If low weights/high reps is pointless...

FitFabFlirty92

Your entire argument is based on a false premise. Who are these people of which you speak? Can you put hand upon them? Do you actually know people that actually got ripped in 30 days?

If that's what you want to do, I'm not here to stop you. But I'm not sure why you continually post threads like this when you know you're going to get the same answers. Answers from real people, posting real results, from really lifting heavy.

Feel free to do it your way. I sincerely hope you succeed. When you reach your goal, please come back and post a success thread with pictures. I'll be the first one in there to congratulate you on doing it your way.

Honestly, my information comes from Google. I have no scientific studies backing this up, nor do I claim to. But if you look up reviews on Jillian Michaels' videos from real people on their own unbiased blogs, those are the results you see.

This forum is for getting and giving information. If you have no help to give, I don't see why you insist on criticizing me or the topics I choose, when you could simply keep scrolling. I'm tired of seeing people advocating lifting heavy as if that's the ONLY way to gain strength and fitness. I'm trying to get a different perspective.

DavPul

Honestly, my information comes from Google. I have no scientific studies backing this up, nor do I claim to. But if you look up reviews on Jillian Michaels' videos from real people on their own unbiased blogs, those are the results you see.

This forum is for getting and giving information. If you have no help to give, I don't see why you insist on criticizing me or the topics I choose, when you could simply keep scrolling. I'm tired of seeing people advocating lifting heavy as if that's the ONLY way to gain strength and fitness. I'm trying to get a different perspective.

To your first point:

I hope you realize that marketing firms are paid to put fake reviews in places that search engines will find them. Amazon is rife with fake reviews as well. Any search for a beachbody review will bring up numerous beachbody owned sites with different names.

To your second point:

This IS what help looks like. Someone disagreeing with you while trying to point you in the right direction is help. At least in my world it is. But whatever. Do what you do. Other people are drifting into this thread, and perhaps they are actually willing to listen to someone with actual experience getting actual results

mitch4881

That really depends on what you mean by "high reps."
Do you mean 6-8, 8-10, 10-12, 12-16?
I generally think of 3-5 as low reps, 6-10 as medium, and above 10 as high reps.
I've always worked in the 7-10 range for gaining muscle, and it has worked so far. Below 6 is what people normally use for strength gains. You apparently can also gain muscle from going lower reps, but I've never used low reps.
The term "low weight" is relative as well. I can do 5 reps with a certain weight, but I may not be able to do 10 with it. I would use a lower weight to get 10 reps. So it should be the max possible weight you can do x number of reps with using good form.
I'm not familiar with this video series. If the weight is extremely light and the reps are above 12, it is probably more of a cardio exercise.

FitFabFlirty92

To your first point:

I hope you realize that marketing firms are paid to put fake reviews in places that search engines will find them. Amazon is rife with fake reviews as well. Any search for a beachbody review will bring up numerous beachbody owned sites with different names.

I don't just mean anonymous Amazon reviews. I'm talking about weight loss and fitness blogs where people post photos of their results. And I speak from personal experience because I've always seen positive results and lost inches when doing these videos consistently. So yes, I will do what I'm doing, because it gets the results I want. I just hope other people read this thread and realize that your way is not the only way.

mlb929

I'm boat a JM fan, but I do both at different seasons for different reasons. I lower my reps and use higher weights on the off season from long distance running to rebuild strength, give my body a different approach,and to not overdo the cardio. During my race training I use lower weights and higher reps for muscle endurance instead of strength.

jeffsweightloss

switchin up your reps is always a great idea. keeps your muscles guessing. low weight and high resp is great for stamina and burns calories. heavier weights and lower reps builds muscle and strenght...not that lighter weights and higher reps dont. you have to continuously challenge your body so it doesn't get used to a set routine. besides, it's all personal choice.

FullOfWin

I can tell you why
people go insane
I can tell you how
you could do the same

Oh, and really low weight really high reps is pointless

vanguardfitness

glycogen depletion!

AnvilHead

Losing inches and getting "toned" doesn't = building muscle. What most women call getting "toned" simply means losing the bodyfat covering what muscles you have. They don't get bigger, they just become more visible and "sculpted" (to use another catch phrase) because the lowered body fat reveals contours that were shrouded/hidden by it before.

Getting "ripped" doesn't have anything to do with muscle hypertrophy (growth) either. "Ripped" is usually used to denote extreme muscular definition through very low levels of bodyfat, where vascularity and muscular separations/striations are visible. This is more a function of diet than anything else. One can be "ripped" with very little muscle mass - but this is sometimes also referred to as being "stringy".

Also, "feeling the burn" has nothing to do with muscular development. Hold your arm directly out in front of you for about 5 minutes - you'll feel the burn, but you're not going to get hyooge from doing it.

tuffytuffy1

Low weight/=high reps will still give you a good cardio workout and make your muscles work. You won' t gain any actual muscle mass, but it is a good workout nevertheless.

ninerbuff

It's not pointless if you're trying to build muscle endurance.

But ANY workout plan will have decent results if your nutrition is correct.

You could do any program and eat bad and the results would be bad regardless of how touted it is.

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

Rayman79

There have been a few studies that have set out to show that this type of exercise is as effective for hypertrophy as the traditional low rep/high weight protocols that have been proven over time. Unfortunately they often suffer from a lack of credibility in their methodology or repeatability.

