how to achieve lean muscle?

Caramiia619
Caramiia619 Posts: 24 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've been lifting only 8pound dumbbells. 5 different sets of 15.reps, and I DO don't get sore, should I do MORE reps or do the same reps with heavier weight?

Replies

  • jessiefreedman
    jessiefreedman Posts: 28 Member
    i'm no expert by no means but i have done loads of research and worked with trainers. you don't necessarily have to be sore after training, however 8 pounds might be too light. start with one weight lighter and increase your weight after every set.

    usually i do 4 sets of 12-15 reps increasing my dumbbell weight with each set. your last rep must be very difficult to do then you know you have the correct weight.

    hope that helps
  • evolutionbyariana
    evolutionbyariana Posts: 60 Member
    To build lean muscle you need to stimulate your body to work at a level harder than what it's used to. So if you're consistently using the same weight with the same reps you're body isn't going to need to adapt (ie. build muscle) to accomplish the tasks you're giving it. I'd recommend upping the weight to a point where you're doing 12-15 reps and struggling on your last three reps while still maintaining good form. And then once you can easily do your full set with that weight, increase it again! Don't worry about working with heavier weights, you're not going to get bulky or anything! :)
  • christylindquist
    christylindquist Posts: 32 Member
    I do the ChaLEAN Extreme workouts and it's all about building lean muscle. I just got heavier weights and can't wait to see the difference. She says in the dvd's we are probably lifting lighter than our full potential. We do one set with 10-12 reps and she wants us to fail at 10-12 like we can't do one more rep. She says when you reach the point of failure you are burning fat and gaining lean muscle mass. Good luck and try heavier, you might be surprised as to how strong you really are.
  • vicksterious
    vicksterious Posts: 8 Member
    Increase your weight if you want to build muscle. 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps. As others said, the last 1-2 reps should be a big struggle.
    If you want to SEE the muscle its a combination of fat loss as well which is achieved more through diet with an added boost from the exercise you're doing.
  • alliebeth88
    alliebeth88 Posts: 59 Member
    Agree with what others have said. If you want to strip away fat and just maintain your lean muscle, you can eat at a deficit. If you actually want to build muscle, you're going to have to eat more.

    Just make sure you are always challenging yourself on those last couple of reps. Don't get complacent about upping weight if things start to become easy for you! My deadlift went from struggling with the 45 lb bar to 115 lbs yesterday in about 3 weeks of lifting just by me pushing to add more weight when thing started to get easy.

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