$crew the perfect form...

[Beernutz]

Ok guys im pretty frustrated right now as you can tell by the thread title. Ever since i switched my workouts from super heavy weights for 4-6 reps to lower weights of perfect form for 8-12 reps ive lost major size and strenth in my muscles. My main problem is my shoulders shrunk and i cant push nearly as much weight as i used to. Is perfect from really all that crutial? or is it more crutial just to move the weight. I know everyones body is different and there is no definitive answer to this quetion but i need some advice.

[mark956101957]

I would not go over 8 reps or you will lose strength!

[Jack87]

Bro I usually do 2 sets of triples almost every workout for my basic
power movements.. Benches and Deadlifts especially.. I also do higher
reps, but always throw in a few real heavy sets... 4-6 reps is a good
range for both power and growth for most movements... Even though
for shoulders I tend to do a little higher reps to avoid injury... I do more
of a controlled cheating on some movements where perfect form would
limit gains IMO... Bent-Rows, T-Rows, Upright-rows, etc. Good form is
Important in avoiding injury, you should feel the muscle working and
contracting, if not and you are just throwing the weight around trust
me you will blow something out eventually...

[Beernutz]

Thanks guys. Ive decided to start pounding the real heavy $hit again. My body just doesnt seem to react to flawless higher rep movements.

[Devil Dog74]

I'm a personally believer in the more reps u do the more size you will attain. I do believe however the more reps u do the less strength u will gain because all you are doing is making yourself fatigued faster.... Also you do gain alot of endurance somewhat. But to each their own.

PS. Disregard if you are on Juice lol.

Devil Dog74

[mark956101957]

I'm a personally believer in the more reps u do the more size you will attain. I do believe however the more reps u do the less strength u will gain because all you are doing is making yourself fatigued faster.... Also you do gain alot of endurance somewhat. But to each their own.

PS. Disregard if you are on Juice lol.

Devil Dog74

The more reps you do the more size you will gain? So if I do 20 reps all the time I will get bigger than doing 6-8 reps?

[Tribex]

I'm thinkin along the lines of what Buff87 was gonna say... What i have found to be the "Golden Key" of growth is not lifting the weight in front of me... but contracting the target muscle under resistence. Heavy is relative. I could throw a load of plates on the bench and bounce it off each time i come down, but for growth for me means 4-6 reps of slow controlled movement where the bar never touches my chest nor are my elbows locking... constant time under tension.. get what i'm sayin

[Jack87]

Yep good points and also when i bench it's always with my feet flat on the
bench so all the weight is focused on my chest with a flat back and elbows flarred out to the sides... Slow negative and constant tension will also help you to avoid injury and work more muscles fibers too... Just throwing the weight around isn't going to do it...

BTW the one time I actually torn something it was because i was throwing the weight around instead of controlling it and keeping constant tension...

I'm thinkin along the lines of what Buff87 was gonna say... What i have found to be the "Golden Key" of growth is not lifting the weight in front of me... but contracting the target muscle under resistence. Heavy is relative. I could throw a load of plates on the bench and bounce it off each time i come down, but for growth for me means 4-6 reps of slow controlled movement where the bar never touches my chest nor are my elbows locking... constant time under tension.. get what i'm sayin

[IronReload04]

You are not alone Beernutz. After doing the 8-12 rep range myself for a time period, when i go directly to the 4-6 rep range, i come back weaker too. But i am convinced that we lost no muscle and even no strength. It is my opinion our muscle just adapted and conditioned themselves for the higher reps. Our bodies were not prepared for the big jump to the big weight. i think that explains why they say to progressively increase the load over time . That way, you are preparing your body for the bigger weight and when you eventaully get their you will be glad you did because you will be stronger.

[thetank]

****ing mother ****ing piece of ****ing **** **** **** **** ****. god**** mouse with its new "back"., "forward" and "refresh" buttons on the side..an hour response wasted. if only material possessions felt physical pain, i would torture this mother****er. well, i guess ile start typing it again. ****.

[thetank]

ive found what works best for me is incorporating both strengh and endurance into my routine. being a competitive powerifter and strongman as well, both are extremely important
What I do, is start every workout with a heavy, compound movement. then as my work out progresses, i slowly transition into lighter wieght, and higher reps. for example
ile start leg day with squats
my sets go as follows
135x6
225x4
315x4
500xfailure
not a set goes over 6 reps..all are full range of motion, ass 2 grass as deep as humanly possible. ive done my compound movement, now its onto leg press...ile do this for up 2 10 reps in a set, then 2 walking lunges..about 20 reps a set, then end with extensions doing up 2 50 rep sets for a burn out finish.
Biceps
first exercise is DB curls, sets go as follows
40'sx10
50sx2
80'sxfailure(4-6)
40'sxfailure
once again, starting heavy, working my way up 2 lighter wieghts..ile end bi's with using 25's for precher concentration curls for 30 rep sets.
i use this same training technique for every bodypart except chest. chest has its speed/endurance day, and a strength day. being a competitive bencher(bench is hte only lift i compete in for powerlifting, the only lift i hold a record for) obviously strength is first priority, but in strongman comps theres often bench rep events so endurance is important as well, so what ile do is on my strength day, (unless im pre comp then ile be on a powerlifting bench routine) ile keep it around 4 reps, 6 tops for almost everything..keeping my exercises as heavy as possible. then ile have a speed/endurance day, in which ile start off with repping 225 untill absolute failure...and continue my work out with high rep exercises like dips and weighted pushups... in doign this ive managed 2 raise my projected max by 30-40 lbs, yet my endurance is also at an alltime high.( i can rep 225 for over 40 now..a few months ago i was doing it for 24-25)
im not saying this is a unverisal routine gaurenteed to pack the size on, its just what works for me.

[jerseyboy]

For the last month and a half I've been training with a friend of mine who is a certified trainer. He has me going a lot heavier than usual and my form sometimes isn't what it would be with lower weight but I still manage to squeeze out 5-6 good reps and he helps with the last 2-3. Sometimes he'll take off some weight for my last reps and I go til muscle failure. What a difference.Since I've been training with him I've been growing like I was on a cycle. I've put on about 7 pounds in the last month and my strength is way up. Can't wait until I'm back on AAS.