Low Weights More Reps? or High Weight Less Reps?

I been doing a lot of cardio to burn my beer belly and love handles… for 5 weeks now, and its almost all gone ive had some insane results..

What im asking is.. i want to be toned and just have a nice body i want more muscles to show not BIG but just look good,

Ill still be doing cardio everyday, its become an addiction and its actually fun to me..

But to build this muscler toned body im looking for what should i do for weights?

High reps low weight? or High weight low reps? Advice please..

Heres what im working with.

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n183/…

Answer

I think the best thing would be a transition from heavy weights with low reps to lower weight with a more reps.Begin with a moderately heavy weight and do reps that are a little bit uncomfortable to you. After that, begin with a lower weight again with more reps, again that becomes a strain. Then a lower weight again with a few more reps. Keep going down in weight and more in reps. Finally you do light weight and a lot of reps but it will seem really hard. After you get to a low weight and do a good amount of reps, go work on something else like your abs then come back to try the same thing as much as you can handle. This will help you get the tone you want.

I workout and i do more reps and less weight. will that build muscle plus burn fat at the same time.?

i want to get bigger and leaner

Answer

Get bigger with more weight and less reps and do cardio to lose the weight.

When toning abs on a strength machine more reps or more weight?

I have a belly that I am working on getting rid of. At my gym there is an abdominal machine and I do 100 crunches at a 65 weight resistance. I feel like I need to increase something but I don’t know if I should increase the weight or the reps. I just want to get my stomach as flat as I can not really all muslcely ripped. What should I increase? Please help me and my fat belly.

Answer

I’d increase the reps. You increase weight to build muscle, reps to increase endurance. But you’re trying to burn fat too it sounds like so more reps will tone and cardio will burn. Hope that helps.

By the way, I got a flat tummy with defined lines just by doing crunches every night with increased reps.

Building bigger muscles is it better to do more weight less reps or more reps less weight?

Answer

Generally the accepted protocol for bodybuilding is 6-10 reps for gaining size. However, 5×5 has become extremely popular due to the successful programs published by Mark Rippetoe and the guys from Westside Barbell. I have used the following schemes in my compound movements (Squats, deadlifts, bench press, and C & J) :

3×3 Produced a lot of strength, but only average muscle gain. This is more than likely due to the fact that three repetitions is non enough time under tension (TUT) to produce ample musclular breakdown. However, it does put an extreme amount of stress on the central nervous system (CNS), therefore making it more efficeient at firing motor neurons. This will make you stronger and more efficient at the exercise, but won’t put on as much size.

5×5 This gave me the best size gains that I’ve seen. The increased TUT induced plenty of musclular breakdown while still providing significant increases in strength. I guess this is why it’s become so popular with today’s strength coaches.

4×6 Similar gains to 5×5, but burned me out after about two months. The one extra set for one less rep made a difference!

3×8-10 While eight reps would seem to be perfect for bodybuilding, I never saw significant gains with it after progressing out of the beginner stage. Both size and strength stalled after the beginner gains faded away. So while it’s a great way to get into lifting, I don’t think it’s the proper protocol for intermediate or advanced lifters.

Note that these schemes are only for my compound movements, usually supplemented by another medley of exercises at various rep ranges. For these supplemental lifts I stay with six to twelve reps. The bigger the muscle, the more weight I use for less reps. An example would be that I might supplement my legs with split-squats for 3×6 due to the massive amount of muscle being worked, but might do calf raises for 4×10 because of their natural endurance and size. Also, try to use enough weight for you to fail on the prescribed rep. If it’s 5×5, you might be able to get 2×5, 2×4, and 1×3. Keep working with that weight until you can complete five reps on all five sets. Then add weight. Best of luck!

Source(s):

T-nation.com

Less weight and more reps orr higher weight and more reps?

Ok, soo I’ve heard that if you want to get toned you should do a lower weight with more reps, but if you want to “bulk up” you use more weight and less reps.

