for me it's more about the resistance and I do the excersises in real real slow controlled movement. That makes less weight feel more. Usually around 7-10 reps.
Thats pretty much the key for me man. 5-6 reps is to low and puts to much on my other muscles and not the isolated one. 10+ seems like its endurance versus size or strength. 2 second rep and 4 second eccentric motion by 8 reps in Iam burning!
In the first 2 years of lifting i would try what i saw a lot of others doing in the gym, lifting fast, useing as much weight as possible and swaying the body to help get the weight up especially in bicep work. Then 1 day i saw a guy who was in great shape lifting very slowly. For example in bicep curls he took 3 to 4 seconds lifting them up and slowly lowering them en average of 5 seconds. I started doing that and made big improvements. I didn't need to use so much weight, and it greatly reduces chances of an injury. Why do a movement fast when doing it slow keeps the mussle working longer.
At age 72, I have found that light reps don't do a thing. Also, trying for max weight is a killer. I have to stick to four sets of medium weight for warm up and then four sets of at around 80% max at 6-8 reps. I do several sets focusing on compound and then various isolating sets. I use machines typically as finishing sets because the muscles are fatigued and weights tempt poor form with fatigued muscles. At my age, it is very hard to get the muscles to failure without setting up secondary injury (ligaments etc). So, the higher number of sets with rest in between at 6-8 reps at 80% works for me. I can't do squats yet because age has stiffened by hip flexors, psoas, IT, and general imbalance in leg strength. I have to correct those before I can play. Although I did 14 behind the next pull-ups in Viet Nam as a young man, pull ups now tempt arm extension and rotator cuff issues. On scheduling, I try for 5 days a week because I avoid pushing too hard on only 2 to 3 days a week and can isolate the exercises better giving the other parts plenty of rest. Being older, I have learned the most important lesson: listen very closely to the body. It will tell me very quickly when I am doing something wrong (e.g. over extending a bicep curl...golfer's elbow), which body part is ready for a good workout, and when to take off. I can't work with a rigid schedule. With regard to overtraining, I believe anyone over 70 who is working out in the gym is, by definition of age, overtraining all the time. To compensate, I must be totally disciplined on supportive nutrition. My biggest problem is drinking enough water because I am handicapped with an old bladder that does not like a lot of water. ps, thumbnail pic when I was 65 and out of shape. :) I would love to see more videos for older bodybuilders.
I do extremely heavy weight on my main lifts (Bench,Squat,Deadlift) and then I go heavy as possible in the 10-12 rep range and that's worked best for me. I also have a 455lb bench, 620lb deadlift and a 550lb squat.
As long as you're lifting 60% or more of your one rep max you're good at any rep range.. Its about managing the volume. Look up the prilepin's chart its all you really need to understand this
Have been doing 12-15 rep sets for 8 months now. Been training for 12+ years and all have been the 6-10 rep range. I grew very nicely on that lower rep range but wanted to try something diff so switched to higher reps. After 8 months, I can honestly say the lower reps worked better for me. I don't get as good of a pump nor do I sweat as much on the higher rep sets. Even though the 15 reps is still about failure it's more of a burning feeling then a pumped up feeling. The growth rate is just not the same with higher reps and I feel like 8 months is a good amount of time to test this. So back to 6-10 reps I go...hope this was useful...
Nice conversation, though. Anyway, I heard some serious natty bodybuilders, saying that indeed low reps - high weight is good for people who don't use drugs. If you do use them, you can make your biceps grow with 10 kg, Understand?
***** when you STARTED, it was another story. You need to progress in weights for growing. Pumping alone doesn't good for this purpose, You can't have big arms with just 10 - 12 kg curls, a bench press of 60 kg, even if you do 30 reps. That's what I mean.
***** Classic beginners mistake. Yes they grew. Sarcoplasmic growth is where your volume comes from. But your capability for sarcoplasmic growth and size is limited by the amount of muscle fiber you have. Myofibrillar growth might not have the same volume but that is where your potential for size comes from. What you did and are doing is classic noob. You lifted high reps your existing fibers responded as they should and grew. You then hit the cap of your existing potential and you have been chasing that dragon ever since and calling yourself a hard gainer everyone else is on juice etc. etc. etc. Everyone gets good results when they first start with high rep work because their muscle fibers have not yet reached their maximum potential for size. If you simply upped the weight for a winter and put on some solid fiber then went back to high volume in the spring to fil all that new fiber you would get some amazing size. Right now you are trying to poor water into a full cup.
8-12 reps here mostly. Sometimes drop the reps (2-4) on core exercises just for variety and power. On days when I dont 'feel it' I like to use lighter weights and hit 15-20 reps.
I started a 20 rep squat routine and liked it so much I went to 20 reps on all exercises. I made gains every week for almost 3 years straight. I've experimented with 8-10 reps and I progress for a few weeks and then the gains stop.
yea i doing that again at the minute, heavy 3/8 reps max for 6 wks then 2 wks high rep at 60/70% max weight (I guess this kinda deloading phase) helps the joints
Ric I have to say I really enjoy your channel. I can relate to a lot of what you say in the good Ol Days in the gym. The gym I worked out at you knew everyone and you spotted one another and trained with friends. Definitely different than today's generation
Volume with forearms and calfs works great! Heavy resistance with Prime mover (chest and back) hits your nervous system for a great deep contraction. Arms 5 sets for 5 reps to keep your mass. But all in all keeping your size is all diet :) Same with lean, dense, conditioned muscle.
Great vid. My own crackpot theory is that the mix of fast & slow twitch fibers are unique to each individual so he should experiment with a each rep ranges for 3 or 4 months and gauge and find what works for him. Same with intensity techniques like forced reps, drop sets, etc.
The funny thing is is that when I was really into going to the gym (meaning approx. 5 times a week) I used to always automatically gravitate towards TH-cam videos or even Old school programs like 5x5 from Reg Park and think "Yeah this is going to work much better than my own instinctive training!", but in the end I always either got hurt, or bored, or something. In short, what worked best for me is this: Focussing on time under tension with a medium heavy weight, about 12 reps. Making sure the muscle in question is doing the work, not the whole body. Making sure you really struggle at the last 3 reps or so, and that you get a great pump in that muscle by good exercise selection. Sets of 2, 3 or 5 reps ended up hurting me more so than making me gain, and anything consistently higher than 12 doesnt do anything but tire you out. Thats my 2 cents on what worked best for me.
I'm growing steadily with doing 6-8 reps a set with progressive overload. Never had much progress with high reps. Sometimes I do 5 X 5's to build a little more strength. That's what has worked for me. Great video
One of my shoulders is injured now so I've been working around it using light weight/high volume. I've noticed great progress. I think I'm just doing everything with better form and slower. It still brings a good burn and pump in my shoulders. Everyone is different.
It depends on what type of muscle is predominant. Heavy weight is great if you have a lot of fast twitch white fibers. If you have more slow twitch red fibers, you'll respond better to getting a pump. Heavy work will just stress the ligaments. It's good to go back and forth but your body type will dictate what's best to emphasize.
