weight or reps?

Options
KareninCanada
KareninCanada Posts: 797 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
If my goal at the moment is primarily to lose weight and burn fat, with a secondary goal of building lean muscle... should I be working toward lifting heavier weights, or lighter weight with more reps? I think the latter, but would like to be corrected if I'm wrong.

Right now I'm using 12-lb dumb bells for 12 reps on basic things like rows and chest presses, and for curls when I do lunges (up to 20). With the lat pulldown I can do 12 reps at 75 lb, but I can do 8 at 90 lb. The chest press machine I can do 12 reps at 45 lb or 8 at 60 lb.

That's all I do right now, because that's all I know how to do properly - I won't go beyond this until I've had a trainer session to work on form and safety.


Thanks :)

Replies

  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
    Options
    Heavy weights!

    Based on what I've read and on what some more-knowledgeable-than-me people have said, lifting high reps of light weight will improve endurance and burn calories, but it's not going to increase your strength or help you maintain muscle mass.
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
    Options
    P.S. I'm glad to hear you are lifting.
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
    Options
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/476317-why-women-should-strength-train

    That might help... I'm kinda biased in that I really like the author of the presentation... but she also lists some good references.
  • chadaharvey
    chadaharvey Posts: 10
    Options
    Well if you don't strain the muscle at all, you're really not doing anything. Yeah you may get tired after lifting a weight after 20 reps, but you're not doing anything for your muscle. Not saying you have to bulk up big or anything, but you actually get leaner from putting on muscle versus doing the light rep tone routine.
  • Sumo813
    Sumo813 Posts: 566 Member
    Options
    Do both.

    Multiple sets of low reps with high weights will get those fibers shredded up good. Make sure to get proper protein and maybe some other supplementation (creatine, hmb, etc) to help aid in repair and recovery. That will increase your strength and help you build mass.

    Multiple sets of high reps with low(ER) weights will still get the fibers to tear, just not as significantly. Same thing applies though, as far as the nutrients for repair and recovery. The higher number of reps will get the HR pumped up pretty good and should help with the burning a bit more.

    Another thing you can do is a combo of each... start with a weight you can do 12 times, then increase the weight a notch and get it 10 times, repeat for 8 times, etc etc etc until you get to reps of 4.

    Either way, switch up probably every 2-3 weeks just to keep the muscles guessing. For one "cycle" do the higher weight, lower rep, then change up to the lower weight, higher rep. Also change the actual exercises.

    Good luck to you!
  • KareninCanada
    KareninCanada Posts: 797 Member
    Options
    Another thing you can do is a combo of each... start with a weight you can do 12 times, then increase the weight a notch and get it 10 times, repeat for 8 times, etc etc etc until you get to reps of 4.


    That's actually what I was doing last week! I was just testing myself, but you're telling me I stumbled into doing the right thing? lol Who knew?
  • StrongGwen
    StrongGwen Posts: 378 Member
    Options
    you might like to check out the way Body for LIfe is set up for lifting guides (also cardio). constantly challenging and pushing. I can tell you it works well! The New Rules of Lifting for Women is different, but very popular also. I checked out the book from the library while I study how it works. just don't stop!
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Options
    There is no single right answer. People often make a mistake of assuming there is only one "best" way to lift. Not only are there different strategies for different people, there are different strategies for the SAME person as they progress.

    If you are overweight and just starting out, it is better to follow a routine of lower weights higher reps.

    1. If you have not been lifting before, it allows your body to adapt to the effort without excessive soreness or increased risk of injury.
    2. Lifting lighter weight burns significantly more calories than lifting heavier weights.
    3. Lifting lighter weights allows you to focus on learning proper form.
    4. In the beginning, lifting lighter weights is sufficient to conserve lean mass, increase muscle strength and enhance your weight loss efforts.

    By "lighter weights", I mean intensity levels of 12-15 RM. You also still need to be working to "failure" or close to it by the end of each set. It does not mean waving around 3lb hand weights during 30 day shred.

    After an initial period--8-12 weeks, and after you have seen some noticeable weight loss, there are benefits to going heavier. At that point, I would suggest gradually increasing the intensity so that now you are lifting 6-10 RM for basic exercises and adding more compound type exercises to the basic lifts (these would still be in the 10-12 rep category).

    Even when you are lifting heavier, it is not a bad idea to "cycle" back to a week or so of the lighter weights every 4 weeks or so.
  • KareninCanada
    KareninCanada Posts: 797 Member
    Options
    By "lighter weights", I mean intensity levels of 12-15 RM. You also still need to be working to "failure" or close to it by the end of each set. It does not mean waving around 3lb hand weights during 30 day shred.


    :laugh:

    Thanks for the advice! :smile:
  • Sumo813
    Sumo813 Posts: 566 Member
    Options
    you might like to check out the way Body for LIfe is set up for lifting guides (also cardio). constantly challenging and pushing. I can tell you it works well! The New Rules of Lifting for Women is different, but very popular also. I checked out the book from the library while I study how it works. just don't stop!

    Yes! This... this is the "Combo" of each that I stated in my post... the 12-10-8-6-4 routine... back in the day, when Muscle Media was MM2K I was a huge fan of all of Bill Phillip's principles. And at that time, they were proven winners. Even to this day, things that MM2K and MM broke news on (HIIT - Interval Training) are now finally accepted as proven practices.

Categories