So I understand the basic of more reps at a lighter weight = tone, and less reps at a higher weight = build/bulk... but I've read a little conflicting information lately and wanted to get advice from those that know a lot more than me!
I'm a girl, 5'9, 142 pounds, 22 years old. My goal has been to get to 135 pounds, but above that I want to be fitter, firmer, more toned.. and I'm caring less about what the scale says. I count calories and keep myself around a 600 cal def, and I go to the gym 4-5x a week. I do 30-60 minutes of cardio every time I go, and do weights 2-3x.
So far I have been doing lower weights, more reps, in a quest to be more toned..but I've read advice suggesting that maybe I should be doing the higher weights, lower reps. I'm just not sure if the basic adage I was following applies to someone also looking to lose weight/fat, and was hoping for some clarification!
Could someone shed some light on the differences and the pro/cons of either approach? Just want to be sure I'm doing what I ought to be!
ok two part answer here :
to figure out how much you should be lifting you should have an idea at what the maxx weight you can lift is for any given exercise. Anything over 50% of max would be considered building anything less the 50% would be toning and actually i would work out about 30 % of max to tone and 85-90% to build muscle so say i bench press 200lbs. I would be working out between 60 and 65 pounds to tone and 180 lbs to build muscle. Also at the lighter weight i would do 3 sets of 10-5 reps while at the heavier weight i might do 3 sets of 3-5 reps. Also, if you are going to build muscle start slow it is really easy to hurt yourself work up to your desired weight add say 5 pounds every week and a half until you get to where you want to be. Also, this is not an overnight thing you'll probably only build 1 pound of muscle a week.
second part if you are not very built already i would considering building a bit to add some muscle then toning /cardio to trim off fat and tone what you just built and remember something muscle is heavier then fat so as your replace fat with muscle you may actually gain weight. Hope this helps
Well, first off, ignore everything you just read from, jdunckel(sorry buddy).
Someone else will give you a more detailed answer, but until then..
More weight/low reps does not mean you will bulk. The size of your body, fat or muscle, is almost completely dependent on your diet. If you continue to have a calorie deficit you will NOT gain muscle mass or "get bulky". You will simply lose weight faster, which is your goal right?
If your goal is just to lose weight, then high reps and low weight is a waste of time for you.
Original Post by bmx419:
Well, first off, ignore everything you just read from, jdunckel(sorry buddy).
Someone else will give you a more detailed answer, but until then..
More weight/low reps does not mean you will bulk. The size of your body, fat or muscle, is almost completely dependent on your diet. If you continue to have a calorie deficit you will NOT gain muscle mass or "get bulky". You will simply lose weight faster, which is your goal right?
Right on the money again. Most people think bigger weights and lower reps will create bulk, but diet is the first key and hypertrophic workouts are ones with 10 reps at about 80% of max weight and low rest periods between sets. Fact is that most bulk is actually due to cellular fluid rather than protein fiber gains so you can gain strength and burn calories without fear of bulking if you work heavy and stay in a calorie deficit as well.
Ok. I'm a weights/strength training newbie, so pls bear with me while I ask some painfully dumb questions to clarify what you're saying:
With regard to strength training:
1. More weight/low reps: calorie burning
2. Less weight/more reps = calorie burning too, but less effective than #1?
3. Bulking up: nothing to do with more or less weight lifted. Just whether you are feeding the muscles enough to grow or not.
I guess the real reason I'm asking is this: I don't want to bulk up. Not now not ever. I think I'm genetically inclined to have a muscly look though. But I don't want that for myself. I just want to lose weight and get healthy, and maybe even lose some of the more bulky muscle in the thighs and calves. So should I be focussing more on #2 or #1?
Original Post by pinzywinzy:
Ok. I'm a weights/strength training newbie, so pls bear with me while I ask some painfully dumb questions to clarify what you're saying:
With regard to strength training:
1. More weight/low reps: calorie burning
2. Less weight/more reps = calorie burning too, but less effective than #1?
3. Bulking up: nothing to do with more or less weight lifted. Just whether you are feeding the muscles enough to grow or not.
I guess the real reason I'm asking is this: I don't want to bulk up. Not now not ever. I think I'm genetically inclined to have a muscly look though. But I don't want that for myself. I just want to lose weight and get healthy, and maybe even lose some of the more bulky muscle in the thighs and calves. So should I be focussing more on #2 or #1?
Interesting. And yes, 1, 2 and 3 are correct. Personally, I think you should still focus on heavy weights. You would be surprised to see how much of that bulk on your legs is fat. Even if you think they feel solid, like muscle.(That sounds kind of mean, but I'm not trying to.)
Also, the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism. Which means it will be easier to keep extra weight off.
Original Post by bmx419:
You would be surprised to see how much of that bulk on your legs is fat. Even if you think they feel solid, like muscle.(That sounds kind of mean, but I'm not trying to.)Also, the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism. Which means it will be easier to keep extra weight off.
No insult taken. Thanks for the advice! Will look around for ways now to cut down on time/reps while maintaining similar effort.