Glad to have you back Ric! I hope you're well. These days I don't track the amount of weight anymore. I used to log it in an excel sheet on my phone but it became an exercise that was based around numbers rather than 'heart'. I warm up with two sets. Based upon how I felt during those warmups I choose a weight for the working set which allows me to do about 10/12 reps. Before starting it's a guess but I always go to failure. If I hit 20 reps or maybe even 5, so bit it. I'm generally annoyed by high reps, so if failure is reached neighbouring 'high volume' , I will increase the weight. Sometimes there is a tipping point which is dictated by a 'numb' feeling. Whenever that happens I'll work with a contrasting volume in order to get a different response. The cadence I use is fairly slow and the amount of TUT is generally 45 seconds or a little bit longer. About the diet : I do combine fat and carbs and it does wonders for me. Generally I feel fitter and stronger than in comparison when I choose one or the other. Maybe you could ask Brignole to guide you through a 'super torq' method session in order to experience high volume in a different manner.
Started doing speed sets 2 sets 15 where first 5 reps go explosive for power then 2nd 5 reps were super slow...5 seconds on positive 5 seconds negative. The last 5 reps of the set were average speed. Use light weight because the time under tension is what builds that muscle without taxing the joints.
Just getting back into training on a regular basis 2-4 times a week.I go the old school principal "heaven weight,low reps every set to failure " pyramiding up 3 sets and around 10,5 and 3 reps. I also will change it up with a few drop sets mixed in.Forearms for me is higher reps seem to work best with wrist curls. But will mix it up with pyramid especially reverse and hammer curls.Just stumbled on your channel,excellent info luvin' it!
I definitely do not advise every flavor of Ice Cream esp. at nighttime, and I certain do not advise every resistance flavor such as rip and choke. Instead it's universally agreed Tension is just my flavor of Ice Cream to eat EVERY TIME.
Ric you probably will not see this but I completely agree with what you said about biceps getting smaller with higher reps. I just got back into lifting weights over the last year or so and my biceps filled up fairly quickly due to muscle memory. I actually ended up getting them bigger than they had been previously when I lifted before. I felt like I I wanted to change things up so a week ago I decided to (stupidly) due a high rep biceps work out in my room. I set my dumbells to 45 lbs and did bicep curls: 8 sets total; 4 sets of 15 reps and 4 sets of 10 reps. A total of 100 reps. I got a pump but over the course of the following few days my biceps began to shrivel up. Now a week later my biceps are definitely smaller than before that work out. Never again
Hey ric I think from what I've tried the thing isn't about weight reps etc. I've tried switching up the rest time for periods of time and found the lower rest time the higher the intensity of the workout and I've noticed my muscles gain more size when I trained in 8 to 12 reps with 60 seconds rest time not more
I'm 62 & find for reasons you can imagine that standardizing adding 25 pounds to most sets till 10 reps becomes iffy, then going back down the same way but adding 2 extra reps to each set (being fully warmed up by then) ending with a 20 rep set (works) !
Funny - I just made this change myself yesterday. I felt great using light weight but my strength suffered. At 47 I don’t really want to gain a size. I prefer that trim but hard look now. But I want to be strong again. I am going to train 3 days a week with a focus on slowly increasing weights on the basic exercises like deadlift, squat standing military, rows etc. Thanks for the confirmation!
I learned to do both, lightday for endurance, heavy for str and size plus Mid day for maintenance. But I usually only make it for light and heavy day to be honest.
high reps have been working for me rick. I have been lifting for 5 years now 27 yrs old naturally. high reps moderate weight... I have even done pyramid up to heavy for 3 sets and cut the weight down about 40% and 5 sets of high reps at least 10. recently I have started lifting heavy and my body has been saying YES!!!! thank you for the change. I wake up pumped the next day ! I think the body needs both high reps and low reps high weight every 8 weeks or so.....
I'm liking the higher weight - lower reps, as it makes my workouts half the time they were, even still using 6 sets. I get a good pump, I'm sore the next 2 days in that muscle, then the third day (or fourth if another day off for that muscle is necessary) i do it again. I started off using lighter weight - higher reps cuz in the beginning i hardly had any plates or dumbbells. But now I've accumulated all that so i like 2 months of heavy weight followed by a month of lighter weight to one, give my joints a break and two, not loose any muscle while I'm not lifting heavy. Took me a long time to figure this out...
i agree with you. it depends of the muscle. i see that my back grow with everything, low reps, hight reps etc. but my chest only grow with low and heavy reps.
Haven't seen much difference in results based on weight vs reps, but emphasizing the eccentric (negative) phase of each lift did seem to amp up my size gains.
You gotta try what works for you. 15 reps X 3 sets has worked amazingly for me on back training and worked ok on chest/ pressing. I got from 12st to 15st with visible abs using mostly 15 rep sets. Legs I just cycle fast up really steep hills and that works so I guess that's high reps too.
Hi Ric. really great show, its good to listen to someone who has true experience!. I am 58 yo and have been training since 15 yo. I am a very hard gainer and was pathetically skinny, these days I am 6 feet 4 and 260lbs. Like you I am full of injuries and about to have partial knee replacements (running). Hi reps/ low weights has always shrunk me. I pyramid all my sets and depending on muscle group reps can be from 70 down to 1 rep. I always do sets below 6 reps down to 1. I definitely get my strength from the low reps and that enables me to pump out more reps at higher mid weights. I find calves and traps work well at high reps and heavy weights, for example I typically do shrugs at 400lb range for 70 reps.....its an experience!
For 20 years I was always an 8 to 10 guy, but in the last month I've been doing 20 reps to failure on everything. What a huge difference it's made. Take my preacher curl for instance, I started at 60 lbs for 20. 3 weeks later I'm at 110 lbs for 22. Almost 100% increase. Granted, my 1 rep max probably didn't go up alot, but my 20rm sure did. Added about 1/2 inch to my arms too. And im natural by the way. I think the key is switching it up. When you plateau at one rep range, try the other
Agree. I do 8 reps on the compound lifts (sometimes as low as 5 reps, e.g. bench press). On the accessory muscles like biceps, triceps, I've had good results with a 20, 15, 12 while progressive increasing the weight. My biceps and triceps have blown up.
I'm with you Ric, my body has always over thirty years training responded to heavier weights. I always felt light weights gave a good pump but left me feeling very depleted and skinny the next few days.
Ric thanks. my workout is called Max out like a powerlifter and rep out like a bodybuilder. i like both! i always work up to a 1 rep max and then i finish off with drop sets for pump and muscle.
After lifting moderate to heavy weight with very little rest time between sets and training 4-5 days a week for over a year, I can tell you I made very little progress for the amount of effort I put in. I was training two hours or more per session on average and what happened was I became an endurance machine. I could and did lift longer and more often than my other friends, but I just wasn’t going anywhere in terms of mass and strength gains after 14 months, or so. Backing off on the weight just a bit, increasing my rest periods between sets, and critically, I massively lengthened my time under tension ... By slowing way down, focusing as deeply as possible on muscle isolation (or groups of muscles, of course), my body has finally come roaring to life ... it wasn’t that I wasn’t eating enough, it wasn’t because I wasn’t giving it 100%, it was that my body in particular just did not respond to the stimulation I was giving it. I’m so glad to have so many highly accomplished lifters weighing in on these techniques and can only imagine how frustrated I would be if I had to figure all this stuff out on my own over decades of commitment. Love the channel Ric... thanks for the content :)
Been doing high reps low weight for a year helped a little , but I feel I have not been getting bigger. After watching this video going to try heavy weight low reps to see the difference.
