Quote:
Originally Posted by Billup
My failure lately is motivation to get back in the gym. I would think now I would be going back a lot more, but I just can't push myself yet. Finally started going back hard, and now I'm in limbo.
I do have a question though. What is the end difference between adding a little extra weight with less reps, versus more reps of less weight? Is more reps with less weight still effective?
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Yes they are still effective but different rep ranges affect the muscles in different ways. It is a question of hypertrophy, density or endurance. I found this breakdown, while simplistic, a good illustration of the rep ranges:
•1-3 reps – Pure strength & definition
•4-6 reps – Mostly strength & definition with little gains in size
•7-10 reps – Mostly size with little gains in strength & density
•11-15 reps – Pure size
Why is that simplistic? Different muscles respond to reps and weight differently. Generally speaking though, low reps are going to build strength and density while the last couple of bullet points are going to effect the muscle size and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.
What you should do, really, Billup (and what I do) is a mixture of both although I tend to shoot for around 10 reps. I do have days where I drop the poundage and go for 15 or more reps and like 5 sets, often supersetting on those days.
For more on reps and ranges, I like this article:
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/art...-muscle-growth