many reps low weight v few reps high weight

MonkeyWrench

Myself and a friend of mine were having this discussion yesterday about various ways to work out the muscle groups. We disagreed on one main item though. I have nearly always read that it is better to do a few reps with large weights rather than spend say 45 mins doing alot of reps with a low weight. So for example he would do 45 mins using 7.5 kg on each arm to build up his bisceps and gain stamina whereas most people I know would left say 20Kg per arm for 10 mins or so. For stamina I would run on a treadmill for 30 mins rather than lift weights for this period of time.

Any thoughts?

TerrorFirmer

I do many reps on low weight (about 10kg each arm) and have noticed fast results in filling out previously limp arms. I did low reps with heavy weights for awhile but I found it wasn't too my taste, so I can't comment on how it may have panned out for me, but even with the low weights I'm making decent gains.

Chucky the tree

If he wants to make his arms bigger he will need to up the weights. Once you can do a weight for more then about 12 reps you will not gain any extra size in that area.

iregk

The main difference is stamina. While football training when we were doing circuits part of that is very low weight and high (30 working to 50) reps. This while building strenght and size builds mainly stamina. Your muscles get used to working for a lot longer and this helps. With this though you will not have a big increase in strenght.

For strenght and more bulk bigger weight and less reps will work. This is where plyometrics comes in. Heavier weights on less reps will give you more strenght in an explosive manner where as the other will give you less strenght but it will be more sustained.

Hope that helps.

Dragan

MonkeyWrench wrote:

Myself and a friend of mine were having this discussion yesterday about various ways to work out the muscle groups. We disagreed on one main item though. I have nearly always read that it is better to do a few reps with large weights rather than spend say 45 mins doing alot of reps with a low weight. So for example he would do 45 mins using 7.5 kg on each arm to build up his bisceps and gain stamina whereas most people I know would left say 20Kg per arm for 10 mins or so. For stamina I would run on a treadmill for 30 mins rather than lift weights for this period of time.

Any thoughts?

Many, the main one being that you are both wrong.

Frank Bullitt

i mix up my rep ranges,it depends on your muscle fibers so experimentation is the best way to go.

blorg

Is this not the standard aerobic/anaerobic distinction?