Ric....I wasted well over 20 years lifting light to moderate weights for 10-12 reps. Talk about frustration! I would gain very little, overtrain and burnout, then quit for several months...only to start back all over again. In my early 40's I read two of the best books I've ever read on training: "Brawn" by Stuart McRobert and "Dinosaur Training" by Brooks Kubik. When I was younger I had heard about lifting really heavy and the pitfalls of overtraining, but, it went in one ear and out the other. I finally gave heavy weight/low rep training, along with abbreviated routines a try. Best thing I ever did! Despite being middle aged, I began to see real results, more so than ever before! I'm now 59 1/2 yrs. old and still train heavy, but since I'm now older and a retired policeman a bit worse for the wear, I have some limiting factors due to achy joints and bad shoulders. Wish I had followed the advice to go heavy when I was a lot younger. You're spot on about training heavy vs. light!!! I enjoy your videos very much...great advice and keep doing what you do! Thanks man!
Ric, you said that high reps work for chest and back, but low reps would work better for biceps. However, in one of your older videos, Rich Piana said that the the trick for bringing up stubborn arms was training them with high reps, while training chest and back with low reps and more weight. Which is it?
great vid, for me , light weights beginning of the week , then heavy like a 5x5 , increase food intake ,protein 1gram per pound daily to build bulk.then mid rep 10-12 late week
I've always used the pyramid system if i wanted to thicken out ....worked for me ...when i wanted to cut/lean out ...full body workouts works best for me ...everyone is different but in general I've had other people try these different types of workouts with similiar results ...
To answer the question. I was in the Navy. Lived in SAN Diego. We had the habit of swimming in Coronado .. We would swim float. Tread water for 15. 30 minutes. Then after pump Iron. Amazing. I am not sure why. I believe that the water pressure plus circulation had to do with. Getting a great pump and muscles growth. I do know that the combination raise the testosterone levels a your metabolic rate.
I like going medium-to-high weight, low reps and high volume. Usually 70--85% of my 1 rep max, for a total of 6--10 reps, and knocking out 12--16 sets, gives me a good pump and fills me out to where I continue to see new growth. But I have to consume more carbohydrates and overall calories in general. I also go light every 5--6 weeks for about a week at a time.
now 66, been lifting 55 years. At 66, if my warm up set still hurts by the 6th rep, it's too heavy. Usually stay in neighborhood of 8-10 reps, 6 sets, and only use the targeted muscles. If I concentrate and remember to accelerate through the gravity-defeating half of the rep, I get pumped and mildly tight\sore.
Maui no ka oi glad you had good time on our islands ...hawaii 78 from braddah is listen to that song that tells alot of our lives as a hawaiian mahaloo
pyramids from 20, then 18, 16, 14 etc. down to 2 or 4 sets of 4 super heavy for strength. that's what always helped me. now when I'm on cycle my pyramid will stay the same but I will go back up. off cycle my diet was a gram of protein per pound of body weight. on cycle 1.5 to 2 grams depends on what I'm trying to do. But its been a while.
1st set: 20 reps for a light warm up; 2nd set: 12 reps for a medium warm up; 3rd set: 10 reps, warmed up; 4th set: 8 reps for a mild strain; 5th set: 6 reps for a strain; 6th set: 5 to six rep all out effort and over strain. Add weight each set. 2 minute rest max. between sets Don't go to failure on the first three sets. Last three sets are to failure. Once every other week see how much weight you can handle for a 2 to 4 rep set (strict movement).
I really think that Jerry Brainum laid out how the two approaches work together in an earlier one of Rics videos. You have myofibrillar growth(hypertrophy) which comes from heavy weight and you have sarcoplasmic growth that comes from lighter weights higher reps. Its the creation of new nuclei through heavy training that gives muscle the potential for growth. This forms the basis for the old soviet systems. When you are just starting or coming back you need to be focused on myofibrillar growth. As the muscle matures or "awakens" then you can move to higher reps and fill the muscle out through sarcoplasmic growth. I laugh at the kids in the gym doing dome high rep program they got from some Oly competitors per-competition program. I'm like 'he's an Olympia competitor in his 30s. You are a teenage kid. Your muscle doesn't have that kind of potential for growth yet. You are trying to poor a gallon of water into a sandwich bag.'
Full body 3 x a week, one exercise per body part 3 x 12-6 reps, each set with a drop set of approximately 5 reps is working great for me. Low reps do nothing on my natty frame.
I'm very glad that I found your channel. It is great what you are doing for us old guys. I'm 70 and my doctor has me on testosterone replacement, which is helping me fill out my skin as you say. My problem is that my muscles are doing ok as I add weight to my workouts BUT my 70 year old tendons, ligaments and joints are giving me issues since the testosterone has not helped rejuvenate them as it has the muscles. Other than take it easy and not go too fast with more weight, is there anything else I can do?
For me it was always pyramid with everything. Especially chest and back. Now with 3years off and low T, and, low back problems, I started doing light work, and I did get more cut then ever, but I need heavy or at least 6-8 reps semi heavy to put size on which isn't easy with low T numbers. But I have to stick with the gym and workout anyway, that does at least bring the T levels up, or so it feels rather than doing what I did which was quit. No quitting. You still look good ric. No bullshit.
I start heavy at 6 reps on 1st and 2nd set then medium on 3rd and high on 4th. Mix it up ! Studies show all ways work ! There is no magic number or way !
ive done high reps (around 20 reps, medium weight) for around 3 months, ive just started going higher weight, lower reps (around 8/maximum 10 reps at a push) what i will say is that i definitely agree with what is said here that muscles react to resistance. you need to have higher weight to cause the necessary resistance and truama in order to grow the muscle. just in a fortnight of pushing higher weights i can see a difference and the muscles are growing and gaining more definition. you dont feel the burn or the pump that you get from higher reps but the results are better. i am however mixing high reps, low weight sets into my workouts aswel, but only a few sets for each muscle group. the pump and pain from higher reps is really being caused by the lactic acid build up, which feels good, but is not necessarily an indication of muscle trauma. i would say higher reps are beneficial as pumping blood into the muscle to that extent will help to stretch the fascia, and allow room give the muscle more freedom to grow. in my opinion a mixture of both high reps, low weight training and low reps, high weight training would logically have the best results. but with a main focus on higher weights. ive found a great way to train is to push heavy on free weights, and then pyramid on the machines (start at a low weight high reps and increase to high weight low reps)
I lose size with nothing but high reps (12+). For the last few months I have been doing this: warm up 1 = 12 reps, warm up 2 10 reps, warm up 3 = 8 reps. None of the warm up sets to failure. Then three 'heavy' working sets 5-8 reps to failure. Then two 'pump' sets at 10-12 reps to failure.
I’m surprised to see no comments about myostatin studies that have correlated differences between high vs low reps. The gist is that higher reps help reduce myostatin levels, which perhaps could be part of the muscle growth many have reported. But ultimately I think our bodies do well covering a spectrum throughout year, aka periodization,, and of course adjusting variables depending on goals. I consider how “back in the day” a human would need endurance for a hunt,, the strength to haul it back, and athleticism for stuff like quickly climbing tree to evade predator. I view having well rounded abilities as key to health since it matches what we’re wired for. But there’s reality that in modern times we can specialize on one thing without penalty. So no right or wrong since consequences of not being good across the athletic spectrum aren’t life or death. So how ones chooses rep schemes is whatever resonates. The primal /paleo philosophy makes sense to me. Aspects that get overlooked, such as studies about strength-to-weight ratio correlating to longevity. Kind of makes you stop and wonder why. And also interesting is how grip strength also linked to longevity. These findings make ya wonder...what sport rewards athletes with the highest strength-to-weight ratio? I’d say gymnastics and not by a close margin. They’re not doing 5x5. Or even 3 sets of 20 reps (neither is Herschel Walker for that matter- worth googling his workout routine!) There’s many stories of Olympic male gymnasts who try bench pressing for first time and hit some pretty insane numbers. Yet many big time lifters who couldn’t perform the gymnast exercises (or even complete handful of strict chinups).
