JTC: Join The Conversation
Weights and Repetitions
Hi All,
Today I was at the gym with a friend of mine and it was back and bicep day! I lifted really heavy on my back workouts. I started with some deadlifts, followed by bent-over rows and some bent-over dumbbell rows as a superset with dumbbell shoulder press.
Finally, I had finished my back routine and had done:
A final set of deadlifts at 315 by 3 reps.
A final set of bent-over rows at 165 for 6 reps.
A final set of bent-over dumbbell rows at 70 for 5 reps on each side.
A final set of dumbbell shoulder press at 55 for 5 reps.
When I had finished and my buddy had finished his leg routine, we wanted to work out together on biceps. He had a routine in mind for curls and I had never actually done it that way before. I decided to take his word on it and lift with him. What I noticed was really interesting:
We did EZ bar curls with 55 lbs for 18 reps, followed by 16 reps, followed by 14 reps, followed by 12 reps, by 10 reps, by 8 reps, and finally 6 reps. By the last set my arms felt obliterated! He said he loves working out that way because it helps him cut.
I noticed something else though and this is just theory…
But maybe occasionally doing higher reps and less weight helps you work stabilizer muscles and other muscles that don’t typically get as much attention. I, not only, noticed that my biceps were sore but also my forearms. I thought to myself,
“If my forearms are getting this much work from higher reps, why don’t I typically do this?”
So that was just my thought, and my theory after today’s workout. I have been lifting for about six months and I am definitely interested in what you think!
So let me know! I want to hear from you fitness gurus, athletes, personal trainers, and gym shaman. I want to hear what all of you have to say on “HIGH WEIGHT-LOW REP” and “LOW WEIGHT-HIGH REP”.
First of all, what do you do more? High weight-low rep? Or low weight-high rep?
Also, why do you choose to work out that way?
What is your opinion on my theory that doing higher reps may help work different muscles that aren’t as involved when we lift higher weights?
Please let me know! Feel free to comment below and join the conversation.
