Hi rep low weight...

Elise4270

I'm recovering from surgery and was i cleared to do upper body, low weights. My reaction was "ugh, why bother?".

So tell me, why bother?

I run, or did before surgery, swim and plan on reclaiming my ling lost relationship with my bike once I recover. Lifting hasn't been part of my routine, probably ever. I'm 46, female, 124ish pounds.

Cherimoose

Low weights can provide benefits, if you work until muscular exhaustion.

If you were asking why bother ever doing strength training, it would take too long to list all the reasons.

Elise4270

No. Why bother with the low weight. If it won't build strength, then it's a waste of time.

But if there is a benefit I'm overlooking, I may bother with it.

And I wasn't under the impression I could push to exhaustion....

ninerbuff

Just keeping the muscles active will help with conditioning and keep them from atrophying. Also because heavy lifting can tax your immune system more, it can result in a slower recovery from surgery.
Don't focus on the weight you use at this point. Focus on the contraction of the muscle you're doing.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Elise4270

Thanks @ninerbuff

Follow up questions- How many reps should I be able to do? Do I still do sets, or just shoot for say 50 reps of x lbs/kg through the circut?

jessef593

Reps shouldn't matter, you're overall intensity should. Many people train in low and high rep ranges since they both provides benefits. I personally do low for strength, medium for growth, and high for growth/endurance/lactic acid build up.

middlehaitch

Another tip for doing low weight high rep for recovery/muscle retention is to do the move slow.
Ie: bicep curl, do a 2+ second raise, pause, and a 1 second lower. Moving the 5lbs like it is 25lbs.
This takes the momentum out of the move and engages the muscle more.

Cheers, h.

sijomial

Elise4270 wrote: »

No. Why bother with the low weight. If it won't build strength, then it's a waste of time.

But if there is a benefit I'm overlooking, I may bother with it.

And I wasn't under the impression I could push to exhaustion....

As you have never lifted weights lifting anything will most likely build strength!
Benefits and results from of different rep ranges aren't as defined as many people make out.

firef1y72

Elise4270 wrote: »

I'm recovering from surgery and was i cleared to do upper body, low weights. My reaction was "ugh, why bother?".

So tell me, why bother?

I run, or did before surgery, swim and plan on reclaiming my ling lost relationship with my bike once I recover. Lifting hasn't been part of my routine, probably ever. I'm 46, female, 124ish pounds.

I'm going to be in a similar position at the end of the month, having a hernia repair done and will be stuck with low weights for a month (been specifically told no heavy lifting). I'm going to use it as a chance to add cardio back in and use high reps to burn calories (and hopefully retain the muscle I'm developing now) rather than build muscle. Of course what constitutes is all relative to what you were lifting before, I'm trying to up my weights enough now that the actual 20kg bar could be considered light enough.

Elise4270

Thanks everybody. I feel better about doing the low weight. @sijomial right, anything is better than nothing
I shouldn't have made fun of the old ladies that do 5-10 pounds.