Question about rep ranges

kyraschmidt

Hi there! So I am need to gain weight, about 10lbs. I am a female so I am hoping to gaining some nice curves from this but most importantly I want to stay toned. Up until now I've been working to gain muscle but since I'm going to be trying to gain weight I'm wondering if I should work toward the toning range so I don't bulk up?

DavPul

What is this mythical toning range of which you speak?

nexangelus

so I don't bulk up?

Oh my! Yes, this AGAIN! We don't bulk up young lady, we do not have enough testosterone and if you are not lifting heavy and eating enough then you are not going to build lean mass. End of.

To gain weight you need to eat surplus calories. To build lean mass you need to up your protein percentage and lift heavy.

kyraschmidt

Thanks for the input. I post things on here to converse and get support and gain information from people who are going to be friendly. I do not appreciate being talked down to. You should reconsider the way in which you deliver your information. You have no idea of the troubles, problems or disorders that someone on here might be going through. So be helpful, or be friendly, or be neutral. END OF.

iamkuljuarenot

I'm not sure what you mean by "toning range". I think you are referring to the number of reps in terms of size vs. lean. Size being heavy weight, low rep, lean (toned) being light weight and high reps. Let me start by saying if your plan is to gain 10 lbs, and by 10 lbs i'm assuming you mean muscle and not fat, you will not accomplish this goal by working toward the "toning range". 10 pounds of muscle is A LOT of muscle for someone to build, especially a female. So my suggestion to you would be to let go of the mindset of "I have to gain 10 pounds". If you keep it light on the weights and keep your rep count in the 12-15 range, you will build long lean muscle, certainly not 10 pounds worth, but it will shed body fat and help you get the "curves" you are looking for.

SideSteel

I think you're going to get further confused.....

Your goal is to gain weight and minimize fat gain. You cannot really influence muscle shape by manipulating rep ranges. Rep ranges can influence hypertrophy vs endurance vs power but the idea that you'll get bulky muscle vs long and lean muscle via rep ranges is, to my knowledge, false.


Since you want to gain LBM and minimize fat gain, I would do the following:

1) keep your caloric surplus small. Probably in the neighborhood of 1-2 lbs total weight gain per month.
2) train with progressive loading
3) I would train mostly in a hypertrophy range (8-12), if you're doing heavy compound training then I can see merit to going slightly lower on specific lifts.
4) consume adequate protein

ninerbuff

I think you're going to get further confused.....

Your goal is to gain weight and minimize fat gain. You cannot really influence muscle shape by manipulating rep ranges. Rep ranges can influence hypertrophy vs endurance vs power but the idea that you'll get bulky muscle vs long and lean muscle via rep ranges is, to my knowledge, false.


Since you want to gain LBM and minimize fat gain, I would do the following:

1) keep your caloric surplus small. Probably in the neighborhood of 1-2 lbs total weight gain per month.
2) train with progressive loading
3) I would train mostly in a hypertrophy range (8-12), if you're doing heavy compound training then I can see merit to going slightly lower on specific lifts.
4) consume adequate protein

You need to quit stealing my ****.:laugh: But yeah this.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff

If you keep it light on the weights and keep your rep count in the 12-15 range, you will build long lean muscle, certainly not 10 pounds worth, but it will shed body fat and help you get the "curves" you are looking for.

You don't "build" muscle on light weights. A 12-15 rep range builds muscle endurance. You also don't build "long lean" muscle. Muscle shape/body shape is determined at conception.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ubermensch13

Thanks for the input. I post things on here to converse and get support and gain information from people who are going to be friendly. I do not appreciate being talked down to. You should reconsider the way in which you deliver your information. You have no idea of the troubles, problems or disorders that someone on here might be going through. So be helpful, or be friendly, or be neutral. END OF.

Tell you what, if you don't like the tone people answer your questions, then stop posting them. The information given was accurate and helpful, if you don't like the tone, take the info and move one......people complain waaaaay to much in their lives.

taso42

(right click)

wellbert

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/hale6.htm

seansquared

Thanks for the input. I post things on here to converse and get support and gain information from people who are going to be friendly. I do not appreciate being talked down to. You should reconsider the way in which you deliver your information. You have no idea of the troubles, problems or disorders that someone on here might be going through. So be helpful, or be friendly, or be neutral. END OF.