I never get sore with Lt. Wts. Only with heavy, I think you need both. Start heavy, 8-10 reps, then hit a machine for tons of reps to burn them out to finish!
for myself, and particularly as u age, I train for strength, athleticism and health (instead of size). Why do I want to burden myself with carrying around 50 lbs of extra muscle??? As to reps--depends what is meant by high reps. On light days I will do up to 50 reps with certain excerises. Then if can avoid straining something, will go heavy the next day. To me, best training for my goals is high rep--heavy weight combo.
Light weight and high reps gave me good tone (like Gironda's 8x8) but no increase in size. Funny thing, I was trying for months to get my arms to grow and plateaued with no growth. Then I stopped lifting regularly for a few months, then eased back into my old workouts and after one month the muscle memory must have kicked in since my arms were now 1/2" bigger than my previous max. I tend to do 3 sets of 8-10 reps. Regarding forearms...my favorites are from Vince's a Muscle Has Four Sides. Out of the 4 exercises, I like Zottman curls the best. They really build your forearms and give you an incredible burn. I do 10 rotations on side, for a total of 20 curls or until my arms start screaming.
12 years ago when I was in the best shape of my life at 25 I was always doing 12 reps but plateaued. It was very difficult to really move forward. I was built but still couldnt get heavy on bench. I could do 50 unweighted dips like a walk in the park. Weighted dips and weighted pullups were my go to.
I do both rep ranges in a pyramid. If it's really light and you can go over 30 easy, then it's really just circuit training. Although circuit training is amazing for definition. If you struggle getting up to 20/25, then I feel like I gain more muscle that way than low reps. The weight has to be not too light and not too heavy for high reps, otherwise it doesn't work. Usually I will do two sets heavy low reps 2-6, then I do another two sets with lighter weight for 15-25 reps. Then the last set is really light, 30+ reps until I burn out. I change it up too. 3 sets heavy, one set light, last super light. I go by how my body feels.
light weights for warm ups are best...then work up in weight and each set drop a couple reps...like 12,10, 8,6 if you were benching...i went about 80% on way up than failure my last couple of sets... of coarse you can do more sets or even more reps or less...mind muscle connection and a good pump is what i always shot for...
Pyramid works for me on compound movements. 12 > 10 > 8 > 6. Increase the weight every set. Pumps like crazy and strength through the roof. Quickest way to gain strength,size and density for me.
Beast mode, heavy as I can for 4-5 sets of 7-10 reps last set to failure, when I hit the showers I can hardly bring my arms up to wash but always give at least two days before working that exact muscle again for full recovery, works for me.
good topic just In time...for the last month I've been going back and fourth one week heavy and one week high reps at moderate weight...pump is great been seeing a diffrence in size.
i agree, heavy all the time kills the joints...but im a firm believer in heavy weight low reps.....my muscles especially chest and biceps respond great with the weight....ill change up my rep and set range every month or so but as few as it may sound...i hit 6 sets per muscle group twice a week and i get great results! it seems when i go light..nomatter how many sets or reps i do...nothing happens
I've seen the same over the years. Light weights just don't challenge the muscle, even with high reps (15-25). I always thought 6-8 reps were best for me many years ago. Now, much older, I'm into slightly higher reps, largely sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 with as much as I can handle. Thanks Ric.
Once I started focusing on compound movements is when I started noticing more hypertrophy. I got strong just doing isolation work for all muscle groups though.
Seems I get superior pumps from high reps, so here the fascia stretching theory may apply. But I try to keep heavy-ish weights as a base. I feel the muscle needs the overload. But all in all, I incorporate light and heavy workouts to get benefits of both aspects. In the end I'm still not sure about light weights creating muscle growth for certain body parts (think biceps, calves etc) in any appreciable way. But I'd like to find out. Anybody with personal experience with good muscle growth using light weights please chime in.
Been a proponent of "meeting the rep" forever now. Going up weight every week, and doing as many reps at that weight as possible. eventually once you fail, then you start going higher reps and work up again
I have been working with light weights recently. I have had very good results so far. If you are doing what I am doing with light weights and are not getting a pump something is wrong. I have been working with a few other folks with the same results. Now my “heavy sets” are now 10-12 reps and I do not always do this heavy. I do feel that this is the best of all worlds for growth preserving the joints and feeling fantastic. I truly believe Platz was the pioneer of high reps. High reps does not mean low weight. Platz said that you want be a do a lot of reps with a heavy weight.
I like to try and hit each muscle group twice a week. First up a heavier lower and upper body day (3-5 reps) and then 3 days later in the week a bit lighter to really get a pump (8-12 reps)
Great guy here that changed Body Building with his heart muscle!! RIP my friend!
for me it's more about the resistance and I do the excersises in real real slow controlled movement. That makes less weight feel more. Usually around 7-10 reps.
Thats pretty much the key for me man. 5-6 reps is to low and puts to much on my other muscles and not the isolated one. 10+ seems like its endurance versus size or strength. 2 second rep and 4 second eccentric motion by 8 reps in Iam burning!
In the first 2 years of lifting i would try what i saw a lot of others doing in the gym, lifting fast, useing as much weight as possible and swaying the body to help get the weight up especially in bicep work. Then 1 day i saw a guy who was in great shape lifting very slowly. For example in bicep curls he took 3 to 4 seconds lifting them up and slowly lowering them en average of 5 seconds. I started doing that and made big improvements. I didn't need to use so much weight, and it greatly reduces chances of an injury. Why do a movement fast when doing it slow keeps the mussle working longer.
At age 72, I have found that light reps don't do a thing. Also, trying for max weight is a killer. I have to stick to four sets of medium weight for warm up and then four sets of at around 80% max at 6-8 reps. I do several sets focusing on compound and then various isolating sets. I use machines typically as finishing sets because the muscles are fatigued and weights tempt poor form with fatigued muscles. At my age, it is very hard to get the muscles to failure without setting up secondary injury (ligaments etc). So, the higher number of sets with rest in between at 6-8 reps at 80% works for me. I can't do squats yet because age has stiffened by hip flexors, psoas, IT, and general imbalance in leg strength. I have to correct those before I can play. Although I did 14 behind the next pull-ups in Viet Nam as a young man, pull ups now tempt arm extension and rotator cuff issues. On scheduling, I try for 5 days a week because I avoid pushing too hard on only 2 to 3 days a week and can isolate the exercises better giving the other parts plenty of rest. Being older, I have learned the most important lesson: listen very closely to the body. It will tell me very quickly when I am doing something wrong (e.g. over extending a bicep curl...golfer's elbow), which body part is ready for a good workout, and when to take off. I can't work with a rigid schedule. With regard to overtraining, I believe anyone over 70 who is working out in the gym is, by definition of age, overtraining all the time. To compensate, I must be totally disciplined on supportive nutrition. My biggest problem is drinking enough water because I am handicapped with an old bladder that does not like a lot of water. ps, thumbnail pic when I was 65 and out of shape. :) I would love to see more videos for older bodybuilders.
