Light or Heavy??

whitneysaenz
whitneysaenz Posts: 125 Member
edited September 24 in Fitness and Exercise
Question for all of the women lifting weights...do you lift light or do you lift heavy?

In the past I would lift pretty light and put out a lot of reps.

I joined a new gym yesterday so I can workout with my husband and decided to lift heavy... I'm feeling it much more today. I was still able to get out 10-12 reps if not a few more.

I can't wait to see the changes and differences that this may bring.

Replies

  • kjensen15
    kjensen15 Posts: 398 Member
    I lift heavy weights. I think the whole low weight, high reps thing is a joke!
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    Heavy! The lightest I use are 5s, the heaviest 15s. I agree, I don't like low weight, high reps. Jillian Michaels says the perfect weight is one that you can't lift for more than 10-12 reps so that's what I've used as a basis for the last couple months and I've already noticed I'm getting stronger and can go up to the next weight in just a few times using them. I use 7.5 for bicep curls, hammer curls, and some overhead stuff, 5s for shoulders mostly and I use a lot of machines for my triceps and it's usually 25-30 lbs.
  • JennsLosing
    JennsLosing Posts: 1,026
    i do heavy
  • JulieBoBoo
    JulieBoBoo Posts: 642
    I actually do a combination of both.
  • AmieCrawford
    AmieCrawford Posts: 9 Member
    I set a goal for myself that I liked 55lbs for arms and 100 lbs for legs and I have just been working on getting my reps up. I am up to two sets of 12-15 for arms (depending on machine) and 3 sets of 20 on legs. I think I am about to bump up the legs, considering they carry around my 200 lbs everyday :)
  • kimmerroze
    kimmerroze Posts: 1,330 Member
    As heavy as possible... women have to work REALLY REALLY HARD to get buff like guys... and they lift like 200 pounds or more... so me lifting my 50-100 pounds isn't going to turn me into the hulk.... its a waste of time to lift light.
  • foxxybrown
    foxxybrown Posts: 838 Member
    If you can do more than 8-10 reps without any pain, it's too light.
  • sunstreaks22
    sunstreaks22 Posts: 40
    I was talking to a personal trainer a few days ago who said that many reps with lighter weights or fewer reps with heavier weights works your body the same - it's all about you being able to feel that muscle fatigue when you're finished.
  • 1113cw
    1113cw Posts: 830 Member
    I was talking to a personal trainer a few days ago who said that many reps with lighter weights or fewer reps with heavier weights works your body the same - it's all about you being able to feel that muscle fatigue when you're finished.

    No wonder we're all confused!

    The trainer that I had a session with on Monday said, heavier weight, less reps helps the muscle "progress". He said to use a weight that your're really pushing the last couple of reps. Once it gets easy to do the entire set, it's time to up the weight.
  • whitneysaenz
    whitneysaenz Posts: 125 Member
    I knew you ladies would all be on the same page!! I am loving the feeling from heavy lifting! I know I won't look like the Hulk or anything, but I can definitely feel it working and I am definitely pushing myself harder!
  • NoExcuseTina
    NoExcuseTina Posts: 506 Member
    HEAVY!!!!!!

    I lift with my husband...we mostly use free weights...I do 3 sets for each exercise and try to get 12 reps for each set...when I work up to 15 or 18 reps, I increase the weight. For example: dumbbell presses, I use 25 pound weights

    Love lifting weights more than doing cardio! Learning to like cardio!
  • kimmerroze
    kimmerroze Posts: 1,330 Member
    One thing about lifting light, I have found from personal experience is this;

    I have HUGE calves. and I wanted to reshape them so they weren't so bulky... so I started doing wieghts with my calfs at a lighter weight and it has really helped to shape them....

    But I didn't do this until they were all muscle... if you have fat to lose around a certain body part.... then don't lift light... once its all toned and muscular and then you want to reshape it to be leaner (if you should choose to) then lift light.