Check out Starting Strength (Mark Rippetoe, aka "Rippetoe's"; world-renowned gaining program) or Stronglifts (100% free and I'd argue also world-renowned) for more information than you could shake a stick at.

Simple breakdown:

Eat above your maintenance calories.
Lift heavy weight.
...and you will put on muscle.

Note that it is incredibly improbable for women to "bulk up" outside of edge cases, whereas loads of non-pro men bulk all the time. Just a hormonal difference between the genders.

iamkuljuarenot

"You don't "build" muscle on light weights. A 12-15 rep range builds muscle endurance. You also don't build "long lean" muscle. Muscle shape/body shape is determined at conception."

I realize this, and that's not the way I mean't it. Low weight, high reps carves a lean body, which is what she is looking for, high weight lower reps builds size, unless Tony Horton doesn't know what he's talking about.

SideSteel

"You don't "build" muscle on light weights. A 12-15 rep range builds muscle endurance. You also don't build "long lean" muscle. Muscle shape/body shape is determined at conception."

I realize this, and that's not the way I mean't it. Low weight, high reps carves a lean body, which is what she is looking for, high weight lower reps builds size, unless Tony Horton doesn't know what he's talking about.

See the chart that Taso linked above. It's a good indicator of how rep ranges influence power/hypertrophy/endurance.

Tony Horton knows how to market.

wellbert

I realize this, and that's not the way I mean't it. Low weight, high reps carves a lean body, which is what she is looking for, high weight lower reps builds size, unless Tony Horton doesn't know what he's talking about.

*Points at above chart by Rippetoe*

Rip knows what he's talking about.

ninerbuff

"You don't "build" muscle on light weights. A 12-15 rep range builds muscle endurance. You also don't build "long lean" muscle. Muscle shape/body shape is determined at conception."

I realize this, and that's not the way I mean't it. Low weight, high reps carves a lean body, which is what she is looking for, high weight lower reps builds size, unless Tony Horton doesn't know what he's talking about.

Calorie deficit "carves" a lean body. Low weight high reps builds muscle endurance. There's no dispute on this from a kinesiology and sports specific training aspect.
You're learning from "broscience" and it ain't science.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

GiddyupTim

"You don't "build" muscle on light weights. A 12-15 rep range builds muscle endurance. You also don't build "long lean" muscle. Muscle shape/body shape is determined at conception."

I realize this, and that's not the way I mean't it. Low weight, high reps carves a lean body, which is what she is looking for, high weight lower reps builds size, unless Tony Horton doesn't know what he's talking about.

I understand this is the conventional wisdom. However, I know more than a few guys who built pecs doing push-ups. Lots of guys in the military. I know it is extremely hard to build muscle, for most of us anyways, but perhaps the story is not so simple.

kyraschmidt

Thanks for the input. I post things on here to converse and get support and gain information from people who are going to be friendly. I do not appreciate being talked down to. You should reconsider the way in which you deliver your information. You have no idea of the troubles, problems or disorders that someone on here might be going through. So be helpful, or be friendly, or be neutral. END OF.

Tell you what, if you don't like the tone people answer your questions, then stop posting them. The information given was accurate and helpful, if you don't like the tone, take the info and move one......people complain waaaaay to much in their lives.

So your complaining about me complaining... nice. Why did you need to say anything anyways? So you could put someone else down? That gets you no where.


BUT I want to say thank you so much to those of you who did actually give me advice. It was very helpful! But can someone please tell me how I can delete this post completely? I really didn't ask this question to start an argument.

SideSteel

Thanks for the input. I post things on here to converse and get support and gain information from people who are going to be friendly. I do not appreciate being talked down to. You should reconsider the way in which you deliver your information. You have no idea of the troubles, problems or disorders that someone on here might be going through. So be helpful, or be friendly, or be neutral. END OF.

Tell you what, if you don't like the tone people answer your questions, then stop posting them. The information given was accurate and helpful, if you don't like the tone, take the info and move one......people complain waaaaay to much in their lives.

So your complaining about me complaining... nice. Why did you need to say anything anyways? So you could put someone else down? That gets you no where.


BUT I want to say thank you so much to those of you who did actually give me advice. It was very helpful! But can someone please tell me how I can delete this post completely? I really didn't ask this question to start an argument.

You can't delete it.

However, the good news is, you can just stop reading it and that action will give you the same result.