Increase reps or weights?

smackers

My sets are getting too easy, so I'm wondering whether to increase the weights I'm lifting or just do more reps of the same weight. Bearing in mind that I want to be all firm and toned without having big bulgin muscles.
Advice anyone? Course, I can always ask an instructor at the gym, but I thought I'd put it to the floor first.

Dragan

I would say increase the weights. You can get stronger without getting bigger. You will only get bigger by eating to meet the need to grow, plain and simple.

Upping the reps will really just add to your endurance, and unless your some form of athlete there would be little advantage.

babypink

Dragan wrote:

I would say increase the weights. You can get stronger without getting bigger.

ditto

Cindy Love

how ya,

I increased weight on all of mu lifts by roughly 5kilos per week for roughly 2months. But then i hit a complete wall/plateau. Try as much as i could I simply couldnt keep good form. So having took some advice from a well schooled pal of he suggested dropping the weight=ie instead of working at 80%-100% of my one rep max (work rate) I reduced the weights i lifted to about 60-80% of my one rep maximum. (i hope this makes sense )

My aim IS to increase weight but Im trying to increase the reps of my lighter sets to make gains in overall strenght/stamina/endurance....

Im going to post how exactly this goes in a few weeks but so far so good. The reps are going up each week and I think I should break my personal best records

Best of luck

smackers

Thanks guys. I think I'll increase the weights for a while and see how I go. Don't know if I'll be going up by 5 kilos a week tho . I'll keep yiz posted.