lifting light and lifting heavy

hurleycutie142

i know this is going to start a fight but is it better to lift heavy or lift with more reps? ive heard both...

Achrya

I'd imagine individual goals may be a factor.

PJPrimrose

IDK about a fight. I lifted light for many years for speed in kick boxing. I'm now lifting heavy. I'm faster, more agile, stronger, more muscular overall and have an incredibly high metabolism now. I've only been doing it for about 6 months so this is quite the improvement fast!

TrainingWithTonya

Depends on your goal. If you want strength, lift heavy with fewer reps. If you want muscular endurance, lift lighter weights with more reps.

Personally, I like to mix it up with some lighter weight, higher rep days and some heavy weight, lower rep days.

Cranquistador

yes

hurleycutie142

well my goal is to be more lean... i have big shoulders so i dont want them to be muscular i just want to lose fat... ive played sports all my life so i have muscle tone in both my legs and arms i just dont want to lift heavy and have man arms

brower47

I'd imagine individual goals may be a factor.

Ding ding ding ding. Better would be a qualifier for what your ultimate goal is. One will be better for one goal and the other will be better for another goal.

brower47

well my goal is to be more lean... i have big shoulders so i dont want them to be muscular i just want to lose fat... ive played sports all my life so i have muscle tone in both my legs and arms i just dont want to lift heavy and have man arms

You don't have man arms. You have your arms. Calorie deficit will lean you out through fat loss.

Achrya

well my goal is to be more lean... i have big shoulders so i dont want them to be muscular i just want to lose fat... ive played sports all my life so i have muscle tone in both my legs and arms i just dont want to lift heavy and have man arms

Calorie deficit

GetSoda

It depends, but I'm going to say in most circumstances, lift more weight for less reps. Then do more total sets for volume.

If you eat at a deficit, you won't really gain any muscle, but you will lose fat.

PJPrimrose

I lift heavy and do not have "man arms". That is a myth. Women do not bulk without steroids and hard, all-day training.

Capt_Apollo

i know this is going to start a fight but is it better to lift heavy or lift with more reps? ive heard both...

they're both effective. heavy lifting (pushing your maximum) at lower reps 1-5 will make your muscles stronger. light lifting (50%-ish of you maximum) at 8-12 reps will build muscular endurance.

laurenawolf

i just dont want to lift heavy and have man arms

I want to slam my head into my desk. You will not get "man arms" from lifting heavy.

GetSoda

i just dont want to lift heavy and have man arms

I want to slam my head into my desk. You will not get "man arms" from lifting heavy.

Hell, I haven't even managed to get man arms from lifting heavy. And I'm a man.

Capt_Apollo

well my goal is to be more lean... i have big shoulders so i dont want them to be muscular i just want to lose fat... ive played sports all my life so i have muscle tone in both my legs and arms i just dont want to lift heavy and have man arms

you will not wake up one morning and find that you've accidentally developed man arms.

asdowe13

Man arms sound so manly! wish i could get them!

FitKit101

Just lift. Weights....not donuts and you will be just fine.

suremeansyes

I lift heavy, doing stronglifts, and in 6 weeks I've decreased my arm measurements by over an inch...so...

...yeah. Nix the man arms idea.

conqueringsquidlette

I don't know what you guys are talking about. I totally woke up like this after even *thinking* about lifting heavy.



ETA: I don't actually know how to upload pics, I see. Ignore me. :P
ETA2: Nevermind. I fixedificated it.

JoRocka

well my goal is to be more lean...

answer: calorie deficit

i have big shoulders

that's genetic you can't change broad shoulder structure

so i dont want them to be muscular i just want to lose fat

gaining muscle and losing fat are two different processes. It's difficult to both.
it's also laughably difficult to gain muscle as a woman.

... ive played sports all my life

good- that gives you a head start- least you know how to work hard!

so i have muscle tone in both my legs and arms

so- you don't lift- but you already have muscle tone? I'm not sure I get it.
Secondly muscle tone really isn't a thing.
You either have low enough body fat to see definition- or you don't.

i just dont want to lift heavy and have man arms

well you won't.
it's laughable hard. I'm a bellydancer- I make money based on the fact I do not look manly... and I lift heavy 3-4 times a week. Actually technically I"m a power lifter. So power lifting bellydancer- still making it rain at my gigs

you're fine.

life big
eat at a calorie deficit- and get fabulous.

12by311

I don't have time to do 50 reps of something.

So..I'll lift heavy.

spicegeek

dynamic days - higher reps lower weight short rests have their value - heavy days - low reps - long rests have their value - do both not on the same day

CipherZero

... i just dont want to lift heavy and have man arms

Then don't shoot testosterone.

Serah87

i just dont want to lift heavy and have man arms

:sad: