*.* 2012 General Fitness Thread *.*

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by Brock

Adding more reps to a "max" weight is something I've never been any good at. I get to where I want to weight wise, but 4 or 5 reps is all I get out of it. I should add I don't use a spotter, so I probably am not going all out effort wise.

Definitely not going all out effort-wise. You could probably get another rep or two each set with a spotter. You need muscular hypertrophy (I think it's hypertrophy). That's where you get stronger...

[chiefs2012]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

Definitely not going all out effort-wise. You could probably get another rep or two each set with a spotter. You need muscular hypertrophy (I think it's hypertrophy). That's where you get stronger...

I believe hypertrophy=muscle growth which is accomplished with higher reps. 8-12. This doesn't necessarily translate to strength which is more so accomplished in the 4-8 range. Silock or others in 3..2..1..

edit: although if you're getting stronger you're probably getting some size also.

[Silock]

Originally Posted by chiefs2012

I believe hypertrophy=muscle growth which is accomplished with higher reps. 8-12. This doesn't necessarily translate to strength which is more so accomplished in the 4-8 range. Silock or others in 3..2..1..

edit: although if you're getting stronger you're probably getting some size also.

Can't get stronger without getting bigger. Strength is really just a range, though. If you're concerned about your max number, lift in lower reps. If you're concerned more about how much you can lift over a larger number of reps, do that. You're going to grow pretty much no matter what if you keep the reps under 15. After that, it's really up to you and your goals. You'll probably get larger in the 5 rep range than the 15, though.

[Omaha]

I got a load of new PT exercises yesterday. I'm supposed to start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, but my back still starts getting uncomfortable after 5-10 minutes of standing. Hopefully that will be long gone by the weekend.

[Buck]

Someone posted this in the other thread

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/wor...n-routine.html

I plan on following that.

The gym I go to doesn't have a leg press machine or a seated calf raise machine (for leg day - tuesday). Any recommendations on what I can do to replace those workouts?

[Silock]

That routine sucks, especially for a newbie. You should do Starting Strength..

[-King-]

The reps on that routine are ridiculous. Wow.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by -King-

The reps on that routine are ridiculous. Wow.

Yea that routine blows. People think if they get a huge pump (high reps), that they are working their body harder, which is reeruned.

[penguinz]

Going Too Low

The best range for muscle growth is 8-12 reps per set. Consistently doing 7 or fewer reps with heavier weights may feed your pride in the gym, but it won’t build as much muscle as moderate reps with moderate weights. A recent study found that when subjects used a weight that allowed them to complete 25-30 reps per set, they increased muscle protein synthesis (the process that leads to muscle growth) by 60% more than when they did sets with a weight that limited them to 4 reps. What’s more, going too heavy often leads to truncated reps. This is especially true of leg presses. It’s likely you can use more metal with this exercise than any other.

This stokes your ego, and because the guy before you used 900 for six half-reps instead of 600 for 12 full reps, you want to crank out 900-pound partials, too. Resist this urge. More reps and better form with a lighter weight will build more mass.

Research

A recent study from Italy found that when subjects did dumbbell shoulder presses with half-reps or three-quarter reps, they did not use nearly as much deltoid muscle fibers as they did when they did full reps. Using more muscle fibers during an exercise will make that muscle bigger. Even when training for power, the fewer reps you do, the harder it is to eke out another one and thus make consistent gains.
Solutions

• Do movements from full stretches to full contractions. Carefully control the negative half of reps.
• Keep the reps of most sets in the 8-12 range.
• Focus on your muscles contracting, not the weight moving.

http://www.simplyshredded.com/gym-cl...ix-them-2.html

[Silock]

Originally Posted by penguinz

Going Too Low

The best range for muscle growth is 8-12 reps per set. Consistently doing 7 or fewer reps with heavier weights may feed your pride in the gym, but it won’t build as much muscle as moderate reps with moderate weights. A recent study found that when subjects used a weight that allowed them to complete 25-30 reps per set, they increased muscle protein synthesis (the process that leads to muscle growth) by 60% more than when they did sets with a weight that limited them to 4 reps. What’s more, going too heavy often leads to truncated reps. This is especially true of leg presses. It’s likely you can use more metal with this exercise than any other.

This stokes your ego, and because the guy before you used 900 for six half-reps instead of 600 for 12 full reps, you want to crank out 900-pound partials, too. Resist this urge. More reps and better form with a lighter weight will build more mass.

Research

A recent study from Italy found that when subjects did dumbbell shoulder presses with half-reps or three-quarter reps, they did not use nearly as much deltoid muscle fibers as they did when they did full reps. Using more muscle fibers during an exercise will make that muscle bigger. Even when training for power, the fewer reps you do, the harder it is to eke out another one and thus make consistent gains.
Solutions

• Do movements from full stretches to full contractions. Carefully control the negative half of reps.
• Keep the reps of most sets in the 8-12 range.
• Focus on your muscles contracting, not the weight moving.

http://www.simplyshredded.com/gym-cl...ix-them-2.html

Muscle protein synthesis is not necessarily the same as muscle growth.

Carry on.

[penguinz]

Originally Posted by Silock

Muscle protein synthesis is not necessarily the same as muscle growth.

Carry on.

It does not say the same. It says the synthesis can lead to growth.

The most important part is to stay light enough to do full range with good form.

[Silock]

Originally Posted by penguinz

It does not say the same. It says the synthesis can lead to growth.

The most important part is to stay light enough to do full range with good form.

I know, I was just commenting, because the title indicated something different than the actual study did. Personally, I'd rather be stronger and also bigger, so sticking to the lower reps for the major lifts works well for me.

Moreover, there are several studies that say you build just about the same amount of muscle when you use a rep range between 3 and 15. It's just a matter of where you want the emphasis placed in your training -- your maxes or your lifting endurance, and it's necessary to train both at some point.

You can do very heavy weight with good form and full range of motion. It's just that when working nearer the max, form breaks down more quickly.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by Silock

I know, I was just commenting, because the title indicated something different than the actual study did. Personally, I'd rather be stronger and also bigger, so sticking to the lower reps for the major lifts works well for me.

Moreover, there are several studies that say you build just about the same amount of muscle when you use a rep range between 3 and 15. It's just a matter of where you want the emphasis placed in your training -- your maxes or your lifting endurance, and it's necessary to train both at some point.

You can do very heavy weight with good form and full range of motion. It's just that when working nearer the max, form breaks down more quickly.

What do you do for a living? You know your lifting shit and I agree with you on like everything you post.

[penguinz]

Originally Posted by Silock

It's just that when working nearer the max, form breaks down more quickly.

And tons of people get to this point where they are doing too much weight with bad form. This was the main purpose for that posting. Better off going lighter with full range and good form than trying to pump your ego and go super heavy with bad form.

[chiefs2012]