High weight, high reps???

nixism

Hey guys, I'm new to Weight Training, but I have been doing fairly high weights (for me), with high reps...
However, now I read I should be doing low reps if I am lifting heavy weights.

I do not want to bulk up - I am only 5ft2 female - any pound shows on my frame! HA HA

Any advice??

ChristyU74

You won't bulk up! I swear! The heavier I lift, the smaller I get.

I've been lifting for about a year now. I started with the book New Rules of Lifting for Women. I highly recommend it, and there is a group on here for people on the program. In general, with more weight, you'll be doing less reps. Though when I started NROLFW, it has you doing 3 sets of 8 reps. As you progress to heavier weights, you move to lower reps. Now, I'm on a program that is a 5x5 (5 sets of 5 reps).

kimothy38

It really depends on what your goals are as to whether you do low weight/high reps or high weights/low reps? Females don't have enough testosterone to make a huge amount of muscle so don't be concerned about bulking up. Heavy is relative to each individual too - if you're doing heavy weights you'd only be able to do 5-10 reps but your 'heavy' weights might be quite light for, and vice versa. Personally I do 3 sets of 10-12 reps and by the last set I'm struggle to finish and sweat like crazy. I've toned up nicely but have not turned into Arnold S.

nz_deevaa

If you can do a lot of reps, then the weight isn't heavy enough.

ixap

If you can do a lot of reps, then the weight isn't heavy enough.

Exactly. Heavy is by definition something you can't manage more than 8 reps of at most.

patrickmathews

I just came across this website http://www.exrx.net. I started a diet/exercise program about 6 weeks ago and am also looking for a routine that will yield some results. I am mostly trying to drop weight and improve fitness - I'm also not interested in bulking up.

From what I gather, the new thinking that is actually based on a variety of peer reviewed scientific studies, show that doing more than one set has at best a very marginal advantage. The jist is that you lift as much as you can do 8 - 12 reps. If you can lift it 12 times, you then increase the weight 5%. You can start out with a warm up set that is 50% of the target weight if you like.

The site also has a set of templates to plan a workout regimen.

meshashesha2012

as someone who easily get bulk, doing high reps with medium weights would give me a muscle pump which seems to initiate muscle growth in me. while i'm losing weight, i do high weights with low reps.

also if you can do lots of reps with "heavy" weights then you're weights aren't heavy enough when i'm lifting a weight that very close to my 1 rep max, i can maybe bet 3 reps out before i need to stop and take a 3-5 minute rest before doing another set

xxbookwormbabexx

Low weight, high reps typically means tone

High weight low reps typically means bulk

That's just the advice I've been given. It all depends on your goals, I suppose.

Whatever works for you!

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

Low weight, high reps typically means tone

High weight low reps typically means bulk

That's just the advice I've been given. It all depends on your goals, I suppose.

Whatever works for you!

Sounds like you've been given a stupid advice. Don't listen to it. Also the word 'tone' itself is ridiculous.

ironanimal

What a lot of women misinterpret, and are put off by when beginning strength training, is muscle swelling which they believe to be growth. Water, carrying nutrients, is pulled into your muscles following a heavy workout to facilitate muscle repair. This may temporarily increase the 'size' of your muscles.

For starters, women have around 1/16th the testosterone of men, so it's very, very difficult for even professional women athletes and bodybuilders to build any noticable muscle mass in a short period of time. Combined with a calorie deficit, whereby your energy expenditure is higher than your intake, you will not develop any appreciable amount of muscle mass. Unless you are a black hole and can draw energy from the Universe itself.

As your bodyfat begins to drop, some women, again, worry that they're developing 'too much' muscle but this can easily be rectified by gaining a bit of fat.

Unless you're growing a penis or a beard, don't worry about 'bulking up'.

Low weight, high reps typically means tone

High weight low reps typically means bulk

That's just the advice I've been given. It all depends on your goals, I suppose.

Whatever works for you!

By toning I take it you mean less jiggle, which means less fat, which means it's diet as you can't exercise fat.
Low weight, high reps > Endurance
Suitable weight for 8-12 reps > Hypertrophy (pretty pointless on a diet)
Heavy weight for about 5 reps > Strength

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

If you can do a lot of reps, then the weight isn't heavy enough.