If you eat more you gain weight, that weight could be muscle or fat, most likely it's fat. If you eat a deficit you will lose weight, so if you want to look like women in magazines, don't eat more then you need and lift. Challenge yourself. That doesn't mean you have to lift like a Olympian, but it does mean you need to life heavier then whatever you have been lifting in order to make the muscle grow. You can get toned lifting more repetitions as well. A woman that has never lifted before can gain muscle just by starting any program. It gets harder as you have more experience. Those women that complain that they are getting bulky eat too much and are probably just gaining fat.
Thanks so much for the advice/clarification everyone! I'll adjust my weight sessions accordingly! :)
HI I'm new too and I have been doing machine weights and not free weights. One day for my legs next day my arms. Is their a difference in result's.. I know this might be a dumb question but I have never done weights. I hear free weights are better?
Original Post by jaysf:
HI I'm new too and I have been doing machine weights and not free weights. One day for my legs next day my arms. Is their a difference in result's.. I know this might be a dumb question but I have never done weights. I hear free weights are better?
Most machines aren't great because they can be bad for the joints. The machine wasn't designed to move with your body. Plus, they are isolation movements. Typically only body builders use isolation movements.
Free weights are better for your joints and engage more muscles at once. More muscles are used for stablization. This means you're actually getting a better workout in less time.
You mentioned, "One day for my legs next day my arms." You can stick to compound lifts and whole body workouts. Check the Fitness FAQ at the top of this forum for more info.
Original Post by jaysf:
HI I'm new too and I have been doing machine weights and not free weights. One day for my legs next day my arms. Is their a difference in result's.. I know this might be a dumb question but I have never done weights. I hear free weights are better?
Adding to BMX's comments, you should probably concentrate on functional strength unless you want to just get bigger. Other than cable exercises, machines do not give you functional strength that can easily transfer to everyday activities. Compound joint movements are better for approximating how your body moves while doing real work. Kettlebells, medicine balls, body weight exercises and other such functional strength workouts are something you should look into as well if you want to have an all over conditioning routine that will help you in your daily life.
Yeah I've only just started using resistance bands with my Tae-Bo work-outs - and I swear I'm already forming formidable lats! Maybe it's just my wide shoulders I dunno. I'm hoping this will pick up my metabolism and help me to lose weight faster!
Original Post by jdunckel:
ok two part answer here :
to figure out how much you should be lifting you should have an idea at what the maxx weight you can lift is for any given exercise. Anything over 50% of max would be considered building anything less the 50% would be toning and actually i would work out about 30 % of max to tone and 85-90% to build muscle so say i bench press 200lbs. I would be working out between 60 and 65 pounds to tone and 180 lbs to build muscle. Also at the lighter weight i would do 3 sets of 10-5 reps while at the heavier weight i might do 3 sets of 3-5 reps. Also, if you are going to build muscle start slow it is really easy to hurt yourself work up to your desired weight add say 5 pounds every week and a half until you get to where you want to be. Also, this is not an overnight thing you'll probably only build 1 pound of muscle a week.
second part if you are not very built already i would considering building a bit to add some muscle then toning /cardio to trim off fat and tone what you just built and remember something muscle is heavier then fat so as your replace fat with muscle you may actually gain weight. Hope this helps
who is this guy and why is he posting such rubbish?!?!
Original Post by fatanr11:
Original Post by jdunckel:
ok two part answer here :
to figure out how much you should be lifting you should have an idea at what the maxx weight you can lift is for any given exercise. Anything over 50% of max would be considered building anything less the 50% would be toning and actually i would work out about 30 % of max to tone and 85-90% to build muscle so say i bench press 200lbs. I would be working out between 60 and 65 pounds to tone and 180 lbs to build muscle. Also at the lighter weight i would do 3 sets of 10-5 reps while at the heavier weight i might do 3 sets of 3-5 reps. Also, if you are going to build muscle start slow it is really easy to hurt yourself work up to your desired weight add say 5 pounds every week and a half until you get to where you want to be. Also, this is not an overnight thing you'll probably only build 1 pound of muscle a week.
second part if you are not very built already i would considering building a bit to add some muscle then toning /cardio to trim off fat and tone what you just built and remember something muscle is heavier then fat so as your replace fat with muscle you may actually gain weight. Hope this helps
who is this guy and why is he posting such rubbish?!?!
Wish I could "only build 1 pound of muscle a week"!
Me too - Ronnie Coleman, by using every drug known to man in dosages guaranteed to kill any lesser mortal averaged gaining one pound of muscle a month over the length of his career. A drug-free male trainee in the first year of training might conceivably gain 20-25lbs of muscle, halving every subsequent year and converging on an upper limit of about 40lbs total gained over a lifetime of training - the upper genetic limit for (almost) any natural trainee is approximately 200lbs of lean mass (unless you're Samoan, natch).
Female potential is a little less studied and slightly more varied but a rough guideline is "approximately half to one-quarter of the male values" depending on somatype and bone structure; if you don't have the requisite heavy and broad bone structure to hang muscle from you will have a hard time convincing your body it should build some.
