight low reps is good in theory but in practice most people dont progress with it mainly because they do the lifts wrong. If youre doing high load lifts at low reps and your form is terrible then youre much much better off lowering the weight to something manageable and upping the volume. Low rep/ heavy weight works well for more advanced lifters for whom form is usually not an issue. As a general rule aim for a load/weight you can rep 12times. If on rep 12 youre not starting to feel failure set in then its too light. This "12" rule can be lowered to 5-10 reps on compound lifts like squats and benchpress. But for accessory isolation lifts aim for 12.

sixxpoint

pauldm1 wrote: »

High weight low reps is good in theory but in practice most people dont progress with it mainly because they do the lifts wrong. If youre doing high load lifts at low reps and your form is terrible then youre much much better off lowering the weight to something manageable and upping the volume. Low rep/ heavy weight works well for more advanced lifters for whom form is usually not an issue. As a general rule aim for a load/weight you can rep 12times. If on rep 12 youre not starting to feel failure set in then its too light. This "12" rule can be lowered to 5-10 reps on compound lifts like squats and benchpress. But for accessory isolation lifts aim for 12.

^ Great advice right there.

tulips_and_tea

pauldm1 wrote: »

High weight low reps is good in theory but in practice most people dont progress with it mainly because they do the lifts wrong. If youre doing high load lifts at low reps and your form is terrible then youre much much better off lowering the weight to something manageable and upping the volume. Low rep/ heavy weight works well for more advanced lifters for whom form is usually not an issue. As a general rule aim for a load/weight you can rep 12times. If on rep 12 youre not starting to feel failure set in then its too light. This "12" rule can be lowered to 5-10 reps on compound lifts like squats and benchpress. But for accessory isolation lifts aim for 12.

This is my belief as well. Form is number one importance. Adding weight is secondary.

Yi5hedr3

kwtilbury wrote: »

Unless you have a specific goal in mind (strength, hypertrophy, etc.) I usually tell people to stay in the 8-12 rep range.

I agree. That's an excellent range.

jersey_54

pauldm1 wrote: »

High weight low reps is good in theory but in practice most people dont progress with it mainly because they do the lifts wrong. If youre doing high load lifts at low reps and your form is terrible then youre much much better off lowering the weight to something manageable and upping the volume. Low rep/ heavy weight works well for more advanced lifters for whom form is usually not an issue. As a general rule aim for a load/weight you can rep 12times. If on rep 12 youre not starting to feel failure set in then its too light. This "12" rule can be lowered to 5-10 reps on compound lifts like squats and benchpress. But for accessory isolation lifts aim for 12.

We mfp now

Soccermavrick

Are you going for Strength or Endurance? Everybody is different, and have their own goals. Both if done right will leave you sore with DOMS, especially if you keep good form, both help burn fat and calories. But Fat and Weight loss is 90% a function of calories in vs calories out. Exercise alone will not have a drastic impact if the diet is off.

piperdown44

devilwhiterose wrote: »

I looked into the 5X5 app but I can't squat right and haven't been able to figure it out. My husband's suggestion was to do more leg exercises before trying again. I can't squat without lifting my heels up (and I even demonstrated with just a broomstick). My suggestion was to have a wider stance, but by the time I can squat without picking my heels up and not pass my knees over my toes, I'm double the width of my shoulders and my husband (weightlifter but not a pro) couldn't figure it out and got frustrated so I'm kind of in limbo until I can read more into it...

Aside from that though, it sounds like I should look into something with a little more weight and not so many reps.

The bolded is a myth that for some reason or another will not die.
Simple body biomechanics.

Have you tried putting the small 5lb plates under your heels when you squat? That might help.
Another thing to try is to do a box squat. You set up a box behind you that when you sit on it your thighs are parallel to the floor or slightly below. Use a light weight, get into a squat position and sit back on the box keeping your chest out. Simply touch the box but keep the core tight and then explode upwards.