How many reps for heavy lifting?

What's your goal? Your current rep scheme is good for hypertrophy (bulking up).
For gaining strength, you want to use a weight that brings you to failure on the last set between 3 to 5 reps.

If you can lift it more than 5 x 5, it's not heavy enough.

Curls are really not that useful of an exercise. Get into the big full-body compound lifts: squats and deadlifts (with Olympic bar). Pendlay rows, OHP, and BP also very useful for strength.

Check out stronglifts.com 5x5 program (5 sets x 5 reps), or starting strength.

BTW, pushups are equivalent to 1/2 bodyweight benchpress. Work up to decline pushups with your toes on a ball. Pull ups and chin ups are fantastic too. Nerdfitness.com has great ideas for working up to pull-ups (using your table!).

Bicep curls are an accessory exercise, I wouldn't sweat it that much. I usually do them in sets of 2 for higher reps. Usually whatever weight feels hard at about 10 reps. I increase the weight when I can hit 12 reps.

Now your compound moves - like overhead press, squat, bench, and deadlift. That's where it's a bit more critical.

Bicep curls are an accessory exercise, I wouldn't sweat it that much. I usually do them in sets of 2 for higher reps. Usually whatever weight feels hard at about 10 reps. I increase the weight when I can hit 12 reps.

Now your compound moves - like overhead press, squat, bench, and deadlift. That's where it's a bit more critical.

QFT - higher reps for accessory lifts, max 5 reps for compound lifts.

ps - definition comes from fat loss around the muscle. Some of the strongest people in the world don't have a lot of 'definition.'

Hmmm. Lotsa different answers to consider.

To build strength I do low reps/ heavy weights. My numbers change. I might do 4 (reps) of a really heavy weight and then go down in weight so I can do 4-6 reps... but generally staying in that window.

I'm always changing up my workouts. I like doing 10-12reps for 3-4 sets of a moderately heavy weight.

When (not currently- least haven't tried in a while) I can bench my own weight for 4-6 reps for 3-4 sets, I feel on top of the world. That's when I like to try and maintain because at that point, I'm looking mighty good if I do say so meself.

Don't overthink curls.
When we talk heavy lifting, we usually mean squats, bench press, deadlift, and overhead press.

these lifts are what you should build the core of your work out around. the rest are all accesory lifts to build smaller muscles.

I just wish I knew what an accessory lift was. Never heard the term till I got on mfp. Is it like a purse and belt for lifting? Whatever it is! I'm fairly sure I've never done one in my lifting life

BTW, pushups are equivalent to 1/2 bodyweight benchpress. Work up to decline pushups with your toes on a ball. Pull ups and chin ups are fantastic too. Nerdfitness.com has great ideas for working up to pull-ups (using your table!).

Isn't it weird - I can rattle off 20 pushups a set no bother, but I struggle to do 10 bench presses at half bodyweight...

I was just thinking that too... That can't be right.

It's right. While they work similar muscle groups, benches and pushups are different exercises. Being proficient at one doesn't translate to being good at the other. When I can bench the world, I'm surprisingly weak at pushups if I haven't been doing them. And when I can do 100 pushups in less than 3 minutes, my bench doesn't improve at all.

To be excel at a particular thing you have to practice that particular thing

BTW, pushups are equivalent to 1/2 bodyweight benchpress. Work up to decline pushups with your toes on a ball. Pull ups and chin ups are fantastic too. Nerdfitness.com has great ideas for working up to pull-ups (using your table!).

Isn't it weird - I can rattle off 20 pushups a set no bother, but I struggle to do 10 bench presses at half bodyweight...

I was just thinking that too... That can't be right.

check your form on push ups. I often see people lowering their belly to the ground and calling it a push up. Plank; flat back, nose to ground. Where are your elbows? Can you really do 20, and not bench 1/2 bodyweight?

METHOD

Studies have been conducted in which push-ups were performed on force plates. They indicated the following:

1. Women performing traditional push-ups lift the equivalent of 71% of their body weight. For example, a 120 pound woman lifts about 85 pounds.
2. Men performing traditional push-ups lift the equivalent of 77% of their body weight. Thus, a 150 pound man lifts about 115 pounds.
3. Modified push-ups, performed with the knees on the ground rather than the feet, reduce the amount of weight lifted. Women lift the equivalent of 55% of their body weight, while men left about 56%. So a 120 pound woman lifts about 66 pounds and a 150 pound man lifts about 84 pounds.

WHY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SEXES?

These percentages are only averages, but there is a reason for the difference between males and females. Men usually lift more of their total body weight during push-ups than women because they tend to have more bulk in their chest and shoulders. As a result, more of their weight lies directly over the arms when performing pushups.

In contrast, women tend to have a lower center of gravity, with their weight centered around the hips and thighs. Since this weight is located below the position of the arms, less force is required to lift from a pushup position.

However, this varies widely, depending upon the individual. Large-chested women will lift percentages of body weight similar to that of men. And men whose body weight is centered in their hips and stomach will lift percentages of body weight similar to that lifted by women.

HOW TO TEST YOURSELF - A MATH EXERCISE

You can use a bathroom scale and some math calculations to determine the percentage of body weight each student actually does lift when performing pushups. It's a great way to combine your physical education and math curricula.

With the scale resting on a hard surface, have your students assume a pushup position with their hands resting on the scale. Record that weight; then their weight from a modified pushup a position; and finally, their full weight as measured from a standing position.

Then have them calculate the percentage of their body weight they'll lift when performing push-ups. They do this by dividing the weight recorded while in the push-up position by their full body weight.

For example 150 pound student whose push-up weight was 110 pounds will be lifting 73% of their body weight when performing push-ups. (110/150 = .73)

Read more: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Push-ups--How-Much-Weight-Are-You-Lifting-/486282#ixzz2LlgVG1zA
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