This exactly...

vfnmoody

IMO
If you are looking for strength (power lift) increase you weight to the range where you can do 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 5 reps each .
If you want to increase the muscle size (body build) set the weight where you can do 4 to 6 set of 5 to 10 reps.
If you want anything else do body weight exercises.

mmapags

Low weight, high reps typically means tone

High weight low reps typically means bulk

That's just the advice I've been given. It all depends on your goals, I suppose.

Whatever works for you!

Sounds like you've been given a stupid advice. Don't listen to it. Also the word 'tone' itself is ridiculous.

Agree! High weight/ low reps give strength but minimum hypertrophy (muscle growth). Medium reps/ medium weight (like what you can do 12 reps to failure) is hypertrophy range. Higher reps (12+) is muscle endurance training. Decide what you want and plan your training accordingly. As an example, my wife is a thin light thing at 120 lbs and 5'5". She was 115 before strength training and looked skinny but shapeless and was saggy in places she did not want to be. After 2 months+ of high weights / low reps she is more shapely and has nicer proportions but has not added any bulk. She is also a lot stronger!! Awesome!!

DonC77

Hey guys, I'm new to Weight Training, but I have been doing fairly high weights (for me), with high reps...
However, now I read I should be doing low reps if I am lifting heavy weights.

I do not want to bulk up - I am only 5ft2 female - any pound shows on my frame! HA HA

Any advice??

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/toning-myths-truths-to-lose-fat.htm

You have to eat a lot more then you probably can if you were to "bulk" see Point #2. One of the biggest misconceptions.

Some males have a hard time adding muscle mass, so a woman will have an even harder time unless she is trying to do it,

lin7604

so what is everyone's thoughts on les mills pump program? I was looking into this and thought it would be great but now i am thinking twice? not sure? I have hit my goal weight but i still need to lose a few inches off everywhere and tighten up... i have no access to a gym so i thought i program like this would do the trick, am i wrong?

or thoughts on chalene extreme?

hesn92

I don't understand the fear or bulking. I really wish my arms would get bigger. I hope to have some muscles some day. lol.

RyanWilson1993

Hey guys, I'm new to Weight Training, but I have been doing fairly high weights (for me), with high reps...
However, now I read I should be doing low reps if I am lifting heavy weights.

I do not want to bulk up - I am only 5ft2 female - any pound shows on my frame! HA HA

Any advice??

You cant be afraid to get fat if you wanna be jacked!

ImperfektAngel

Also remember that you cant bulk up on a calorie defecit

bostonwolf

There is no such thing as "toning." Lifting weights builds muscle. End of story. As mentioned above, women simply are not going to have musculature like a male unless you start doing steriods.

I prefer a full body workout (just posted it on a different thread if anyone wants to take a look) and am doing 5x5 (five sets of five reps) to maximize results in the shortest time possible.

My general advice would be to find a weight you can do for three sets of 10 reps. The last reps of the last set should be barely possible to complete. When they get easy, move up to 11 reps, then 12. When those are easy, drop down to 8 reps and increase the weight. When you feel like your muscles and strength is where you want it, just continue with that level of exercise and don't increase weight or reps.

Good luck, weightlifting is a great way to improve fitness and build muscle (which will burn calories for you at rest!)

Nix143

Combined with a calorie deficit, whereby your energy expenditure is higher than your intake, you will not develop any appreciable amount of muscle mass. Unless you are a black hole and can draw energy from the Universe itself.

I love this.

qtiekiki

If you can do a lot of reps, then the weight isn't heavy enough.

^This.

Determinednoob

Check this http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/686963-large-collection-of-info-for-beginners

Determinednoob

If you can do a lot of reps, then the weight isn't heavy enough.

^This.

Not necessarily "isn't heavy enough," but definitely isn't heavy. Heavy enough depends on goals which a large percentage of people asking for advice fail to specify.

nixism

If you can do a lot of reps, then the weight isn't heavy enough.

Boom! That is exactly it isn't it.... thank you!

Thanks all for your posts. I read this yesterday and did my work out yesterday, I bumped everything up and did less reps/sets and today I can ABSOLUTELY FEEL IT (in a good way)...

Thanks for your advice. I will keep on - hoping for some sweeeeeeet results in the coming weeks

Cheers,
nixism