    I don't know if what I say is fact, or just my imagination, but my calves are much more feminine than they were before.
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    Heavy!!!!
  • Flyntiggr
    Flyntiggr Posts: 898 Member
    My trainer said the same thing as the post above. Weight doesn't matter. Lots of reps with little weights or a few reps with heavy weights. Muscle fatigue is muscle fatigue. ;)
  • iamthepreston
    iamthepreston Posts: 195 Member
    I was talking to a personal trainer a few days ago who said that many reps with lighter weights or fewer reps with heavier weights works your body the same - it's all about you being able to feel that muscle fatigue when you're finished.


    First thing go and find a new trainer this guy doesn't have a clue what he is talking about. Most trainers don't.

    Reps ranges 1-3 Power
    5-8 Size
    12+ Muscular Endurance.

    Most people would benefit by staying in the 5-8 range for most all exercises. The more weight you can lift the better. Your goal should be too add weight everytime you exercise. You want to build muscle!!!!!!! Women don't worry you won't look like a man.

    More Muscle the more CALORIES burned while your body is at rest.
  • Flyntiggr
    Flyntiggr Posts: 898 Member
    No offense, but my trainer is pretty well educated and said a similar thing.....
  • get_it_gone2012
    get_it_gone2012 Posts: 214
    According to my "buff" friends, lifting light with a lot of reps will make you bigger, but lifting heavy with less reps will make you stronger. As I said, this is according to the guys that are all about getting huge, so I'm not 100% sure if it's correct. But, it seems to work for them :laugh:
  • sbilyeu75
    sbilyeu75 Posts: 567 Member
    I've found that most trainers are ignorant and they all tell you different things. That being said, I found that I get the best results lifting heavy in the 4-8 range. Now, if I would just keep my diet in check to lose this fat.
  • iamthepreston
    iamthepreston Posts: 195 Member
    No offense, but my trainer is pretty well educated and said a similar thing.....

    You said your trainer said this " was talking to a personal trainer a few days ago who said that many reps with lighter weights or fewer reps with heavier weights works your body the same - it's all about you being able to feel that muscle fatigue when you're finished."

    It definetely doesn't work your muscles the same. If he said that he is flat our wrong. Higher reps teach your body to become more efficient at using and creating energy stores. There will be no gain in muscular size.

    Lifting in the 5-8 range to failure requires you to aactivate every muscle fiber available which results in increased size and strength.
  • seemichellerun
    seemichellerun Posts: 219
    I lift heavy weights with low reps (6-10 range). If you're lifting 12-15 reps, then you're definitely lifting in the low weight/high rep range.


    Low weight/high rep and high weight/low rep will NOT give you the same results. Higher reps will work on your endurance while higher weight will work on your strength/muscle mass.
  • RachVR6
    RachVR6 Posts: 3,688 Member
    I lift as heavy as I can still getting 12-15reps.

    I've always been told, 8-10reps to bulk, 12-15reps for lean.
  • sclosson
    sclosson Posts: 120
    It getsconfusing, but I like heavy.
  • pkpzp228
    pkpzp228 Posts: 146 Member
    No offense, but my trainer is pretty well educated and said a similar thing.....

    You said your trainer said this " was talking to a personal trainer a few days ago who said that many reps with lighter weights or fewer reps with heavier weights works your body the same - it's all about you being able to feel that muscle fatigue when you're finished."

    It definetely doesn't work your muscles the same. If he said that he is flat our wrong. Higher reps teach your body to become more efficient at using and creating energy stores. There will be no gain in muscular size.

    Lifting in the 5-8 range to failure requires you to aactivate every muscle fiber available which results in increased size and strength.

    I think this is a weight lifting misconception, that is, the common misconception is that higher weight/low rep builds bulk while lower weight/high rep tones.
    Higher reps teach your body to become more efficient at using and creating energy stores.

    That's correct but that's endurance not mass. Mass is created by increasing muscle density, which is the result of (without getting too technical in terms of muscle synthesis) tearing the the bonds between muscle fibers (soreness). The body reacts by creating more bonds. Regardless of weight and repetition count, using a muscle to fatigue is using a muscle to fatigue. The difference between the two is endurance vs strength. high weight = higher power shorter duration, low weight = lower power extended duration.

