reps or weight?

beast

beast

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Mar 7, 2010
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What do you guys find that works best??? I have always been the heavy powerlifter type but seems results have stopped. Due to several reasons but small guy keeps yelling at me to lift lighter for volume. Example today I started with seated rows. After 2 warm up sets I just went up to 150lbs(usually 250) and did 5 sets of 20. This continued for 4 other back exercises, a couple for biceps then a 40 rep barbell complex. No real weight was lifted today but I think I'm still a little pumped hours later and extremely tired. Maybe there is something to this?????
 
I combine both in every workout, I get my high rep sets at the beginning of each exercise. I do a fairly high number of sets overall each workout.
 
Both. I don't max every training session. The body isn't made to do that too much for too long. But I do lift heavyish and do treps also.
 
I haven't tried it yet but I was just looking at Gioranda's 6X6 program. You only take a 15 second break in between sets. It seems pretty cool. Supposed to give you a good pump and tire you out.

I tend to mix it up though. I go from 3 sets of 10 with moderate weight to 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 8 of heavy weight. Sometimes I even just rep to failure. Especially for bi's tri's and calves.
 
I will say that Small guy obviously knows his stuff just from his pics. Also Rich Piana. And the tiger BOOM fitness dude all emphasize high volume training. I'm no body builder but have still developed a decent physique using heavy weight for fewer reps. But if I were to enter a bb comp I would definitely go lighter and look for more blood flow into the muscle.
 
i try to feel the muscles contract against the weight. it lessens overall poundages lifted but its safer and better for size. i feel this is the reason i maintained my weight and size despite training lighter than in my 20's.
 
Kind of can't wait to get started with this prep but I am also very familiar with what it comes with. Taking my time off is always hard but I'm working on getting my macros set up and my body used to a consistent amount of food daily. Lifting this way though sure has me sore though, and lethargic!
 
bufbiker said:
I will say that Small guy obviously knows his stuff just from his pics. Also Rich Piana. And the tiger BOOM fitness dude all emphasize high volume training. QUOTE]

This is for damn sure!! He's got it figured out by the looks of him!

BOOM That would be Marc "The Machine" Lobliner.....

As far as Heavy or light I've always went heavy and still do the best I can but with me looking at 50 here soon it's getting Harder and harder to keep up the pace without more and more injuries...So maybe it's time for me to try to lighter weight more reps!?!??
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I did the math from my 1st exercise. 3 sets of 6 is 18 reps total at 250lbs is 4500lb and time under tension is pretty short. 5 sets of 20 is 100 reps at 150lbs is 15000lbs and time under tension is a lot greater. Maybe that is why I'm sore has fuck already this morning!
 
beast said:
I did the math from my 1st exercise. 3 sets of 6 is 18 reps total at 250lbs is 4500lb and time under tension is pretty short. 5 sets of 20 is 100 reps at 150lbs is 15000lbs and time under tension is a lot greater. Maybe that is why I'm sore has fuck already this morning!
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LOL, Sure it is! That added up is a shit load of weight, It's bound to make a man sore, hence = hypertrophy...
I'll buy this conclusion..
 
I just looked at Jay Cutler's routine on bodybuilding.com and he does five or six different exercises per body part. Each exercise he does 3 sets of 10 reps. Obviously its hard to say whether he really does this but it seems to be the consensus right now as far as hypertrophy is concerned.

For me right now I think I've kind of hit a wall. For the last 2yrs I've been getting my size back after drinking for a few years and losing most of it. Of course lately I haven't been the best at consistency with training or eating....
 
I am always at my biggest and baddest when I am eating big and training heavy, with low reps, few sets, and with plenty of rest between sets. But I have a very hard time training this way when I cant eat big.

On the other hand I look more like a bodybuilder when I train light, high reps, high volume, and short rest between sets. And I can train that way on less food it seems, although I still need plenty of it.

Right now I am seven weeks out, little food, more cardio, and basically just going through the motions with the weights, trying to maintain. Not eating enough to gain muscle, but trying hard to hang on to as much as I can. If I tried to train heavy now I would be depressed, because I would feel weak and small. If I tried to do high volume I would fail for lack of food and energy.

Maybe switching things up over the course of the year is the best way to go. I sure don't know.
 
And that's what separates 1st place from 3rd place. Just saying......
 
Personally I change it up. When I get stagnant with heavy weight low reps I go lighter and more reps. Helps me get stronger. About every 3-4 months.
 
Hittin said:
Personally I change it up. When I get stagnant with heavy weight low reps I go lighter and more reps. Helps me get stronger. About every 3-4 months.
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This is what I've been thinking about doing, I just hate playing catch up when I want to go heavy, and that's more ego than anything...lol
 
This may sound strange because it's begs another question...but the last couple times I went higher reps less weight then switched back to heavy weight less reps....I was stronger doing more reps on my heavy weight.
 
Everyone has to find what works best for them - cliche to no end, yet true. Yates, Arnie, etc etc - many styles of training has built champions - there is no one-way-is-best.
 
An acticle on a powerlifter stated he deadlifted the same weight for a couple years until he met up and discussed shit with a bodybuilder. He came to a conclusion that he was training his muscle to be more powerful but not training in a manner that put on new muscle so he did the rep thing on certain days with his triples, bands, chains etc on other days and his lift improved huge in short time. I am at a place and age that maybe I don't need to give a shit about a 400lb bench anymore. Kind of depressing but it wasn't changing my physique and judges don't care how much I lift. Damn what to do.......
 
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