Light weight high reps or High weight low reps

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legacysh
legacysh Posts: 464
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey all you fitness fanatics out there.... When your working out and your not trying to bulk up but rather just strengthen and tone, do you do more reps with light weights or less reps with heavy weights? I keep getting mixed messages.

Thanks for the feedback!

Replies

  • schnarfo
    schnarfo Posts: 764 Member
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    i do a bit of both....

    on my own and using machines/free weights i do high weight and low reps but i also do body pump classes and thats low weights and high reps...
    i think it depends on what your goals are.... strength vs building muscle
  • KaleighL
    KaleighL Posts: 159
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    You are suppossed to have a higher weight than the number of reps you do
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
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    It's practically impossible to add mass (bulk up) when you are eating on a calorie deficit (like you are to lose weight with this site).

    So if you are in the process of losing weight, go crazy with those weights! Do a little of both if that is what you like, both have their benefits. I have read great things about low reps / high weights and women losing inches and lbs from it.

    Just remember that in order to build mass, you need a calorie surplus (more calories than you need each day) and if you don't have that, you will be building lean muscle and burning the fat away!
  • slimyfishy
    slimyfishy Posts: 114 Member
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    Honestly, I have no idea. I have the ChaLEAN DVDs (Turbo Jam lady) and she uses heavy weights on some of the disks (few reps) and light weights on others (lots of reps). Jillian Michaels uses light weights (3lb I believe) on most of her DVDs, but on her kettlebell one she talks about 6-8lb kettlebells. For me, I use both. :wink:
  • C_Bran
    C_Bran Posts: 254
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    I do a bit of both too. I normally do low weight and 15-20 reps. Then after about 2 weeks I'll change a week and do 5x5's with heavy weight.

    Don't want my body to get used to the workouts.
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
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    Seeing as you're in a deficit, youll just be able to preserve what you do have, I vote high weight every time.
  • catlady100
    catlady100 Posts: 154
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    hi reps, low weight didn't seem to do much for me. I like heavier weights, lower reps.
  • Spayrroe
    Spayrroe Posts: 210 Member
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    The trainer at my gym told me to do 2 to 3 sets of 20 reps with a mid level weight (like on the leg press I started at 140lbs). That's also what my husband's CO told him when he first joined the guard and needed to tone up some (mostly to carry the massive amount of combat gear those guys wear), but didn't want to become an 'action hero'. I also hear a lot of mixed feelings, but I've been doing 45 mins of cardio and the high rep/low weight style lifting 4 times a week for the past month and have lost 12 lbs.
  • mynameiscarrie
    mynameiscarrie Posts: 963 Member
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    TO bulk, you do more weight/less reps. To get lean muscle you do less weight (not necessarily low weight, just less) and more reps. A good way to know if it's enough weight--do 15 reps each set and if you can feel your muscles working around the 10th rep or so you're at a good weight. If you don't feel anything, increase the weight. If you feel it before the 10th rep, lower your weight.

    Men's Health magazine had an article on it in this month's issue :) Lot's of good muscle info in that issue. It's got Georges St. Pierre on the cover (yummy ;) ).
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    My trainer has me doing lower weights(think between 10 and 20 pounds for my arms depending on if its a machine/free weights) and higher reps. When I do the squat machine, he sets it at 100 pounds and I do high reps. So do a bit of both and mix it up so that you don't get to used to one thing.
  • Vipecap
    Vipecap Posts: 166 Member
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    Hey all you fitness fanatics out there.... When your working out and your not trying to bulk up but rather just strengthen and tone, do you do more reps with light weights or less reps with heavy weights? I keep getting mixed messages.

    Thanks for the feedback!

    What's already been touched on in the thread is don't worry about bulking up, you won't. As a previous poster said unless you are running on a caloric surplus for an extended period of time bulking will not happen. So fear not, it's almost impossible for you to turn into she-hulk without some extra shall we say super supplements.

    As a guideline:

    4-6 Reps: Is aimed for people focusing on pure strength like a power lifter who is doing anywhere from 75-95% of their 1 rep max for reps.

    8-12 Reps: Is aimed more for a general strength and muscle growth balancing act. This is more than likely where you should be at with the weights being heavy enough that you just can complete a set without failing the exercise.

    15+ Reps: More aimed at solely focusing on muscle growth than anything else with the weight being moderate to heavy depending on the exercise and person.

    "Toning" really is not a lifting program or way to tone other than lowering your body fat through exercise and nutrition to the point you look "toned".
  • legacysh
    legacysh Posts: 464
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    Thanks for the feedback everyone. Now you can see why its confusing :)

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