High-rep lower body?

S

Shaz

Cathlete
Can I ask, what results have people got from regularly doing really high-rep lower body workouts? I'm just wondering about expected results with the new Legs and Glutes workout (still waiting for my DVDs so haven't previewed yet). If the reps are very high, then you have to use relatively light weights, so surely you can't build muscle. So, is it just good for burning calories? If so, isn't that the same as doing cardio? I know high reps build endurance (slow twitch muscle fibers??) and that's good for overall fitness, but what are the VISUAL effects?

Hope this makes sense!

Regards,
Sharon.
 
Hi, Sharon, I would like to point out that alternating heavy work and high rep work can help prevent plateaus. The body wants to adapt so changing between heavy work and high rep work is a great way to ensure you'll continue to gain. I am currently emphaszing heavier weights and doing less cario because I want to add muscle. You can't be in a calorie deficit to do that. When I am happy with gains, I will increase my cardio and do the higher rep strength training to maintain muscle mass while burning the lovely store of fat my abs are saving for a famine. Hope this helps!
Bobbi
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Hi - I am not really sure what is best, but I can tell you that I have seen good results from the Legs and Glutes workout. Cathe and crew use 2 lb. ankle weights during the second half, which is a new twist that must be making a difference. I actually use 5 lb ankle weights, and find that I can still do all the reps. When I felt achy the next day,though, I knew the workout was doing something. My pants feel looser, too, which is nice. I had foot surgery about a month ago, so I was not able to do any cardio for about 4 weeks. I concentrated on weights for upper body and lower body, and abs - everything but cardio. Surprisingly, with no dieting (except the oreo diet, maybe), I lost a bit of weight and see some improvement in my overall muscle tone. Not sure why, but I am happy. Good luck!

Julie:)
 
I, too, was seeing great results from using L&G's for a month. I have not been able to do it for the last couple weeks due to an injury and I honestly feel sooo much flabbier and bigger. I have a very hard time losing inches and getting my lower half as toned as my upper but L&G's was doing it for me! I can hardly wait to add it back into my rotation. (Mainly focusing on only upper body at the time. :-() ENJOY!
Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/wavey.gif[/img] If You Get The Choice To Sit It Out Or Dance...I Hope You DANCE!!!
 
So, do most people think that high-rep lower body workouts are mainly calorie (overall fat) burners then? People talk about "shaping" the muscles with high reps, but I never really understand this. Any more thoughts?
 
I wouldn't consider high rep, light weight reistance training to be a better calorie burner than low rep heavy weight strength training particularly if you are working all the muscles of your lower body. Even doing 60 minutes of high rep/light vs 30 minutes of low rep/heavy, the number of calories will be quite similar.

I think of doing the two typs of work as cross-taining in that you minimize your risk of injury by using differnt styles of strength training. You also keep your muscles guessing so they continue to adapt. For caloric expenditure, aerobics is the tried and true method and burns more calories than strength training because your heart rate is elevated and the elevation is maintined longer than it is possible to do with strength training.

Both high rep/light and low rep/heavy training shape muscles but you get bulk AND shape with heavier work.

Muscular strength is the maximum amount of force a muscle can produce in a single effort, that is, one rep.

Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle to exert a lesser force continuously or repeatedly over time.

Obviously, we want to be strong but we also want to go the distance which is why the two type of training are essential to our overall fitness!














http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/user.gif Bobbi
 
What's my guy doing down there?

I would say it's similar to the differnce between Cathe and say, a Hollywood starlet who's beautifully shaped but not muscular. Alot really depends on your body composition though. I stay more streamlined and "shapley" regardless of how heavy I go. I'd love to have Karen Voight's body minus the bazooms, but I don't get taht well-muscled "cut" look. In theory, you should be more cut with heavy work with well defined, larger muscles as opposed to smaller, more gently defined or sculpted muscles from high rep/light work.
http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/user.gif Bobbi
 
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