So, in general, low reps with heavy weight tends to increase muscle mass, while high reps with light weight increases muscle endurance. This doesn't mean that you have to rely on one method exclusively. Alternating between the two may be the best approach for long-term success.
High reps with low weights may be the way to go, a new study suggests. More repetitions with lighter weights can build muscle as well as heavier weights -- assuming they are done to the point of exercise-induced fatigue. And fatigue is the important point.
Research and years of training have previously shown that the rep range of 1-6 per set is best for increasing muscle strength; 7-12 reps per set is best for increasing muscle growth; and reps of 12 and higher are best for increasing muscle endurance.
Depending on your goals, muscle growth does not depend on the amount of weight you lift. It is a myth that one must lift more weight to bulk up. If you're regular and patient with lighter weights, you can achieve similar results.
If you're looking to gain muscle, and increase your strength in the most efficient way possible, then lifting heavy weights is a good option for you. Gaining strength all comes down to fatiguing your muscles, and heavy weights will get you there faster.
High reps build muscle and connective tissue strength, and give your body respite from the grind of low-rep sets, too. Similarly, low-rep sets build neuromuscular and CNS efficiency.
Is 7.5 kg dumbbell enough? 7kg Dumbbells are great for training thighs and biceps, but they are limited in other areas as well. For example; it is impossible to perform shoulder presses with this weight alone because it would not be heavy enough, and there is no suitable workout for strengthening the back.
Your body needs protein to build and repair tissues, so if you aren't eating enough, your muscles won't have the material they need to grow. You could feel “punch drunk” after working out, your arms and other muscles might ache more than usual, and your body may even feel generally weaker.
It is made clear through all of these studies that resistance training done with high reps needs to be accompanied with high intensity (training to failure). If done, high reps can produce significant improvements in lean muscle mass, strength, fitness, body composition, and bone mineral density.
Reps for muscle growth
In order to get bigger and stronger, you must ensure your muscles work harder than they are used to. Generally, between 6-12 reps for 3-6 sets will help to build overall muscle size.
When you lift heavier weights, you induce more mechanical tension. When you lift lighter weights but for more reps, you can cause more metabolic stress. This is probably why lighter weights and heavier weights leads to equivalent muscle growth when equated for volume.
You can still build muscle with 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps — provided you train close to failure and progressively overload. But it isn't the most optimal, instead: Choose your rep range based on the exercise — the larger and more the muscles involved, the lesser the reps. Even then, don't venture below 3 reps or above 30.
He took a deeper look into the previous meta-analysis I mentioned and found that limit to be roughly 10 sets per muscle group. So for example, on your chest day, performing over 10 hard sets dedicated to your chest will likely just begin to provide diminishing returns and start to impair your recovery.
While heavy resistance training focuses on increasing muscle mass, lighter weights elongate and tone your muscles.
The biceps and triceps should be trained using rep ranges between 5-20 reps to best maximize strength, muscle growth, and overall development of the muscles.
Workouts with slower reps cause your muscles to experience more time under tension, much more than with faster reps. The amount of time your muscles stay strained beneath a certain amount of weight will lead to an increase in muscle size.
Therefore… If you want to build or maintain muscle while you lose body fat, you need to be lifting in the hypertrophic set/rep range. That's right, you need to be using a weight that allows you to complete 3 – 5 sets of 8 – 12 reps with 60 – 120 seconds rest between sets.
Three sets are not enough to build muscle. Increasing the number of sets of each exercise, even while only performing 10 reps, can build muscle because you will be pushing your muscles to fatigue because they are under tension longer. Don't stop at 3 sets but complete 4 or 6 or 8.
When you first do an exercise, you'll get stronger rapidly. Just so you know: this is not because your muscle got a lot bigger. But, rather, because of your brain's improved ability to activate that muscle during the exercise. This is what we call neurological adaptations, which lasts about 8-12 weeks.
Soreness seems to be an indicator of the muscle breakdown that occurs during and after exercise, so feeling that pain all the time could mean you're not getting the protein your muscles need to rebuild.
Not Enough Rest
Muscle doesn't grow during exercise, but breaks down instead. Muscle repairs and grows in size during rest. Hence, overtraining without enough rest can be a big reason why your arms aren't growing bigger and stronger.
What is a good Barbell Curl? Male beginners should aim to lift 17 kg (1RM) which is still impressive compared to the general population. Barbell weights include the weight of the bar, normally 20 kg / 44 lb.
20kg dumbbells are perfect for working muscle groups to build strength, definition and size. Dumbbells are excellent to use on your arms and upper body. They can be added to any exercise to strengthen muscles or increase the difficulty of the movement.
FitBox Sports Intruder 20 Kg PVC Dumbbells
The dumbbell weights are ideal for muscle building, squats, biceps and triceps sculpting, core strengthening, push-ups, and calorie burning.