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After reading the post about "maximum muscle gains", have any of you tried higher reps for a long period of time (say a month straight for example) and when you went back to lower reps (4-6) you couldnt lift as much since your body wasnt lifting heavy for a few weeks? May be a dumb question, but it got me wondering...
More than likely, you will lose some strength. However, the variation in your periodization may have a beneficial long-term effect. If your are microcyling in a strength phase, then train for strength. The higher reps, shorter rest can also enhance your recovery. So when you transistion back into strength/hypertrophy phases you may recover faster and be more efficient. Do not go from a rep range of 12-14 straight into a 4-6 reps scheme. It should be a structured progression!!
I have never seen gains with high reps in size or strength. I went through a phase for about a month and a half where i decided 12-15 reps on bench was good for all of my sets. I came out of that weaker than i started with nothing to show for it.
i did nothing but high reps for about 4 months... I lost an a$$ load of strength. My nevervous system completly went to $hit.
Beernuts is correct at least as far as I am concerned. If you want definition lose body fat. Those Somalians have wicked six packs!
exactly my man...definition has absolutly nothing to do with reps range at all..and i mean at all. If you want to be ripped and have cut muscles you dont need to change your routine to light weights is all about your diet.Quote:
Originally Posted by 1victor
I can tell a difference when I drop my reps... for example if I feel like I can't get over a slup I go to 10 reps for a couple weeks, then go back down to 8 and my weights start increasing again.
Or if I am doing 6 reps I go up to 8 for a couple weeks then up to 10 for a couple more then back down to 8 for two and back down to 6 again. I think more than anything it is just the shock my body needs... works for me anyways :unsure:
Thanks for the responses. I wasnt planning on doing higher reps to get more cut. I was thinking of doing it to vary the exercises.
thats is acutally a good idea. Do it to change it for a couple weeks then go back to heavy..Quote:
Originally Posted by ImmmtheIceman
I was thinking of doing that, as long as I dont lose any strength.Quote:
Originally Posted by Beernutz
like i said, i do this sometimes to give my workout a change of pace and if anything it helps me and i usually increase my weights when i drop back down after a couple weeks. if you haven't tried it yet, give it a go and see how it works for you... been great for me anyways.
are higher reps better for definition or shape or something?
Your rep range is mainly a play on your CNS (Central Nervous System). Your CNS is responsible for everything, especially in terms of stimulating muscle growth and releasing Cortisol.
The higher reps you go, the more likely you are to release Cortisol, which is a catabolic hormone. That's no good. However, you fully exhaust the muscle which leads to growth.
The lower reps you go, the less you stimulate your CNS which means the less chance of releasing Cortisol. However you don't fully exhaust the muscle which doesn't lead to the utmost growth potential.
What does all this mean? Well, here's a good way to put it.
When you bulk, you go Higher Reps. Why? You generally have more calories and more carbs which help fuel your body. You can afford to go higher reps since you have enough Calories to actually help put on some weight.
When you cut, you go lower reps. You stimulate the muscle enough to hold onto it while dieting and you keep the Cortisol release low.
I'll stand by going Higher Reps while bulking and Lower Reps while cutting for those main reasons.
I've had better luck on fewer sets and fewer reps. 5x5 but hit that 3x a week.
Both principles depend on the person's body. Some people can actually gain muscle by lifting high rep, but most don't. Most people do best gaining when they stick to moderate reps (8-10) done slowly and controled. If you do high reps (13 or more) and particularly if you do them quickly, you are going more of an aerobic excercise and you will break down muscle and eventually fat. High reps done slowly and controled, is where the individual's body comes into play. If you have a lot of muscle cells, then you would probably still be able to gain. If you have few muscle cells, then you will probably only maintain what you have or maybe lose strength. Low reps (2-6) is really for power lifters only and you can actually gain strength without gaining much size.
Screw that, do BOTH. Take squats for example, get in the rack bang out your 6 rep max, rack it, drop the weight and get going again for a few more reps. Enough to fully fatigue the muscle while lifting at your max.Quote:
Originally Posted by RoNNy THe BuLL
i tried the high rep aproach for a couple of years,mainly because of nagging injuries,and got very minimal gains. I am a firm believer in lower volume,heavy weights,and low reps,even during cutting. It is not the high reps that are going to get you cut,it is the diet and cardio that do it. The only thing on a calorie restricted diet you have to be careful not to overtrain.
I have really good gains from doing higher reps now that im bulking again. For some reason I dont really grow from low reps. My body has always responded to high reps, actually I have gotten stronger off higher reps too. I dont know if its because my body gets used to a heavy weight for that many reps and makes it longer for me to get fatigued or what. But for now Im sticking with higher reps...what i always say "what works for one person may not work for the next person so just find what works for you" :lift:
Yup.Quote:
Originally Posted by BodyMechanic
My brother is a bodybuilder and does the samething, just rests 30 sec. between sets and hits the heavy weight again at 5 reps. He's as strong as an ox and cut to boot.
it took me almost 2 years to fully accept that variety between volume and reps (1-10) is best.
I agree. High reps during cutting wont do it..the DIET will.Quote:
Originally Posted by BodyMechanic
after one month in the gym (totally natural) i went from a deadlift of 110 kilo (242 lbs) (first day) to 150 kilo (330 lbs) by the end of the month. i train 5 x 5 and i get very strong this way. BUT i do NOT grow. i weighed in at a massive 168 lbs (HAHAHAHHA) and at the end of two months ....still 168lbs but stiffleg deadlifting 160 kilo (352 lbs)
that was natural. i am not sure but when i was on dbol recently it seemed to me that slightly higher rep range of 6-8 reps benefited me... 2 weeks in i switched to 6-8 rr and found the results favourable.
i reckon experiment and record what works best for you and then apply it with ever more zeal.