Higher reps while dieting????

[cleverlandshark2001]

I've been dieting for a week or so now and I changed my weight training schedule around a bit.
I usually train with you usual heavy weights, lower reps. Anywhere from 1 to 4 sets. Forced reps, negatives, all that good mass building stuff.

While on this diet phase, as I gradually cut my daily calories back, I've been hitting the cardio regularly and have changed my weight training to a higher rep scheme.
What do you guys think of this?
I realize I won't be gaining size or strength but I thought it would be a healthy change for a month or two. Building up some endurance and ligament and tendon strength. I've also read that this type of training can develop a better nuero-muscular connection, meaning that when I hit the heavy weights again my muscles may respond better and quicker.
An increase in new capillaries may be a benefit also.

Has anybody else trained this way while dieting?
What have your results been like?

Thanx bros.....
Ttyl

[ptbyjason]

While dieting, high rep is good. 12 - 20 reps

[BigWill]

Higher reps while dieting is an old myth. Think about it: you want to loose fat and the best way to do that is to build muscle. High reps dont build muscle. You were on the right track - go back to it. Good luck.

[cleverlandshark2001]

BigWill,
How am I supposed to build muscle if I'm not eating enough calories????
I think the idea is to maintain as much as possible and if you have ever been on a diet, you know it's hard enough just to get to the damn gym let alone lift heavy!
Oh well, I got the diet part right anyway....
peace bro

[ptbyjason]

I still think keep your reps high as well as your protein high while dieting. You won't put on as much mass as you would during a bulking cycle, but right now you are just trying to get cut down. Anytime you lift weights you basically tear and rebuild the muscle. Therefore you increase some muscle size. Stick to the high reps and working on losing the bodyfat so you can find that six-pack.

[kaiser soze]

why higher reps when dieting?I think it's one of the greatest error you can do.

[BigWill]

Originally posted by cleverlandshark2001
BigWill,
How am I supposed to build muscle if I'm not eating enough calories????
I think the idea is to maintain as much as possible and if you have ever been on a diet, you know it's hard enough just to get to the damn gym let alone lift heavy!
Oh well, I got the diet part right anyway....
peace bro

I didnt know you were starving yourself dude. If you dont have enough energy for a workout, then you are restricting your calories too much and probably loosing muscle mass as well. The key to dieting is to loose the weight SLOWLY because it is a hell of a lot easier to loose muscle than fat. 500 cals a day less food should do it.

And yes, I have been dieting for some 20 yrs or so.

[ptbyjason]

First off let me say. The two biggest contributors to weight loss are diet and cardio.

Why higher reps while dieting you ask. In simple terms, it is for toning not building. Toning (high reps are very important if you are only trying to shred bodyfat, such as circuit training). Here is an example of how it can be used. I will concentrate on circuit training. You can't get much more extreme for high reps than circuit training. Ok, say you went running for 30 minutes, it takes 20 - 30 minutes to get your heart rate up high enough to burn the stored bodyfat. Now if you switch to a circuit training workout (you move continuously between many exercises with little or no rest) you almost mimic that of a cardio workout while at the same time doing resistance exercises. I will agree with you on one front. Increased muscle tissue means you burn more calories, therefore in a way you increase metabolism and lose weight. The thing is at this point their is already stored fat on the body. The fastest way to lose that stored fat is to get your heart rate for more than 20 to 30 minutes and burn it off. You have to remember if you are doing high reps you aren't suppose to spend 3 minutes resting between sets like a lot of people do when they lift heavy. I have personal trained from four years, and I have a Bachelor's of Science in Kinesiology. I'm not just pulling this out of my ass. It has worked time and time again for myself, my clients, and everyone else I have written programs for. If more proof is needed, I will pull up all of the scientific proof you would like.

If you are starving yourself you are making a huge mistake. I agree with BigWill. I usually take about a 10% cut on my calorie intake and get much stricter with my diet. If I hit another sticking point I increase cardio, eat stricter, and/or cut my calorie intake again.

[cleverlandshark2001]

lots of good info, thanx bros!

[dane26]

i'm not sure how much time you rest between sets, but try lowering them. if you keep you reps at 10, but lower each rest time to 30 sec between sets and 60 sec between different exercises, you WILL get shredded. it's very hard though, and you're gonna have to suck it up and lower your weights. but like i said, you will see results.

[ptbyjason]

I agree with you man. A 30 to 60 second rest between moderate to heavy reps will get you shredded. But the reality is, how many people actually stick with it? It's extremely difficult with or without a workout partner.

[dane26]

i hear ya bro. if getting jacked was easy, everyone would do it.

[AlexG]

good info jason but i was just wondering... is it possible to bulk up and still see that 6 pack while putting on muscle mass? i am asking this because i am about 80 kilos and about 10 % bf and trying to bulk couple of kilos but at the same time keep my bf very low. i consume about 250 g of protein per day but i am very unsure on how much carbs i should be consuming?

[ptbyjason]

Man it's tough to do both. Most of the time it is easier to bulk up for a little while and then drop the bodyfat while maintaining muscle mass. If you are giving everything (cardio and weight training) you got, there isn't much left to go around. You can do it if you just watch how your body responds carefully with your current diet and make adjustments as you need to. Just make sure the carbs you take in are complex carbs, and somewhat low. It's hard to say exactly how many you need because your body type, current diet, cardio, metabolism, and numerous other things contribute to it. My best suggestion. Keep a log of everything you do, diet and workout wise, and let that be a guide to the adjustments you need to make in order to obtain the body you are after.

[AlexG]

thanks jason ill deffinetly keep that in mind. at the moment ill try to keep around 200 to 300 g of carbs a day and see how that goes for me.

[BigWill]

Originally posted by ptbyjason
The fastest way to lose that stored fat is to get your heart rate for more than 20 to 30 minutes and burn it off. You have to remember if you are doing high reps you aren't suppose to spend 3 minutes resting between sets like a lot of people do when they lift heavy. I have personal trained from four years, and I have a Bachelor's of Science in Kinesiology. I'm not just pulling this out of my ass. It has worked time and time again for myself, my clients, and everyone else I have written programs for. If more proof is needed, I will pull up all of the scientific proof you would like.

Not to beat a dead horse or diss your degree, the heart rate thing isnt rock hard science. An interesting book to read is titled, "Manly Weight Loss." In it he discusses how the heart rate myth got started. His weight loss program has no cardio at all. Cardio works good, but my point is that muscle mass is more important because it burns fat 24 hrs a day. The AST websit also has a good article where it compares 2 BBs who are preparing for a contest: one who does the high rep, cardio routine, and the one who keeps lifting as his main focus. Good reading. (but crappy products)

[CYCLEON]

if im trying to drop - I just scale back on my workouts a tad and put more into my cardio - specially sprints. thats what ive got to do now, let myself go due to work adn time to cut the fat.