I've been lifting weights for about 6 months and my son just told me that to build muscle, I have to do about 3 sets of 12 reps with heavier weights. That doesn't seem like I'm doing anything! I feel like I need to feel some pain to prove to myself that I'm doing anything worthwhile. I was doing 4 sets of 25 reps for each muscle group, but I want to see some muscle. Does this make any sense to anyone???????

to bulk up do less reps of really heavy weights, to tone up do more reps of medium weights

Original Post by tobyholic:

I've been lifting weights for about 6 months and my son just told me that to build muscle, I have to do about 3 sets of 12 reps with heavier weights. That doesn't seem like I'm doing anything! I feel like I need to feel some pain to prove to myself that I'm doing anything worthwhile. I was doing 4 sets of 25 reps for each muscle group, but I want to see some muscle. Does this make any sense to anyone???????

 

 If you are lifting heavy enough weights you will feel pain with less reps.

Original Post by ghanja:

to bulk up do less reps of really heavy weights, to tone up do more reps of medium weights

Bull HOckey!! -- Women won't "bulk up" and toning isn't what you do either -- you either build muslce or you build endurance.  Low weights lots of reps won't do anything for muscles but build endurance.  Your son is correct use heavy weights as high as you can do to do 12 reps and the last 2 being to the point of fatigue.  You'll feel it.

 

Check out this thread from last month for more help

http://caloriecount.about.com/forums/post/853 45.html

I'm with dbacker, go check out that thread. Lift as heavy a weight as you possibly can, and you can probably lift more than you think. ;P

Original Post by ghanja:

to bulk up do less reps of really heavy weights, to tone up do more reps of medium weights

Seconding that this is wrong. Everyone should be lifting heavy (for them). There is no such thing as "toning" as it's often used. It's a term pandering to women who have the (erroneous) fear that they will lift a few weights and POOF turn into a world class bodybuilder

I agree with your son and the other posters above. If you're using heavy enough weights you'll defintely feel the pain you want by the last two or three reps. If you can do 25 reps, then you're not using anywhere near heavy enough weights!

Welp, I've been doing this the last couple times I've weight trained and I'm really "shaky" when I'm finished. I just don't feel like I'm doing enough. It would normally take me an hour and a half to do my weight lifting and now it may only take me 45 minutes since I'm doing less reps. I honestly WANT some bulging muscles but I know thats not possible for a woman.  I normally do a 5 miles walk/jog every other day that I don't strength train. Thanks for everyones advice.

if you want bigger muscles, you lift to lift heavy and eat a calorie surplus.  if your "feel like [you're] not doing enough," then you're definitely not lifting heavy enough.  when you do lunges, are you using 30lb dumbbells?  are you doing military presses w/65 lbs?  i have no idea at all where your strength is at right now.  but what many ppl consider "heavy" is a number limited by their past and what they see others doing at the gym.  lift heavy.  heavy.  you'll get your muscles, and you won't feel like you got them w/o "doing enough," either.

Wow, I'm a sissy!! Or did I leave you under the impression that I'm a man???? I only am lifting 14 pound dumbells and that is very hard for me to do 15 reps.  I had been doing 25 reps with 8 pound dumbells until everyone told me to go heavier. I started with 5 pounders in October and just started with the heavier weights. I must really be doing something wrong. 

I have another dumb question................how long will it be before I can see any muscle???? Weeks, months, years......??????

You should notice a difference within weeks really also you should be changing your weight up every so often.

use the heaviest you can for 5 reps (even if you only manage 3-4 on your last few sets )... and push to increase the reps everytime you workout ... the day you manage 10 reps for all your sets it's time to get heavier wieghts.

Don't stick with the same weights once you  can compleate your set's to 10 reps.

i'm a weeeeeeee girly (5ft 3  119lbs) i started on 14lb dumbells im currently on about 20 - 24 lb's after 3 weeks and no im arms are not huge but they are starting to get some nice definition.  

I'll second what Leiela just said. I was recently working out with a 65yr old guy that could bench press more than me (315+ lbs). He had me train with him for a while. He told me that in order to increase strenght and build muscle, I should shoot for a weight where I can't do more than 5-6 reps at a time....and then do sets of those......try to increase the amount of reps everytime you go back to the gym and your muscles have had a time to repair themselves.

5x5 is common for advanced lifters. I'm not sure I'd suggest going that heavy for somebody just starting. You're lifting a higher percentage of your max each rep. That means your form needs to be that much better.

 

I'd suggest trying to put together a good plan. Starting with 5 reps and not upping the weight until you hit 10 reps sounds off to be. I'd rather suggest starting with 3x8 or 3x10 and when you can easily do 10 reps on the last set up the weight. Easily doesn't mean no effort but easy enough you could do 11 or maybe fail on 12.

 

12 reps is still fairly high. Better then 25 which just tends to be aerobics.

 

Nothing wrong with 45 minute work outs.

Huh? 5x5 is a beginner program and hardly an advanced routine

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=45934 1

 

That will take less then 30 minutes many days.

Original Post by spirochete:

Huh? 5x5 is a beginner program and hardly an advanced routine

 

I wouldn't say that. If you're actually pushing yourself with a 5x5 that's lots of weight for a beginner. Good way to get hurt with bad form. Not to mention better to let the body adjust to the weight training. Some thing like 3x10 is easier on the body.

 

What percentage of your max are you lifting on a five rep set?

 

Original Post by tobyholic:

I have another dumb question................how long will it be before I can see any muscle???? Weeks, months, years......??????

 you can definitely see results w/in weeks.  i usually see results, every time i change my program, w/in the first couple of weeks. 

and you're not a "sissy," and you're not doing so much that's wrong and awful.  but the way to see results in the gym is to challenge yourself.  lift so much that 5 reps requires you to rest.  rest and then do another set.  do that a few times, maybe for a total of 4 sets.  it sounds like you may already have correct form, bec you've been lifting for a while.  you're just lifting lighter weight.  so whether it's 4 sets of 5 reps or 5 sets of 3 reps--whatever it is, if you lift heavier, you will get stronger.

Yeah, pretty what everyone else says, if you are doing heavy enough weights, you feel like you are doing something. I have a program for football where I sometimes do sets of 2 or 3 (yeah, just three), at about 90-95% of my one rep max. And I definatly feel it. Now, I'm not suggesting you do that, your goals are different than mine. The following is a rough guideline on the amount of weight to use based on a 1-rep max (1RM)(the amount of weight you can do once but no more)

<60% of 1RM, Muscular Endurence, this is around 10 reps or more

60-80% of 1RM, Hypertrophy (muscle growth), around 6-10 reps, for general fitness this is where you want to spend most of your time

80-90% of 1RM, Muscular Strength, aroung 4-6 reps per set

90%+ of 1RM, Neural Drive (teaching your muscles to fire in a coordnated fashion, this is why powerlifters can lift much more than bodybulders; I think it's pretty neat how the nervous system plays such a crucial role in strength training) this is at <4 reps per set.

Again, these are kinda rough guidelines, and there is a lot of overlap, it's not like you only train one aspect at a time, but that they just peak at different weights, and something to start at.

As for how long to see results, you will probably see some changes relatively quickly, especially in terms of the amount of weight you can lift.

I would like to point your attention to this thread as well. Although many people will have a lot of things to say about it, to me what the author had to say made a lot of sense.

http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=130 5014