More Reps Vs Heavy Weights. An Article in the NY Times

jaygreen55

ASK WELL APRIL 5, 2013, 4:21 PM 58 Comments
Ask Well: More Repetitions vs. More Weight?
By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/05/ask-well-more-repetitions-vs-more-weight/?ref=nutrition

Q
In weight training, is it better to increase the number of repetitions or the amount of weight over time?
Asked by Sharon • 119 votes

A
If by “better,” you mean helps you gain muscle and strength without hurting yourself, then “the answer, to me, is pretty clear,” said Stuart Phillips, a professor of kinesiology at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. “Lighter weights!”

In a 2012 study by Dr. Phillips and colleagues, published in PLoS ONE, college-aged young men were randomly assigned to a weight training program in which they repeatedly lifted either 30 percent of the maximum weight possible for them until their muscles were exhausted; or 80 percent of their maximum until, again, their arms or legs were noodle-y. Afterward, both groups developed cellular changes related to muscle growth, meaning either routine would add similar amounts of muscle.

But lifting the lighter weights, Dr. Phillips said, also builds muscular endurance, far more so than grunting through fewer repetitions with heavy weights, and results in less risk of muscular injury. As a bonus, completing more repetitions with lighter weights also results in “a greater amount of total work” per session, meaning more calories burned than fewer repetitions with heavier weights.

The key to determining just how much you should be lifting, he continued, is gauging your point of fatigue. To become stronger and leaner, you do need to lift weights until your muscles are exhausted. If you are using the “lighter” weight approach, fatigue should set in after 15 to 20 repetitions, Dr. Phillips said. If you can’t lift a weight that many times, then, in this scenario, it’s too heavy. If you can lift it more than 20 times, the weight is or has become too light for you and it is time to add some heft.





As a man approaching my 58th birthday with neck, low back and shoulder issues this is the approach I take

Lostone31

I really dont understand this answer.

So once you determine your max continue to do 30% vs 80% ....

Do you get stronger doing 30% what if you start increasing the 80%...

safer??? that is bull hockey... you can hurt yourself at any weight.

Cant be strong enough to lift 300lbs if you never lift 300lbs ...

Acg67

I believe the actual study showed that strength gains were significantly higher with the 80% of 1RM groups

Lyadeia

I prefer to do a mix. I go all out at heavy weight and low reps and also lower weight with more reps. I like to work on strength and endurance.

For instance, my compound lifts in my current program are heavy weights and 6 or less reps in each set. Then I do assistance lifts that will get lighter weights and about 8-12 reps (calves and abs being the exception with 15-20 reps or so).

phjorg

um... that article does not talk about the actual results of the test.

TLDR: strength training gives better strength results. endurance training gives better endurance results. shocking, i know.

edit: in terms of safety, done properly it doesn't really matter the rep range until you're getting to seriously advanced strength numbers, it's safe. done improperly, regardless of the rep range, you will eventually have injury. Also nothing shocking there either. That said, done improperly, the strength training will give faster injury results compared to endurance.

double edit: once you're past beginner strength gains template like SS and SL, you will notice that any proper intermediate weight training template like westside or PHAT will have both strength and endurance components. And for good reason, because it's good to train for all rep ranges to giver all muscle fibre and energy system types. Shocking I know.

So in other words, this doc is a hack.

Lostone31

Since I am doing stronglifts 5x5, I am a little biased.

jackaroo21

I prefer to do a mix. I go all out at heavy weight and low reps and also lower weight with more reps. I like to work on strength and endurance.

For instance, my compound lifts in my current program are heavy weights and 6 or less reps in each set. Then I do assistance lifts that will get lighter weights and about 8-12 reps (calves and abs being the exception with 15-20 reps or so).

I may have to try this, just doing compound lifts heavy weight low rep but want to add some things. This might work. What assistance lifts do you do?

LolBroScience

I prefer to do a mix. I go all out at heavy weight and low reps and also lower weight with more reps. I like to work on strength and endurance.

For instance, my compound lifts in my current program are heavy weights and 6 or less reps in each set. Then I do assistance lifts that will get lighter weights and about 8-12 reps (calves and abs being the exception with 15-20 reps or so).

2nd this.

My main lifts - Squat, Dead, Bench, OHP, Cleans are all less than 5 reps. Assistance lifts are 8-12.

mustgetmuscles1

Interesting. I will have to look at the study when I get some time.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2918506/