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Thread: Lighter weight higher reps for muscle growth?

  1. #1
    ChasinGains is offline Junior Member
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    Lighter weight higher reps for muscle growth?

    Hi everyone, been training for 4years, added a decent amount of size, started at 145lbs wround 5ft9 very skinny, I am now 5ft 11 208lbs, carrying a bit of fat but abs still visible, I was thinking about starting test cyp, but opted out for a couple of years, what is the best benefit for ultimate muscle growth? I prefer to do lighter weight, 8-15 rep ranges, but is still the most efficient for muscle growth? Thanks in advance

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    Quote Originally Posted by ChasinGains View Post
    Hi everyone, been training for 4years, added a decent amount of size, started at 145lbs wround 5ft9 very skinny, I am now 5ft 11 208lbs, carrying a bit of fat but abs still visible, I was thinking about starting test cyp, but opted out for a couple of years, what is the best benefit for ultimate muscle growth? I prefer to do lighter weight, 8-15 rep ranges, but is still the most efficient for muscle growth? Thanks in advance
    For hypertrophy you want to use whatever weight you can lift with good form keeping the muscle under tension for 45 seconds or so. That can be 8 super slow reps. It can be 20 fast reps. It can be forced reps, negatives, eccentric isometrics, drop sets, etc. Time under tension should be about 45 seconds (up to 60) and the weight should be heavy enough that you reach failure or lose form within 45 to 60 seconds

  3. #3
    HoldMyBeer is offline Productive Member
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    It does not matter as long as volume and intensity is matched
    reference:

    he quotes studies to corroborate as well
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    You gained 2" ?

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    SocioMachiavelli's Avatar
    SocioMachiavelli is offline Knowledgeable Member
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    Yeah. I think he's not old enough to be playing with this stuff yet

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    ChasinGains is offline Junior Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by Couchlockd View Post
    You gained 2" ?
    From 19- 23 I gained 2inches in height yeah, not from the gym obviously haha

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    ChasinGains is offline Junior Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by SocioMachiavelli View Post
    Yeah. I think he's not old enough to be playing with this stuff yet
    People start a lot younger than me mate and I'm not even starting yet
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    Honestly, I feel once you reach 18, the choice is yours.

    I mean you can technically be drafted to die for your country in war, so ...

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    Quote Originally Posted by HoldMyBeer View Post
    It does not matter as long as volume and intensity is matched
    reference:

    he quotes studies to corroborate as well
    Good video! I'll probably look up the others in his series. Straight forward, useful info. That said...
    The two studies he cites are out of the same lab and not a replication. The research cited isn't the end-all. There's good published research on time under tension as well (which doesn't contradict his recommendations, but offers a different approach) Google that term if interested

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    HoldMyBeer is offline Productive Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by PeanutbutterDC View Post
    Good video! I'll probably look up the others in his series. Straight forward, useful info. That said...
    The two studies he cites are out of the same lab and not a replication. The research cited isn't the end-all. There's good published research on time under tension as well (which doesn't contradict his recommendations, but offers a different approach) Google that term if interested
    That is true. There are a lot of studies that contradict others, some believe that the previous didnt have proper constraints so they re-do it. He quotes meta-analyses often, which I prefer because that factors in multiple studies.
    I really feel like most of this stuff, not just rep ranges, it all just comes down to personal preference and what works best for the individual (within reason).
    I personally like to do heavy-low rep for compound, and light-high rep for iso exercises.

    Check out his myth-bust series too. Good stuff.

  11. #11
    ChasinGains is offline Junior Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by Couchlockd View Post
    Honestly, I feel once you reach 18, the choice is yours.

    I mean you can technically be drafted to die for your country in war, so ...
    Conscientious objector not fighting someone else's war

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    SocioMachiavelli's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ChasinGains View Post
    People start a lot younger than me mate and I'm not even starting yet
    They also run the risk of messing up their endocrine system and will also not have reached a natural plateau.

    Quote Originally Posted by Couchlockd View Post
    Honestly, I feel once you reach 18, the choice is yours.

    I mean you can technically be drafted to die for your country in war, so ...
    They can choose to do it even earlier, its not like at 18 that it becomes legal. The issue is that they run the risk of messing themselves up by following only the advice they want to hear and come running once they have issues.

    I've seen many 18 year olds on here who say they understand the potential consequences of their actions... But until it actually happens they don't realise what they've done.

  13. #13
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    Tried it, been there and tried it again and there's no chance of me holding or building freaky size with light weight higher reps. I know my body so well and I know what stress its needs to go beyond freak - if I went light weight high reps id be like the rest of the beach bodybuilders and that wasn't my goal. My goal was to make heads turn and there's only one for me
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    ChasinGains is offline Junior Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by SocioMachiavelli View Post
    They also run the risk of messing up their endocrine system and will also not have reached a natural plateau.



    They can choose to do it even earlier, its not like at 18 that it becomes legal. The issue is that they run the risk of messing themselves up by following only the advice they want to hear and come running once they have issues.

    I've seen many 18 year olds on here who say they understand the potential consequences of their actions... But until it actually happens they don't realise what they've done.
    I dont know why were talking like I'm 18 here anyway haha im 23 and not planning on starting anytime soon, looking for training advice
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  15. #15
    ChasinGains is offline Junior Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by Couchlockd View Post
    Honestly, I feel once you reach 18, the choice is yours.