You are 100 percent correct high reps don’t do shit for muscle growth.
I do extremely heavy weight on my main lifts (Bench,Squat,Deadlift) and then I go heavy as possible in the 10-12 rep range and that's worked best for me. I also have a 455lb bench, 620lb deadlift and a 550lb squat.
8-10 REPS
It's ALWAYS worked for me ...
40 yrs a GYM RAT !!
Same here. Started in summer of 79 still hitting it.
20mm im 42 and so far 1 rep maxes and drop sets are still working for me. strength of a powerlifter muscle of a bodybuilder!
I think is good to do both high and low reps I work every muscle twice a week one day is higher reps the other lower
I always come back to watch these golden tips
As long as you're lifting 60% or more of your one rep max you're good at any rep range.. Its about managing the volume. Look up the prilepin's chart its all you really need to understand this
yup german volume training does the trick.
Have been doing 12-15 rep sets for 8 months now. Been training for 12+ years and all have been the 6-10 rep range. I grew very nicely on that lower rep range but wanted to try something diff so switched to higher reps. After 8 months, I can honestly say the lower reps worked better for me. I don't get as good of a pump nor do I sweat as much on the higher rep sets. Even though the 15 reps is still about failure it's more of a burning feeling then a pumped up feeling. The growth rate is just not the same with higher reps and I feel like 8 months is a good amount of time to test this. So back to 6-10 reps I go...hope this was useful...
High reps don't do anything for me. Medium weight (5-8 reps) seems to work best.
I think, high reps are good for the chemical bodybuilders, not for the natty ones.
Good for natty ones too once you have built your base.
Nice conversation, though. Anyway, I heard some serious natty bodybuilders, saying that indeed low reps - high weight is good for people who don't use drugs. If you do use them, you can make your biceps grow with 10 kg, Understand?
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when you STARTED, it was another story. You need to progress in weights for growing. Pumping alone doesn't good for this purpose, You can't have big arms with just 10 - 12 kg curls, a bench press of 60 kg, even if you do 30 reps. That's what I mean.
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Classic beginners mistake. Yes they grew. Sarcoplasmic growth is where your volume comes from. But your capability for sarcoplasmic growth and size is limited by the amount of muscle fiber you have. Myofibrillar growth might not have the same volume but that is where your potential for size comes from.
What you did and are doing is classic noob. You lifted high reps your existing fibers responded as they should and grew. You then hit the cap of your existing potential and you have been chasing that dragon ever since and calling yourself a hard gainer everyone else is on juice etc. etc. etc.
Everyone gets good results when they first start with high rep work because their muscle fibers have not yet reached their maximum potential for size.
If you simply upped the weight for a winter and put on some solid fiber then went back to high volume in the spring to fil all that new fiber you would get some amazing size.
Right now you are trying to poor water into a full cup.
8-12 reps here mostly. Sometimes drop the reps (2-4) on core exercises just for variety and power. On days when I dont 'feel it' I like to use lighter weights and hit 15-20 reps.
Same cvnt I mix it around. One month heavy one month light and it works great
I started a 20 rep squat routine and liked it so much I went to 20 reps on all exercises. I made gains every week for almost 3 years straight. I've experimented with 8-10 reps and I progress for a few weeks and then the gains stop.
Gary Bye How many sets did you do of 20's for legs and rest of body?
Mentzer HIT all the way for me. Light warm up set 8 reps, moderate weight 4 reps, last set heavy to failure 1 or 2 reps. 5/2/5 cadence.
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The HIT Troll makes its appearance.
Truly missed and still watching vids … You were the best Ric 🙏
Low reps in squat helped my legs bigger and stronger.
I get a better pump doing higbreps doing upper body. Best of both worlds
found its best to cycle heavy weights 6-8wks then lighter weights for 3-5 wks, with more neg. resistance and perfect form...glad your back Ric
max will definitely try this
yea i doing that again at the minute, heavy 3/8 reps max for 6 wks then 2 wks high rep at 60/70% max weight (I guess this kinda deloading phase) helps the joints
8 reps work best for me, but back and legs I need 12-15 reps. Just my own experience.
Ric I have to say I really enjoy your channel. I can relate to a lot of what you say in the good Ol Days in the gym. The gym I worked out at you knew everyone and you spotted one another and trained with friends. Definitely different than today's generation
Volume with forearms and calfs works great! Heavy resistance with Prime mover (chest and back) hits your nervous system for a great deep contraction. Arms 5 sets for 5 reps to keep your mass. But all in all keeping your size is all diet :) Same with lean, dense, conditioned muscle.
Great vid. My own crackpot theory is that the mix of fast & slow twitch fibers are unique to each individual so he should experiment with a each rep ranges for 3 or 4 months and gauge and find what works for him. Same with intensity techniques like forced reps, drop sets, etc.
The funny thing is is that when I was really into going to the gym (meaning approx. 5 times a week) I used to always automatically gravitate towards TH-cam videos or even Old school programs like 5x5 from Reg Park and think "Yeah this is going to work much better than my own instinctive training!", but in the end I always either got hurt, or bored, or something.
In short, what worked best for me is this: Focussing on time under tension with a medium heavy weight, about 12 reps.
Making sure the muscle in question is doing the work, not the whole body. Making sure you really struggle at the last 3 reps or so, and that you get a great pump in that muscle by good exercise selection.
Sets of 2, 3 or 5 reps ended up hurting me more so than making me gain, and anything consistently higher than 12 doesnt do anything but tire you out. Thats my 2 cents on what worked best for me.
A combination of both works great!
Hit all areas of your muscle,different angles,muscle confusion time under tension..win win 4 me
I'm growing steadily with doing 6-8 reps a set with progressive overload. Never had much progress with high reps. Sometimes I do 5 X 5's to build a little more strength. That's what has worked for me. Great video
Tom platz did 30-50 rep sets on squats but with heavy weights
True my mate is a truck mechanic and his forearms are huge
One of my shoulders is injured now so I've been working around it using light weight/high volume. I've noticed great progress. I think I'm just doing everything with better form and slower. It still brings a good burn and pump in my shoulders. Everyone is different.
It depends on what type of muscle is predominant. Heavy weight is great if you have a lot of fast twitch white fibers. If you have more slow twitch red fibers, you'll respond better to getting a pump. Heavy work will just stress the ligaments. It's good to go back and forth but your body type will dictate what's best to emphasize.
Glad to have you back Ric! I hope you're well.
These days I don't track the amount of weight anymore. I used to log it in an excel sheet on my phone but it became an exercise that was based around numbers rather than 'heart'.
I warm up with two sets. Based upon how I felt during those warmups I choose a weight for the working set which allows me to do about 10/12 reps. Before starting it's a guess but I always go to failure. If I hit 20 reps or maybe even 5, so bit it.
I'm generally annoyed by high reps, so if failure is reached neighbouring 'high volume' , I will increase the weight.
Sometimes there is a tipping point which is dictated by a 'numb' feeling. Whenever that happens I'll work with a contrasting volume in order to get a different response.
