High reps?

MrBaseball

I have a set of weights with 70kg of plates. I lift 4 days a week, upper/lower split, mostly compound exercises. Anyway, I've gotten results from this and am noticing a definite increase in muscle over the last few months. Thing is, I've reached 70kg in several of my lifts, deadlifts and squats for example, so I just do more reps until I can't keep going(usually around 20), since I can't add weight. I do 3 sets of those. After this, I feel like I've gotten a good workout etc.

I know that the common advice is "higher weights, lower reps for muscle growth". I don't want to join a gym, for several reasons it's too much hassle for me, until September, when I'll be home and have access to my college gym again. So, I just want to know, is there anything to be gained by what I'm doing now, or will I be wasting my time if I can't increase the weight and just increase the reps instead, maybe throw in another set, etc? It definitely feels like I'm working the muscles/pushing myself.. I also do weighted pull ups, and I won't be reaching 70kg in those any time soon..

To be honest, I'm in this for aesthetic reasons. I'm 6ft and about 12stone, maybe a little less. Very little fat. I'm not interested in having a high "max" in different lifts etc etc. I am somewhat interested in "explosive" power(if that makes any sense), but my goals/motivation are 90% "to have a body which is more attractive to the opposite sex", I won't lie about that. I'm already fit, due to cycling about 2 hours each day.

I'm not looking for "bulk" more for "tone". Now I know a comment like that is controversial "what is tone" "it's not easy to get big" etc etc, but I think most people understand what a guy is differentiating between when he uses those two words. What I'm going for is something like this http://evilbeetgossip.film.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/mcc_noshirt.jpg
,which I wouldn't be a million miles off anyway , and while I appreciate that if looking like Ronnie or Arnie or something was my goal, hitting the heavy weights would be the only way to go, I'm wondering if the more modest goals I have can be achieved with high reps of the weights I have now. Or will at least be have some effect before I can hit the gym in September.

Does the "no high reps" advice apply more to people doing 1million curls with a 1 pound dumbell for "tone" , or is anything above 12 reps or so useless for gaining muscle. The routine I have now, leaves me feeling tired/sore(in a good way). I don't want to be spending my time doing it if it's useless in achieving my goals though.

Thanks.

Colm_OReilly

The best way to look like a healthy, athletic individual is to be a healthy, athletic individual. That said, you are doing weighted pull ups and compound lifts so that's that taken care of.

I suppose what you need to do is push your body in different ways, or do lifts that are very difficult to lift heavy weights with. Overhead Squats and Turkish Get Ups come to mind.

Gymnastic movements can also help, working on handstands and planches etc. If you can, buy some rings - www.ringtraining.com - and use these for pull ups, dips, muscle ups, push ups etc.

Again, you could just buy more weights.

rubadub

Your goals and setup are similar to mine. I would also recommend the rings. You already have a chinning bar so they can loop on that. I no longer use a bench, just do various dips, flyes and pushups on the rings for the chest. You can do them weighted, and like you say it will be a long time before you can do 70kg weighted pullups or dips.

I do squats but I have no rack so just put what I can onto my back, which is around 60kg, once up I can do 20reps. I am practicing one legged pistol squats too.

These rings are around €50 including delivery http://ringtraining.com/store/classicrings.html

Or you can make your own stuff
http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/shenandoah/Grunt/Bodyweight.html


Rings (dunno how strong these would be though)
http://cgi.ebay.ie/Rubber-Ring-Dog-Toy-Large_W0QQitemZ260206988672QQihZ016QQcategoryZ20753QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


Strong straps
http://cgi.ebay.ie/2-5-m-Med-Duty-surfboard-Canoe-webbing-tie-down-straps_W0QQitemZ360015555133QQihZ023QQcategoryZ87089QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I would still suggest more wieghts for deadlifting though.

cowzerp

If its your only option add the reps, consider super sets{do your usuall weight and swap it in this case with another of same muscle exercise, bench press to dumbell fly} or slow eccentric work(let the weight down slow) to make the weights harder! not always advisable as it makes recovery harder-consider some isometrics! you need challenge somehow as your training is getting too easy for you. or go to argos and by an extra 20 kg.

Scramble

That's what occurred to me as well- why not just buy some more plates?

rubadub

If getting wieghts I would get 2x20kg plates here
http://irish-lifting.com/product_info_equipment.php?cPath=1_15&products_id=243

These are large diameter so raise the bar up high for deadlifting. Also they are tri grip with holes for carrying, this also makes them usable as weights for other exercises, handles already there.

MrBaseball

Thanks for the responses guys, very helpful.

In response to the two posters above, there are a few reasons why I'm not just running out and buying more plates. I don't have a rack or a spotter, so I don't want to kill myself attempting heavy squats in my room alone, trying to get the bar from the ground to my shoulders etc. I don't have a bench, so once the weight gets too heavy, it's too difficult to actually lift the weight into the bench pressing position from the ground. I don't think I could go much beyond what I have now, in that regard. I guess that's why they invented benches and racks.. Also, I'm not in Ireland/Europe, the price of plates here is ridiculous, there's no second hand market as this stuff isn't popular here, and I don't want to spend too much on equipment I'll have to leave here in 8 months.

The rings sound pretty cool, sadly i haven't actually got a chinning bar, I do pull ups on the swings in the playground beside where I live(at night when there's nobody around). Wouldn't really feel comfortable messing around with rings there...

Reading this post again it looks like a comedy post. Benching with no bench, squating with no rack and chinning in a local playground..

Edit: Thanks for the link and the recommendation. I'll probably be buying some weights from there when I get back to Ireland.

rubadub

Have you an attic in your place? you can remove the cover and span some wood across it for the rings. Or buy a chinning bar, some are removable if you are renting and do not want to drill holes. You can make a removable one as shown in the first link in my first post. If you have no bench then rings are ideal, since you can do dips for the chest.

You can also do dips on 2 opposing chairs. Though this is hard for stability first. Since doing dips on rings I have improved stability and can do dips on the flimsiest of chairs.