    I mean you can technically be drafted to die for your country in war, so ...
    I'm still waiting for your reply on your pointless "you gained 2" " comment to be honest mate, they just my stats

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    Quote Originally Posted by HoldMyBeer View Post
    It does not matter as long as volume and intensity is matched
    reference:

    he quotes studies to corroborate as well
    Excellent. This has been my belief all along and I never had any studies to back it up. What is even better is the studies were made by the same group so hopefully you are comparing g apples to apples. That Is one thing U found out about studies is that a lot of times you are comparing apples to oranges and arriving at a conclusion.
    To add a little more, I believe the rep range also should vary with the relationship of short twitch to long twitch fibers.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by HoldMyBeer View Post
    That is true. There are a lot of studies that contradict others, some believe that the previous didnt have proper constraints so they re-do it. He quotes meta-analyses often, which I prefer because that factors in multiple studies.
    I really feel like most of this stuff, not just rep ranges, it all just comes down to personal preference and what works best for the individual (within reason).
    I personally like to do heavy-low rep for compound, and light-high rep for iso exercises.

    Check out his myth-bust series too. Good stuff.
    I should have gone down further.. there is Hold my Beer talking about slow twitch and fast twitch muscle make up!


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  18. #18
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    Many of the higher level BBs I know use high reps... Buuut here is why:

    They are't looking for mass. They have all the mass they can really get after many years of training and are using higher reps to harden out.

    You wont grow as effectively on high reps in nearly all cases. Yes the ratio of slow to fast twitch fibers may vary this a little but it is what it is.

    Endurance abd stamina begats skinny muscles (A marathon runner vs a sprinter).

    Yes you may see big big guys and pros training high reps but its not what got them where they are in some cases. Others I believe really are gifted to the point where as long as they lift to failure they will be huge.

    I have baby muscle, am still gaining mass, with a long way to go, low reps only for me. Charger69 for example is an active competitor and his veins look haggard as fuck and he is a dry hard machine. Age and time training gives this effect.

    Dallas Mccarver was huuuge but he was young, bigger than Yates but it is like comparing me to charger, there is no comparison, he would wipe the stage with me even at equivalent bf%. Yates looked what only time training gets you... Haggard veins, grainy muscle from many years of tearing, and an amazing physique that will always be legendary. Most olympia Gods today are older for a reason.

    Imagine if silabolin had cut all his fat off... He was a high repping fool with great genetics but he pissed it away staring at the scale.

    In terms of people trying to gain mass, marcus is right. If you are genetically gifted enough that higher reps do you fine then you won't be asking this question. Yhese olympiads and such start out fucking huge in nearly all cases.

    The greatest documented gain for Mr. Olympia was yates in my mind adding 100lbs of mass from his teens to his peak. Its no coincidence he trained low reps.

    The truck driver I met the other day had genetics for it. He was using light weight at high reps because it really makes no difference in my opinion to someone like that. You get a guy 5'8" @ 270 15%bf naturally to cut to single digit bodyfat and they are already pro material. Yates earned every lb unlike some of these freaks that are just born huge.

    Growth= low reps 6-8 3-4 sets if you reach true failure.

    Jmo, please no one attack me.
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  19. #19
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    In a roundabout way Obs brings up a good point about the research: we don't know the details about the participants. Were they seasoned bodybuilders in their prime? Were they complete newbies? Male? Female? Age?

    That said, I'm a big fan of bringing my muscles to failure with moderate weights and all the techniques (drop sets, ei, etc)
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  20. #20
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    I'd personally advocate heavier weights and lower reps taking the muscle to failure but also ensure that you emphasise the negative aspect of your lifts. But don't sacrifice form for your ego with the poundage you are using.
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  21. #21
    PeanutbutterDC's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SocioMachiavelli View Post
    I'd personally advocate heavier weights and lower reps taking the muscle to failure but also ensure that you emphasise the negative aspect of your lifts. But don't sacrifice form for your ego with the poundage you are using.
    I trained like that in my twenties. It's just at my age, with my history of sports injuries, and generally *never* having a spotter, moderate weights makes more sense. Works for me, and in the end that's kinda the point: we find what works best for us. The research is a good place to start, but the approach that works best for one person might be different from what works best for another. So many factors to consider

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    HoldMyBeer is offline Productive Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by ChasinGains View Post
    I'm still waiting for your reply on your pointless "you gained 2" " comment to be honest mate, they just my stats
    I dont think he realized you were 18 at the time and still growing. I was confused myself and had to look at your profile to check your age.

  23. #23
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    I warm up with 5 sets of 25 reps on flat dumbbell bench.

    Then do 5 15 rep sets with 215 on bb bench.

    Then I'll go to 240 -250 for 5, 6 - 7 reps(I'll get failure here

    Then I'll do 5 sets flat db bench with 100lb db for 10.

    Then 5 heavy decline bb sets with about 250 for 10 reps and then 5 sets of 20 incline bb with 135.

    That's a typical chest workout.

    I do the same with all body parts.

    Big lighter pump sets for 5 sets, then 5 heavier failure sets

    Little bit of both worlds.
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  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Couchlockd View Post
    I warm up with 5 sets of 25 reps on flat dumbbell bench.

    Then do 5 15 rep sets with 215 on bb bench.

    Then I'll go to 240 -250 for 5, 6 - 7 reps(I'll get failure here

    Then I'll do 5 sets flat db bench with 100lb db for 10.

    Then 5 heavy decline bb sets with about 250 for 10 reps and then 5 sets of 20 incline bb with 135.

    That's a typical chest workout.

    I do the same with all body parts.

    Big lighter pump sets for 5 sets, then 5 heavier failure sets

    Little bit of both worlds.
    You have twice the endurance I do. At that point I would be declining 150 lbs

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