The cadence I use is fairly slow and the amount of TUT is generally 45 seconds or a little bit longer.
About the diet : I do combine fat and carbs and it does wonders for me. Generally I feel fitter and stronger than in comparison when I choose one or the other.
Maybe you could ask Brignole to guide you through a 'super torq' method session in order to experience high volume in a different manner.
Started doing speed sets 2 sets 15 where first 5 reps go explosive for power then 2nd 5 reps were super slow...5 seconds on positive 5 seconds negative. The last 5 reps of the set were average speed.
Use light weight because the time under tension is what builds that muscle without taxing the joints.
Just getting back into training on a regular basis 2-4 times a week.I go the old school principal "heaven weight,low reps every set to failure " pyramiding up 3 sets and around 10,5 and 3 reps. I also will change it up with a few drop sets mixed in.Forearms for me is higher reps seem to work best with wrist curls. But will mix it up with pyramid especially reverse and hammer curls.Just stumbled on your channel,excellent info luvin' it!
I definitely do not advise every flavor of Ice Cream esp. at nighttime, and I certain do not advise every resistance flavor such as rip and choke. Instead it's universally agreed Tension is just my flavor of Ice Cream to eat EVERY TIME.
I use high reps for warm ups. I do a pyramid style: 12-10-10-8. High protein low carb. Good muscle growth towards a fitness model look.
Hi Rick. I have been mixing it up. It works for me. My biceps are wholesome yet cut. Includee in my training use the progressive over load.
Ric you probably will not see this but I completely agree with what you said about biceps getting smaller with higher reps. I just got back into lifting weights over the last year or so and my biceps filled up fairly quickly due to muscle memory. I actually ended up getting them bigger than they had been previously when I lifted before. I felt like I I wanted to change things up so a week ago I decided to (stupidly) due a high rep biceps work out in my room. I set my dumbells to 45 lbs and did bicep curls: 8 sets total; 4 sets of 15 reps and 4 sets of 10 reps. A total of 100 reps. I got a pump but over the course of the following few days my biceps began to shrivel up. Now a week later my biceps are definitely smaller than before that work out. Never again
Hey ric I think from what I've tried the thing isn't about weight reps etc. I've tried switching up the rest time for periods of time and found the lower rest time the higher the intensity of the workout and I've noticed my muscles gain more size when I trained in 8 to 12 reps with 60 seconds rest time not more
I'm 62 & find for reasons you can imagine that standardizing adding 25 pounds to most sets till 10 reps becomes iffy, then going back down the same way but adding 2 extra reps to each set (being fully warmed up by then) ending with a 20 rep set (works) !
Funny - I just made this change myself yesterday. I felt great using light weight but my strength suffered. At 47 I don’t really want to gain a size. I prefer that trim but hard look now. But I want to be strong again. I am going to train 3 days a week with a focus on slowly increasing weights on the basic exercises like deadlift, squat standing military, rows etc.
Thanks for the confirmation!
I learned to do both, lightday for endurance, heavy for str and size plus Mid day for maintenance. But I usually only make it for light and heavy day to be honest.
high reps have been working for me rick. I have been lifting for 5 years now 27 yrs old naturally. high reps moderate weight... I have even done pyramid up to heavy for 3 sets and cut the weight down about 40% and 5 sets of high reps at least 10. recently I have started lifting heavy and my body has been saying YES!!!! thank you for the change. I wake up pumped the next day ! I think the body needs both high reps and low reps high weight every 8 weeks or so.....
boom shakalaka low reps with 1 min or more rest will make you grow fast! (Also performed to negative failure)
I'm liking the higher weight - lower reps, as it makes my workouts half the time they were, even still using 6 sets. I get a good pump, I'm sore the next 2 days in that muscle, then the third day (or fourth if another day off for that muscle is necessary) i do it again. I started off using lighter weight - higher reps cuz in the beginning i hardly had any plates or dumbbells. But now I've accumulated all that so i like 2 months of heavy weight followed by a month of lighter weight to one, give my joints a break and two, not loose any muscle while I'm not lifting heavy. Took me a long time to figure this out...
Heavier weights and low reps put size on me 5x5 worked well for me ,high reps just pumped me up but didn't put size on
This is simple. Pple just get ego bent from having to lower weight. Per majority, As long as its progressive overload\perfect form you'll grow.
i agree with you. it depends of the muscle. i see that my back grow with everything, low reps, hight reps etc. but my chest only grow with low and heavy reps.
Haven't seen much difference in results based on weight vs reps, but emphasizing the eccentric (negative) phase of each lift did seem to amp up my size gains.
You gotta try what works for you. 15 reps X 3 sets has worked amazingly for me on back training and worked ok on chest/ pressing. I got from 12st to 15st with visible abs using mostly 15 rep sets.
Legs I just cycle fast up really steep hills and that works so I guess that's high reps too.
Straight forward, no nonsense info....I find fewer reps and increasing weight consistently works for me...I'm 60. John
Hi Ric. really great show, its good to listen to someone who has true experience!. I am 58 yo and have been training since 15 yo. I am a very hard gainer and was pathetically skinny, these days I am 6 feet 4 and 260lbs. Like you I am full of injuries and about to have partial knee replacements (running). Hi reps/ low weights has always shrunk me. I pyramid all my sets and depending on muscle group reps can be from 70 down to 1 rep. I always do sets below 6 reps down to 1. I definitely get my strength from the low reps and that enables me to pump out more reps at higher mid weights.
I find calves and traps work well at high reps and heavy weights, for example I typically do shrugs at 400lb range for 70 reps.....its an experience!
When you get older you can't go heavy. I think your risk tearing something. Volume training. Serge Nubret style. Chase the pump.
But it is easier to do one rep with great form than eight. And won't high reps cause joint pain too? I never could decide what is better.
Serge Nubret is a genetics phenome, look at Kevin Levrone who is also one , does crazy heavy weight reppin 3-6 reps
David Lingner what’s older? Age?
RIP RIC!!
For 20 years I was always an 8 to 10 guy, but in the last month I've been doing 20 reps to failure on everything. What a huge difference it's made. Take my preacher curl for instance, I started at 60 lbs for 20. 3 weeks later I'm at 110 lbs for 22. Almost 100% increase. Granted, my 1 rep max probably didn't go up alot, but my 20rm sure did. Added about 1/2 inch to my arms too. And im natural by the way. I think the key is switching it up. When you plateau at one rep range, try the other
Agree. I do 8 reps on the compound lifts (sometimes as low as 5 reps, e.g. bench press). On the accessory muscles like biceps, triceps, I've had good results with a 20, 15, 12 while progressive increasing the weight. My biceps and triceps have blown up.
I'm with you Ric, my body has always over thirty years training responded to heavier weights. I always felt light weights gave a good pump but left me feeling very depleted and skinny the next few days.
Ric thanks. my workout is called Max out like a powerlifter and rep out like a bodybuilder. i like both! i always work up to a 1 rep max and then i finish off with drop sets for pump and muscle.
