Light or Heavy??

RachVR6

I lift as heavy as I can still getting 12-15reps.

I've always been told, 8-10reps to bulk, 12-15reps for lean.

sclosson

It getsconfusing, but I like heavy.

pkpzp228

No offense, but my trainer is pretty well educated and said a similar thing.....

You said your trainer said this " was talking to a personal trainer a few days ago who said that many reps with lighter weights or fewer reps with heavier weights works your body the same - it's all about you being able to feel that muscle fatigue when you're finished."

It definetely doesn't work your muscles the same. If he said that he is flat our wrong. Higher reps teach your body to become more efficient at using and creating energy stores. There will be no gain in muscular size.

Lifting in the 5-8 range to failure requires you to aactivate every muscle fiber available which results in increased size and strength.

I think this is a weight lifting misconception, that is, the common misconception is that higher weight/low rep builds bulk while lower weight/high rep tones.

Higher reps teach your body to become more efficient at using and creating energy stores.

That's correct but that's endurance not mass. Mass is created by increasing muscle density, which is the result of (without getting too technical in terms of muscle synthesis) tearing the the bonds between muscle fibers (soreness). The body reacts by creating more bonds. Regardless of weight and repetition count, using a muscle to fatigue is using a muscle to fatigue. The difference between the two is endurance vs strength. high weight = higher power shorter duration, low weight = lower power extended duration.

Take a look at a body builder's routine, if Jillian Micheals is doing high rep low weight, 12-15 reps/10lbs than a body builder must be doing 6-10 reps with like a mac truck. In reality body builders typically do higher rep sets because their not concerned with strength like say olympic lifters are. They're just concerned with muscle fatigue and low rep (high endurance) is an extremely effective way to get there.

Anyway, my understanding, take it with a grain of salt, there's a lot of literature out there going both ways.

mlb929

Heavy! I'm convinced that women use way to light of weights for themselves. I've tried - and can't build "bulk" do don't worry about it. But it sure makes a difference in the look of the arm and quality definition in the shoulders, butt, and legs. I try to up my weight every time I can do more than 10 reps with perfect form without a break, I add 5 more lbs at that point.

mlb929

According to my "buff" friends, lifting light with a lot of reps will make you bigger, but lifting heavy with less reps will make you stronger. As I said, this is according to the guys that are all about getting huge, so I'm not 100% sure if it's correct. But, it seems to work for them :laugh:

I always believed the opposite. Heavier weight breaks down the muscle fiber more, so it repairs and builds - but lighter more reps makes you stronger - IE the guy may be able to do 100 reps with 100 lbs, but the other guy can do 30 reps at 200lbs - I would consider the 100 reps stronger for the purpose of practical muscle use - the 100lb guy can carry the bags of dog food further then the more muscular built guy that can only move it for a short time....

Am I now making things more confusing?

I want to have muscle, when I get to where I want to be, I do more reps, if I want to still build muscle, I up the weight - I'm still in the muscle building mode.

iamthepreston

No offense, but my trainer is pretty well educated and said a similar thing.....

You said your trainer said this " was talking to a personal trainer a few days ago who said that many reps with lighter weights or fewer reps with heavier weights works your body the same - it's all about you being able to feel that muscle fatigue when you're finished."

It definetely doesn't work your muscles the same. If he said that he is flat our wrong. Higher reps teach your body to become more efficient at using and creating energy stores. There will be no gain in muscular size.

Lifting in the 5-8 range to failure requires you to aactivate every muscle fiber available which results in increased size and strength.

I think this is a weight lifting misconception, that is, the common misconception is that higher weight/low rep builds bulk while lower weight/high rep tones.

Higher reps teach your body to become more efficient at using and creating energy stores.

That's correct but that's endurance not mass. Mass is created by increasing muscle density, which is the result of (without getting too technical in terms of muscle synthesis) tearing the the bonds between muscle fibers (soreness). The body reacts by creating more bonds. Regardless of weight and repetition count, using a muscle to fatigue is using a muscle to fatigue. The difference between the two is endurance vs strength. high weight = higher power shorter duration, low weight = lower power extended duration.

Take a look at a body builder's routine, if Jillian Micheals is doing high rep low weight, 12-15 reps/10lbs than a body builder must be doing 6-10 reps with like a mac truck. In reality body builders typically do higher rep sets because their not concerned with strength like say olympic lifters are. They're just concerned with muscle fatigue and low rep (high endurance) is an extremely effective way to get there.

Anyway, my understanding, take it with a grain of salt, there's a lot of literature out there going both ways.

Wow you totally misunderstood everything I said. You have it halfway right.

FYI Bodybuilders typically stay between 6-12 reps. Powerlifters 5 and less.

You also talk about breaking the bonds between muscle fibers never heard that before. What you are doing is creating microscopic tears in the muscle fibers themselves.

sass30

"Go big or go home!"

mideon_696

heavy, low reps = strength gains.
heavy(but lighter), higher reps = size gains.

so yeah, up to 5 or 6 for strength gains, and little size gains (form following function)

6-8 or 9 for about the same gains each way,

8-12 or 13 or so = mostly size gains, less strength gains