Hear both sides...which really works?

T

toastythemosty

Cathlete
For building bigger muscles? Higher reps/low-med weights or just going heavy with shorter reps. I am really confused as I hear some say going heavy and others going lighter with higher reps.


Charlotte~~
 
Low reps (8-10) high weights is what works for me. I think you have a similar body type as I do--naturally small & hard to put on size. Usually, once I can do 3 sets of 10 reps I start increasing my weight.
 
Marietta and Maximus,

Thanks! Then I guess I have been doing this right all along. Just wanted to make sure. ;-) BTW, I have been testing out that new machine of ours and did some lat work with 30lb's. Seems easier with a machine then using dumbbells or barbell, don't you think?

Charlotte~~
 
Shrugs & upright rows? I have a little trouble with those on the smith machine b/c the range of motion is so limited. But it's also much safer b/c you're forced to keep your form.
 
Yup, upright rows. I can do pull ups on that thing too though I am not suppose to, but it ain't going anywhere, ya know what I mean? Not like I can hurt it or anything! LOL! Hubby just frowns when I mention it. Says he will need to buy a pull up bar for it...WHY? LOL!

Charlotte~~
 
The general advice is heavy weights with low reps, but it is possible to grow muscle with higher reps/low weights also. Pre-exhaustion, continuos tension, supersetting, and other techniques can make possible to grow muscle with less weight. Also, for optimum muscle fiber recruitment it is best to combine high weight/low reps with low weight/high reps in the same workout. You also want to shake things up and surprise the muscles once in a while and because of this, sometimes low weight/high rep induces growth.
 
This depends on your makeup of type 1 and type 2 muscle fibers. For building bigger muscles stay in the 6-10 rep range, which stimulates type 2 fiber. Type 2 fibers are the ones that grow big enough to notice. Vary the tempo, particularly the negative part of a lift. That is the most important part of the lift.
The high rep stuff only gets you so far. Stimulating type 1 fibers only is not going to make you alot bigger.
Also shock techniques like supersetting should not be used exclusively. Continue to change things up. If you are where you want to be body weight-wise I recommend resting longer between sets, like about 2 mins. max.
The best lifting techniques are the ones where you hit both types of fibers and vary the tempo of the lift, staying on one type of workout for 2 to 3 weeks, a month at the most, before switching up.
 
You are right about that Candi but it is commonly thought that high rep/low weight stimulates type one fibers and those fibers are structured differently within the body so that you won't see them bulk like type 2 fibers do.
 
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