Personally, I just want to increase my strength and get toned, and I’ve been doing more of the higher weight less rep deal, basically using whatever weight I can do for 3 sets of 12…but yeah, I’ve heard the light weight thing is a myth, yeah or no?

Answer

You actually are referring to 3 competing goals: 1. building strength, 2. building size/mass, and 3. toning.

To build strength you would use lower weights, 4-6 is a good strength building range.

To build mass, you would use a higher rep range to induce hypertrophy. A typical mass building routine would be in the 8-12 rep range.

If you are trying to reduce body fat (ie tone), you really could use either rep ranges, but reduce your caloric intake.

Note that an obvious side effect of lifting heavier weight and getting stronger will be to put on muscle mass.

T-Nation.com has great articles on this subject.

Source(s):

www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/spo…

What workouts are best for getting stronger, looking bigger, and getting cut?

My roommate and I were having a discussion while lifting the other day about what workouts are best for different purposes. My friend is trying to get bigger while I am trying to get more cut. We discussed the following workouts: High reps/lower weights, Low reps/high weights.

We also debated whether compound workouts or isolated workouts were better. From your own experience, what workouts are best at doing what, not limited to the ones we talked about. But if you do list a different one, please explain it. Thanks.

Answer

Yes lower reps high weight gains more strength, and high reps low weight increases endurance. But if your looking to get big or if your looking to get cut up….look no further than what your eating. Too much emphasis gets put on your workout…..regardless of your workout, its what your feeding you body that’s going to determine what size you get. If he does 4-5 reps and double the weight and goes home and eats 1500 calories a day and you do more reps and less weight and get 3000 good calories, your gonna get bigger and hes gonna get more cut up!!…Sorry, but it really is that simple.

Which is better for strength training: higher reps with less weight or less reps with more weight?

I want to build my strength up, be able to lift more when I work out, but which is it, less weight with more repetitions or more weight with less repetitions? I’ve heard it both ways.

Answer

Low weight high reps for toning and strength

High weight low reps to build mass

Best way to build muscle. reps and sets?

i heard starting off with low weight high reps working your way up in weights and down in reps is better than starting off with high weight low reps.

example:

20lbs 12-15 reps failure x1 set

25lbs 8-12 reps failure x1 set

30lbs 4-8 reps failure x2

i heard this is better than just doing 3 sets of 4-8 reps with 30lbs,

i pretty confused. help would be most apreciated

Answer

If you want to build muscle, its about heavier weights, lower reps and protein shakes. Once muscle has been built then you move on to lower weights more reps, that tones the muscle and defines it. Also try resistance training instead of lower-weights, more reps for toning.

One thing to note is not to work out everyday, muscle is built while your resting, so work out 3 times a week max. Some people work out upper body one day, then cardio, then lower, then upper and so on. But thats pretty intense. Id highly advise you to take a day off between exercising.

Good luck, building muscle up takes time so dont rush or get impatient.

What works better? less weight more reps? more weight less reps?

I want to build muscle for strength and burn fat. Especially in my stomach area. I can do 30 reps at a weight that doesn’t fatigue my muscles. If more weight less reps will achieve bette results. I’m all for that.

Answer

More weight – Less reps will build bulk

Less weigh – More Reps will tone and define muscle

If you can do 30 reps of a weight with no fatigue then you need to up your weight. But only by a small amount.

But if you want to get larger you need to up your weight a lot and drop the reps down dramatically!

To gain muscle Do you do more reps less weight or more weight less reps?

Trying to tone up and gain some muscle on my thin frame but I was wondering if I should do more reps and less weight or more weight and less reps?

Answer

2 – 3 sets with a rep range of about 8 – 10 with the heaviest weights you can manage will gain you strength and some growth but Females don’t put on much growth as we don’t have the testosterone for bulking.

However you will get strong & toned from doing this.

Source(s):

42 yr old female

Personal trainer

Karate sensei