After lifting moderate to heavy weight with very little rest time between sets and training 4-5 days a week for over a year, I can tell you I made very little progress for the amount of effort I put in. I was training two hours or more per session on average and what happened was I became an endurance machine. I could and did lift longer and more often than my other friends, but I just wasn’t going anywhere in terms of mass and strength gains after 14 months, or so. Backing off on the weight just a bit, increasing my rest periods between sets, and critically, I massively lengthened my time under tension ... By slowing way down, focusing as deeply as possible on muscle isolation (or groups of muscles, of course), my body has finally come roaring to life ... it wasn’t that I wasn’t eating enough, it wasn’t because I wasn’t giving it 100%, it was that my body in particular just did not respond to the stimulation I was giving it. I’m so glad to have so many highly accomplished lifters weighing in on these techniques and can only imagine how frustrated I would be if I had to figure all this stuff out on my own over decades of commitment. Love the channel Ric... thanks for the content :)
I try to combine both in my workouts. I start with high reps low weight as a warm up then go to low reps high weight.
Thats a warm up.
Been doing high reps low weight for a year helped a little , but I feel I have not been getting bigger. After watching this video going to try heavy weight low reps to see the difference.
Ric....I wasted well over 20 years lifting light to moderate weights for 10-12 reps. Talk about frustration! I would gain very little, overtrain and burnout, then quit for several months...only to start back all over again. In my early 40's I read two of the best books I've ever read on training: "Brawn" by Stuart McRobert and "Dinosaur Training" by Brooks Kubik. When I was younger I had heard about lifting really heavy and the pitfalls of overtraining, but, it went in one ear and out the other. I finally gave heavy weight/low rep training, along with abbreviated routines a try. Best thing I ever did! Despite being middle aged, I began to see real results, more so than ever before! I'm now 59 1/2 yrs. old and still train heavy, but since I'm now older and a retired policeman a bit worse for the wear, I have some limiting factors due to achy joints and bad shoulders. Wish I had followed the advice to go heavy when I was a lot younger. You're spot on about training heavy vs. light!!! I enjoy your videos very much...great advice and keep doing what you do! Thanks man!
Ric, you said that high reps work for chest and back, but low reps would work better for biceps. However, in one of your older videos, Rich Piana said that the the trick for bringing up stubborn arms was training them with high reps, while training chest and back with low reps and more weight. Which is it?
It's nice to still be fucking around in the gym at our age! You go Rick
Welcome back Ric and good health to you. I enjoy your programs.
great vid, for me , light weights beginning of the week , then heavy like a 5x5 , increase food intake ,protein 1gram per pound daily to build bulk.then mid rep 10-12 late week
I've always used the pyramid system if i wanted to thicken out ....worked for me ...when i wanted to cut/lean out ...full body workouts works best for me ...everyone is different but in general I've had other people try these different types of workouts with similiar results ...
To answer the question. I was in the Navy. Lived in SAN Diego.
We had the habit of swimming in Coronado .. We would swim float. Tread water for 15. 30 minutes. Then after pump Iron. Amazing. I am not sure why. I believe that the water pressure plus circulation had to do with. Getting a great pump and muscles growth. I do know that the combination raise the testosterone levels a your metabolic rate.
I like going medium-to-high weight, low reps and high volume. Usually 70--85% of my 1 rep max, for a total of 6--10 reps, and knocking out 12--16 sets, gives me a good pump and fills me out to where I continue to see new growth. But I have to consume more carbohydrates and overall calories in general. I also go light every 5--6 weeks for about a week at a time.
now 66, been lifting 55 years. At 66, if my warm up set still hurts by the 6th rep, it's too heavy. Usually stay in neighborhood of 8-10 reps, 6 sets, and only use the targeted muscles. If I concentrate and remember to accelerate through the gravity-defeating half of the rep, I get pumped and mildly tight\sore.
Absolutely love your channel Ric!
I think it’s because different muscles tend to be predominantly comprised of slow or fast twitch
30 reps 5 sets thats all
Maui no ka oi glad you had good time on our islands ...hawaii 78 from braddah is listen to that song that tells alot of our lives as a hawaiian mahaloo
pyramids from 20, then 18, 16, 14 etc. down to 2 or 4 sets of 4 super heavy for strength. that's what always helped me. now when I'm on cycle my pyramid will stay the same but I will go back up. off cycle my diet was a gram of protein per pound of body weight. on cycle 1.5 to 2 grams depends on what I'm trying to do. But its been a while.
1st set: 20 reps for a light warm up;
2nd set: 12 reps for a medium warm up;
3rd set: 10 reps, warmed up;
4th set: 8 reps for a mild strain;
5th set: 6 reps for a strain;
6th set: 5 to six rep all out effort and over strain.
Add weight each set.
2 minute rest max. between sets
Don't go to failure on the first three sets.
Last three sets are to failure.
Once every other week see how much weight you can handle for a 2 to 4 rep set (strict movement).
I really think that Jerry Brainum laid out how the two approaches work together in an earlier one of Rics videos. You have myofibrillar growth(hypertrophy) which comes from heavy weight and you have sarcoplasmic growth that comes from lighter weights higher reps. Its the creation of new nuclei through heavy training that gives muscle the potential for growth. This forms the basis for the old soviet systems.
When you are just starting or coming back you need to be focused on myofibrillar growth. As the muscle matures or "awakens" then you can move to higher reps and fill the muscle out through sarcoplasmic growth. I laugh at the kids in the gym doing dome high rep program they got from some Oly competitors per-competition program. I'm like 'he's an Olympia competitor in his 30s. You are a teenage kid. Your muscle doesn't have that kind of potential for growth yet. You are trying to poor a gallon of water into a sandwich bag.'
Full body 3 x a week, one exercise per body part 3 x 12-6 reps, each set with a drop set of approximately 5 reps is working great for me. Low reps do nothing on my natty frame.
I'm very glad that I found your channel. It is great what you are doing for us old guys. I'm 70 and my doctor has me on testosterone replacement, which is helping me fill out my skin as you say. My problem is that my muscles are doing ok as I add weight to my workouts BUT my 70 year old tendons, ligaments and joints are giving me issues since the testosterone has not helped rejuvenate them as it has the muscles. Other than take it easy and not go too fast with more weight, is there anything else I can do?
Heavy. 5x5 for me.
Don Corleone hi dad
Sometimes I do 5 X 5 but my mainstay is 6-8 reps a set
For me it was always pyramid with everything. Especially chest and back. Now with 3years off and low T, and, low back problems, I started doing light work, and I did get more cut then ever, but I need heavy or at least 6-8 reps semi heavy to put size on which isn't easy with low T numbers. But I have to stick with the gym and workout anyway, that does at least bring the T levels up, or so it feels rather than doing what I did which was quit. No quitting. You still look good ric. No bullshit.
I start heavy at 6 reps on 1st and 2nd set then medium on 3rd and high on 4th. Mix it up ! Studies show all ways work ! There is no magic number or way !
ive done high reps (around 20 reps, medium weight) for around 3 months, ive just started going higher weight, lower reps (around 8/maximum 10 reps at a push)
what i will say is that i definitely agree with what is said here that muscles react to resistance. you need to have higher weight to cause the necessary resistance and truama in order to grow the muscle. just in a fortnight of pushing higher weights i can see a difference and the muscles are growing and gaining more definition. you dont feel the burn or the pump that you get from higher reps but the results are better.
i am however mixing high reps, low weight sets into my workouts aswel, but only a few sets for each muscle group.
the pump and pain from higher reps is really being caused by the lactic acid build up, which feels good, but is not necessarily an indication of muscle trauma.
i would say higher reps are beneficial as pumping blood into the muscle to that extent will help to stretch the fascia, and allow room give the muscle more freedom to grow. in my opinion a mixture of both high reps, low weight training and low reps, high weight training would logically have the best results. but with a main focus on higher weights.
ive found a great way to train is to push heavy on free weights, and then pyramid on the machines (start at a low weight high reps and increase to high weight low reps)
I lose size with nothing but high reps (12+). For the last few months I have been doing this: warm up 1 = 12 reps, warm up 2 10 reps, warm up 3 = 8 reps. None of the warm up sets to failure. Then three 'heavy' working sets 5-8 reps to failure. Then two 'pump' sets at 10-12 reps to failure.