I think there is some value in this type of training (particularly if the alternative is no training), and muscular endurance is important. The main benefit you are probably seeing is the exercise that is leading to fat loss, combined with enough resistance to spare the underlying muscle tissue. This means that whilst there is not a significant amount of new muscle tissue created, it looks that way because of the lack of surrounding adipose (fat) tissue.

firstsip

Your entire argument is based on a false premise. Who are these people of which you speak? Can you put hand upon them? Do you actually know people that actually got ripped in 30 days?

If that's what you want to do, I'm not here to stop you. But I'm not sure why you continually post threads like this when you know you're going to get the same answers. Answers from real people, posting real results, from really lifting heavy.

Feel free to do it your way. I sincerely hope you succeed. When you reach your goal, please come back and post a success thread with pictures. I'll be the first one in there to congratulate you on doing it your way.

Honestly, my information comes from Google. I have no scientific studies backing this up, nor do I claim to. But if you look up reviews on Jillian Michaels' videos from real people on their own unbiased blogs, those are the results you see.

This forum is for getting and giving information. If you have no help to give, I don't see why you insist on criticizing me or the topics I choose, when you could simply keep scrolling. I'm tired of seeing people advocating lifting heavy as if that's the ONLY way to gain strength and fitness. I'm trying to get a different perspective.

Why is it it that any obvious controversial post always has the OP's immediate followup post to be defensive. Where was anyone criticizing you? No one was. You set up a sort of straw man argument, then got mad when people wanted clarity/pointed out lack of clarity.

smantha32

I always heard low weight + higher reps = shrinking. Higher weights + lower reps = enlarging muscles. Is that right? Like the difference in the legs of a sprinter (huge calves and thigh muscles) and a long distant runner ( leaner legs all the way).

That's my experience with them also.

Rayman79

I always heard low weight + higher reps = shrinking. Higher weights + lower reps = enlarging muscles. Is that right? Like the difference in the legs of a sprinter (huge calves and thigh muscles) and a long distant runner ( leaner legs all the way).

That's my experience with them also.

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You can not lengthen or re-shape a muscle in any way. It gets either bigger or smaller, and the tissue around it gets bigger or smaller.

Smaller muscles and very little body fat = skinny look (eg marathon runners legs)
Smaller muscles and higher body fat = fat fat look
Larger muscles and little body fat = fit look (eg athlete)
Larger muscles and higher body fat = solid look (eg powerlifter)

NobodyInParticular

Hi reps, low weight is just another form of cardio.
It's pointless only if your goal is to strength train.

MerBear1985

I love JM videos for overall fitness and fat loss. She uses weight as a tool to add more resistance to cardio moves. This is not going to make you that much stronger or build muscle it will just help you burn more calories. If you get rid of the fat on top of your muscles they will start to show. If you actually want to get stronger you will have to lift heavy and challenge your muscles. It all depends on if you want to just look good or look good an be strong.

DonM46

I get a little tired of people repeatedly saying LIFT HEAVY over and over and over.
Just because that's what someone told them?
Lift light and do it a bunch of times worked for me.
I took weight lifting (olympic lifts) in college. To get ready for our competitions (not against others, against our previous best -- ie, progress), we'd lift 60-70 percent of our max, but do it 20 times.
After college, I started officiating football. To stay in shape, I had a 204-lb barbell set with a 5' bar.
On days when I didn't have a game, I'd do two sets of 20 of a multitude of lifts.
A few high school kids asked me where I worked out, and they were stunned when I told them 'my patio.'
So ... yes, light weights and lots of reps works.
It's worked for me for almost 50 years, 48 to be exact.
That approach may not be in vogue for the younger set.
You know, the people who can't be told there are other ways to do things????

upgetupgetup

I'm actually starting to question the 'lift heavy at all costs' thing too. Mainly because I just got another back spasm a few days ago, because I can't afford a trainer, and am doing the best I can do at home, and yeah, I made a mistake. So I'm going to wait and do some pilates and go very very slowly.

There's got to be a happy medium between doing so many reps you're prone to another kind of injury (from overuse, a million pushups can't be good for you either) and weight that's too heavy to be managed without risk (esp if you're over 30).

I understand that bikini competitors often work in a high rep range, fwiw.

And I saw a thread recently, with vids of a seriously jacked bodybuilder who was doing presses with a ridiculously low weight, and who said you could still get results if you focus on the eccentric part of the movement, can't remember who it was though

I do think that to prevent osteoporosis + get hotness, at least one day of definitely challenging lifting is important.

meshashesha2012

I always heard low weight + higher reps = shrinking. Higher weights + lower reps = enlarging muscles. Is that right? Like the difference in the legs of a sprinter (huge calves and thigh muscles) and a long distant runner ( leaner legs all the way).

this isn't true.

i lift at higher weights and my muscles have become so enlarged that i've had to increase my pant size from a size 20/22 to a comfortable size 14 jeans. i plan on continue to get so huge from weight lifting that i'll have to go all the way up to a size 6

if you want to lift heavy things then go for it. you wont get bigger unless you're eating that way. i've been eating at maintenance or slightly below so my fat loss has been steady without having to go super low in calories. maybe i'd get the same results with low weights higher reps, but those workouts take way longer than the high weight/low rep routines and ain't nobody got time for that




I'm a former athlete and I can confirm that I'm one of those women who can easily get bulky from weight lifting but that's only IF i'm eating more calories than i need. i spent a 6-10 months actively packing on weight and size for my sport and it was HARD work.