Weight Training Rule of Thumb

Did you know that if you CAN NOT lift a weight six times in a row, that the weight you are lifting is too heavy??

And...

Did you know that if you CAN EASILY lift a weight 15 times in a row, that the weight you are lifting is too light??

This is not necessarily true, it's all down to what you're training for.

If it is pure strength you are after, 1-3 reps is not uncommon. Likewise, when lifting for muscular endurance 20 or more reps is fairly normal.

For that matter, I've seen 20-rep heavy squat routines, and they are renowned as a VERY effective strength and muscle builder!

Thanks for the information... I was wondering if the info I found was right or not!! Maybe they were talking about old people... or people just starting out... what do you think?

For general health and fitness, it's probably a good rule of thumb. Perhaps Ken would know - there must be a rep range he recommends to folk at the Y?

I think you are both right.

In my trainings at the YMCA strength and conditioning class, if you are trying to tone your muscle 3 sets of 15 reps are ideal... if you are trying to build muscle 3 sets of 6 are ideal. A mixture of tone and muscle building usually falls somewhere in between 3 sets of 8-10 reps. Your muscles need to be fatigued after the sets are done... you don't want to be able to lift any more than 15 if you are working on toning your body... you don't want to be able to only lift 4 or 5 because you are not getting a good enough micro-tear in the muscle... you build muscle by creating little micro-tears in the muscle and the scar tissue that builds is more muscle.

However, if your goals are to increase endurance and lean up, a longer routine might be ideal. Using lighter weights and or body weight to go to muscle fatigue will give you about the same calorie burn as a cardio workout. It will also help get your body used to the motion, creating a more efficient use of the body. The stronger person who never picked up a baseball, will not be able to throw it as far as a weaker person who has developed the muscle memory over a few years of playing ball.

I have heard of trainers who use 4 reps of extremely heavy weights... but I wouldn't recommend it unless you really know what you are doing... lifting that much can be dangerous. 1... 2... 3...

I have heard about workouts like this too, you MUST use a spotter when doing these types of workouts! The spotter will be able to help you lift the weight down if you can't get to rep number 4. This can help avoid any injuries.

I thought scar tissue was a bad thing!?!

It isn't actually scar tissue that is building more muscle because if it were you wouldn't be able to move. Where did you hear that Y's Guy?

When you weight train, what actually happens is you tear down muscle, then you rebuild it by resting and eating protein and nutrients. So the muscle itself is just being rebuilt. There is no scar tissue to go with it. Scar tissue usually forms when you tear a ligament or have some type of surgery.

The micro tears thing is true enough. More muscle tissue is formed to repair said tears, the muscle gets bigger.

I'm guessing that's what Y'sGuy means.

Yeah, probably. He meant muscle tissue, not scar tissue.

hi
I agree with you all people.This is not a role of thumb.You can have as many repeats as you can depending upon your physique and the training you are on. May be he is trying to say it is easy to lift low weights as compares to the big one's.

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weight lifting routines