I’m surprised to see no comments about myostatin studies that have correlated differences between high vs low reps. The gist is that higher reps help reduce myostatin levels, which perhaps could be part of the muscle growth many have reported. But ultimately I think our bodies do well covering a spectrum throughout year, aka periodization,, and of course adjusting variables depending on goals.
I consider how “back in the day” a human would need endurance for a hunt,, the strength to haul it back, and athleticism for stuff like quickly climbing tree to evade predator. I view having well rounded abilities as key to health since it matches what we’re wired for. But there’s reality that in modern times we can specialize on one thing without penalty. So no right or wrong since consequences of not being good across the athletic spectrum aren’t life or death.
So how ones chooses rep schemes is whatever resonates. The primal /paleo philosophy makes sense to me. Aspects that get overlooked, such as studies about strength-to-weight ratio correlating to longevity. Kind of makes you stop and wonder why. And also interesting is how grip strength also linked to longevity. These findings make ya wonder...what sport rewards athletes with the highest strength-to-weight ratio? I’d say gymnastics and not by a close margin. They’re not doing 5x5. Or even 3 sets of 20 reps (neither is Herschel Walker for that matter- worth googling his workout routine!) There’s many stories of Olympic male gymnasts who try bench pressing for first time and hit some pretty insane numbers. Yet many big time lifters who couldn’t perform the gymnast exercises (or even complete handful of strict chinups).
I never get sore with Lt. Wts. Only with heavy, I think you need both. Start heavy, 8-10 reps, then hit a machine for tons of reps to burn them out to finish!
Light weight high reps flatten me out like a pancake. Heavy with moderate reps is my best option. It's only thing I've ever gotten results from
5-10 for upper body slow on negatives.....8-50 for lower body light on extensions and heavy on leg press
for myself, and particularly as u age, I train for strength, athleticism and health (instead of size). Why do I want to burden myself with carrying around 50 lbs of extra muscle??? As to reps--depends what is meant by high reps. On light days I will do up to 50 reps with certain excerises. Then if can avoid straining something, will go heavy the next day. To me, best training for my goals is high rep--heavy weight combo.
Light weight and high reps gave me good tone (like Gironda's 8x8) but no increase in size. Funny thing, I was trying for months to get my arms to grow and plateaued with no growth. Then I stopped lifting regularly for a few months, then eased back into my old workouts and after one month the muscle memory must have kicked in since my arms were now 1/2" bigger than my previous max. I tend to do 3 sets of 8-10 reps.
Regarding forearms...my favorites are from Vince's a Muscle Has Four Sides. Out of the 4 exercises, I like Zottman curls the best. They really build your forearms and give you an incredible burn. I do 10 rotations on side, for a total of 20 curls or until my arms start screaming.
much respect to you Ric i have NOTHING BUT LOVE N RESPECT 4 ONE OF MY 4 FATHERS LOL KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK !!!!
12 years ago when I was in the best shape of my life at 25 I was always doing 12 reps but plateaued. It was very difficult to really move forward. I was built but still couldnt get heavy on bench. I could do 50 unweighted dips like a walk in the park. Weighted dips and weighted pullups were my go to.
I do both rep ranges in a pyramid. If it's really light and you can go over 30 easy, then it's really just circuit training. Although circuit training is amazing for definition. If you struggle getting up to 20/25, then I feel like I gain more muscle that way than low reps. The weight has to be not too light and not too heavy for high reps, otherwise it doesn't work. Usually I will do two sets heavy low reps 2-6, then I do another two sets with lighter weight for 15-25 reps. Then the last set is really light, 30+ reps until I burn out. I change it up too. 3 sets heavy, one set light, last super light. I go by how my body feels.
light weights for warm ups are best...then work up in weight and each set drop a couple reps...like 12,10, 8,6 if you were benching...i went about 80% on way up than failure my last couple of sets... of coarse you can do more sets or even more reps or less...mind muscle connection and a good pump is what i always shot for...
Pyramid works for me on compound movements. 12 > 10 > 8 > 6. Increase the weight every set. Pumps like crazy and strength through the roof. Quickest way to gain strength,size and density for me.
Beast mode, heavy as I can for 4-5 sets of 7-10 reps last set to failure, when I hit the showers I can hardly bring my arms up to wash but always give at least two days before working that exact muscle again for full recovery, works for me.
good topic just In time...for the last month I've been going back and fourth one week heavy and one week high reps at moderate weight...pump is great been seeing a diffrence in size.
i agree, heavy all the time kills the joints...but im a firm believer in heavy weight low reps.....my muscles especially chest and biceps respond great with the weight....ill change up my rep and set range every month or so but as few as it may sound...i hit 6 sets per muscle group twice a week and i get great results! it seems when i go light..nomatter how many sets or reps i do...nothing happens
I do both, 2 light sets to warm up of 15 to 20 then heavy were in need to push myself to do 8 reps with negatives at the end
I've seen the same over the years. Light weights just don't challenge the muscle, even with high reps (15-25). I always thought 6-8 reps were best for me many years ago. Now, much older, I'm into slightly higher reps, largely sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 with as much as I can handle. Thanks Ric.
Once I started focusing on compound movements is when I started noticing more hypertrophy. I got strong just doing isolation work for all muscle groups though.
I like the idea to switch each week one week heavy and next week light. I haven't yet tried this but will soon I think it will work amazing.
Seems I get superior pumps from high reps, so here the fascia stretching theory may apply. But I try to keep heavy-ish weights as a base. I feel the muscle needs the overload. But all in all, I incorporate light and heavy workouts to get benefits of both aspects. In the end I'm still not sure about light weights creating muscle growth for certain body parts (think biceps, calves etc) in any appreciable way. But I'd like to find out. Anybody with personal experience with good muscle growth using light weights please chime in.
Been a proponent of "meeting the rep" forever now. Going up weight every week, and doing as many reps at that weight as possible. eventually once you fail, then you start going higher reps and work up again
I honestly gained a lot of size on 5-7 really focused reps.
I have been working with light weights recently. I have had very good results so far. If you are doing what I am doing with light weights and are not getting a pump something is wrong. I have been working with a few other folks with the same results. Now my “heavy sets” are now 10-12 reps and I do not always do this heavy. I do feel that this is the best of all worlds for growth preserving the joints and feeling fantastic.
I truly believe Platz was the pioneer of high reps. High reps does not mean low weight. Platz said that you want be a do a lot of reps with a heavy weight.
I like to try and hit each muscle group twice a week. First up a heavier lower and upper body day (3-5 reps) and then 3 days later in the week a bit lighter to really get a pump (8-12 reps)
I mix it up 20-15-12-10-8-6 when I plateau when I get to 8 I will do gironda 8X8 I won't do the 6 reps I find this works better for me