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High Weight, Low Reps vs Low Weight, High Reps
What's more effective for building muscle? Fewer reps with a heavy weight or more reps with a lighter weight? Lets find out…
Low reps, heavy weights
Lifting heavier weights and gradually increasing the amount of weight over time is the conventional strategy for gaining muscle mass, which is applicable to both men and women. On the extreme end of the scale, powerlifters and many competitive bodybuilders combine relatively light weights with very few reps (1 to 5). (90-95 percent of their one-rep max).
How does this work? Lifting greater weight activates Type 2 or "rapid twitch" muscle fibers, which are crucial for increasing strength and encouraging hypertrophy. This weight should be between 70 and 75 percent of your one-rep max (muscle growth along with an increase in the size of muscle cells).
What might be a trap? Type 2 muscle fibers are more powerful but also exhaust more quickly; the stimulation of the muscle fibers depends on how long they are subjected to resistance. They won't be able to stimulate hypertrophy (muscle growth) as well if they aren't under strain for long enough. Due to this, many people have had success using a more modest strategy (8-12 reps at 70-75 percent of your one-rep max). This enables you to lift a sufficient amount of weight to increase your strength and power while also extending the duration of each session.
High reps, low weight
What happens then if you increase your rep range to 15 or more per set? You can lift between 50 and 60 percent of your one-rep maximum at this range. This amount of weight is insufficient to stimulate the Type 2 muscular fibers, which have the capacity for significant growth.
A workout with high repetitions and lighter weights activates Type 1 muscle fiber. They are also known as "slow twitch" muscle fibers, and despite having less power than Type 2, they are endurance-based and tire much more gradually.
In other words, you're still building strength when you lift lesser weights for longer repetitions; it's just a different kind of strength—muscular endurance. Longer, more intense workouts help you burn more calories, melt fat for a leaner appearance, and experience a stronger afterburn.
Mix Things Up
As a result, high repeats with light weight tend to develop muscle endurance while low reps with heavy weight tend to increase muscle mass. This does not obligate you to use just one technique. For long-term success, switching back and forth between the two may be the ideal strategy. This is why…
While lifting heavy weights increases muscular mass, doing it repeatedly wears out the body. The new fiber activation in the muscles must also be accommodated by the neurological system. Lifting smaller weights and performing more repetitions allows the neurological system and muscular tissue to heal while also increasing endurance.
If you stick with the same exercise routine for a while, you will ultimately reach the dreaded "plateau." When your body and mind get used to the routine, it stops being difficult, and you stop advancing. Your body and nervous system receive the kick in the pants they need when you change things up for them.
You will eventually reach a limit where you are unable to raise any more weight or lift it for a sufficient amount of time to be effective. Your form may become compromised as a result, increasing your risk of injury. You can continue to improve, focus on your form, and build endurance by switching to high rep/low weight exercises for a while before returning to the big weights.
These workout rotations should be deliberate and planned out, for example, every other session, every other week, or on a 6–8 week cycle. Unequal results will be produced by an unorganized, uneven strategy.
Bottomline
It's crucial to keep in mind that gaining muscle mass depends on a variety of elements in addition to your exercise regimen. Diet, genetics, metabolism, hormone levels, body shape, and even the makeup of your particular muscle fibers all play a role. No single exercise regimen is efficient or suitable for everyone.