    Take a look at a body builder's routine, if Jillian Micheals is doing high rep low weight, 12-15 reps/10lbs than a body builder must be doing 6-10 reps with like a mac truck. In reality body builders typically do higher rep sets because their not concerned with strength like say olympic lifters are. They're just concerned with muscle fatigue and low rep (high endurance) is an extremely effective way to get there.

    Anyway, my understanding, take it with a grain of salt, there's a lot of literature out there going both ways.
  • mlb929
    mlb929 Posts: 1,974 Member
    Heavy! I'm convinced that women use way to light of weights for themselves. I've tried - and can't build "bulk" do don't worry about it. But it sure makes a difference in the look of the arm and quality definition in the shoulders, butt, and legs. I try to up my weight every time I can do more than 10 reps with perfect form without a break, I add 5 more lbs at that point.
  • mlb929
    mlb929 Posts: 1,974 Member
    According to my "buff" friends, lifting light with a lot of reps will make you bigger, but lifting heavy with less reps will make you stronger. As I said, this is according to the guys that are all about getting huge, so I'm not 100% sure if it's correct. But, it seems to work for them :laugh:

    I always believed the opposite. Heavier weight breaks down the muscle fiber more, so it repairs and builds - but lighter more reps makes you stronger - IE the guy may be able to do 100 reps with 100 lbs, but the other guy can do 30 reps at 200lbs - I would consider the 100 reps stronger for the purpose of practical muscle use - the 100lb guy can carry the bags of dog food further then the more muscular built guy that can only move it for a short time....

    Am I now making things more confusing?

    I want to have muscle, when I get to where I want to be, I do more reps, if I want to still build muscle, I up the weight - I'm still in the muscle building mode.
  • iamthepreston
    iamthepreston Posts: 195 Member
    No offense, but my trainer is pretty well educated and said a similar thing.....

    You said your trainer said this " was talking to a personal trainer a few days ago who said that many reps with lighter weights or fewer reps with heavier weights works your body the same - it's all about you being able to feel that muscle fatigue when you're finished."

    It definetely doesn't work your muscles the same. If he said that he is flat our wrong. Higher reps teach your body to become more efficient at using and creating energy stores. There will be no gain in muscular size.

    Lifting in the 5-8 range to failure requires you to aactivate every muscle fiber available which results in increased size and strength.

    I think this is a weight lifting misconception, that is, the common misconception is that higher weight/low rep builds bulk while lower weight/high rep tones.
    Higher reps teach your body to become more efficient at using and creating energy stores.

    That's correct but that's endurance not mass. Mass is created by increasing muscle density, which is the result of (without getting too technical in terms of muscle synthesis) tearing the the bonds between muscle fibers (soreness). The body reacts by creating more bonds. Regardless of weight and repetition count, using a muscle to fatigue is using a muscle to fatigue. The difference between the two is endurance vs strength. high weight = higher power shorter duration, low weight = lower power extended duration.

    Take a look at a body builder's routine, if Jillian Micheals is doing high rep low weight, 12-15 reps/10lbs than a body builder must be doing 6-10 reps with like a mac truck. In reality body builders typically do higher rep sets because their not concerned with strength like say olympic lifters are. They're just concerned with muscle fatigue and low rep (high endurance) is an extremely effective way to get there.

    Anyway, my understanding, take it with a grain of salt, there's a lot of literature out there going both ways.


    Wow you totally misunderstood everything I said. You have it halfway right.

    FYI Bodybuilders typically stay between 6-12 reps. Powerlifters 5 and less.

    You also talk about breaking the bonds between muscle fibers never heard that before. What you are doing is creating microscopic tears in the muscle fibers themselves.
  • sass30
    sass30 Posts: 355 Member
    "Go big or go home!"
  • mideon_696
    mideon_696 Posts: 770 Member
    heavy, low reps = strength gains.
    heavy(but lighter), higher reps = size gains.

    so yeah, up to 5 or 6 for strength gains, and little size gains (form following function)

    6-8 or 9 for about the same gains each way,

    8-12 or 13 or so = mostly size gains, less strength gains

    :wink:
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