"EC" ? Re: light weight/high reps to 'exhaustion'??

B

beanqueen

Cathlete
hi educated crowd!!! :D

okay, this is a question for your 'weight mavens' out there.. *wink*

i'm thinking of trying the 'ol 'light weights/high reps' ala slim series approach for weights. (i don't want to build anymore muscle, just want to get tighter and more defined.)

now, with regular heavier weights, i know one chooses the amt of weight based on the concept that you're working your muscles to exhaustion or REALLY challenged. (or bascially, so you can only do one more rep, to be maxed out).

now, with my current goal of just tightening and defining, and using LIGHTER WEIGHTS with HIGH REPS...does the same philosophy apply?? is the goal still to work the muscle to exhaustion? or is that just for muscle building and heavier weights? for instance, if i'm using 3 pound weights and not getting to that point of exhaustion at the end of the set, should i INCREASE THE WEIGHT OR, just INCREASE THE REPS?

i hope i'm making sense.

also, i know with cathe's weight workouts, she always advises giving your muscles a break and not working the same muscle on consecutive days. WOULD THAT APPLY TO THIS TYPE OF TRAINING AS WELL? i noticed many have coined this style of workout 'freestyle' training . (okay, i feel stupic, but i kinda don't get that.. :p)

wanting to try this type of training, i was thinking of trying the slim series. but from what i hear, it sounds like the same body parts are worked on consecutive days.

okay..after ALL THAT..(i'm sorry!) what's the bottom line???

IF I TRAIN LIGHT WEIGHTS/HIGH REPS:

** DO I NEED TO TAKE A DAY OFF B/T BODY PARTS? OR CAN I TRAIN DAILY THIS WAY?

** DO I NEED TO WORK TO EXHAUSTION OR JUST A BURN?

** IF I'M NOT CHALLENGED, DO I INCREASE WEIGHT OR INCREASE REPS?

phew!!!!!!! thanks for bearing with all of that..i'm anxious to hear what you all think regarding this!!

thank you!!!! :D
bq
 
RE:

BQ,

I really don't know if I can help you, but I thought I'd give it a shot.

Q: DO I NEED TO TAKE A DAY OFF B/T BODY PARTS? OR CAN I TRAIN DAILY THIS WAY?

A: You do need to take a day off B/T body parts. If you want to train daily do a split.

Q: DO I NEED TO WORK TO EXHAUSTION OR JUST A BURN?

A: Personally if you doing endurance go to the point of failure and depending on the amount of weight you are using that point can vary.

Q: IF I'M NOT CHALLENGED, DO I INCREASE WEIGHT OR INCREASE REPS?

A: Do both. Sometimes increase the weight and sometimes increase the reps. Keep your body guessing it will respond better that way.


Do something along the lines of Muscle Endurance. You can do an upper and lower body split with this.

How much cardio are you doing? How intense? The amount and type of cardio you do can play into this also.

Hope this helps....just my opinions. Just trying to help.



~Marietta
FITXME
http://www.picturetrail.com/fitxme
 
RE:

thanks, marietta!

that was very helpful. hmmm...may have to give ME a shot w/ lighter weights and see how it goes.

i do quite a bit of cardio, so i think it's a matter of the different weight training style doing lighter weights w/ higher reps that's getting me all confused. i suppose the same rules apply as with lifting heavier in terms of days off etc...

thanks again, marietta! :D
take care!
bq
 
RE:

> IF I TRAIN LIGHT WEIGHTS/HIGH REPS:
>
>** DO I NEED TO TAKE A DAY OFF B/T BODY PARTS? OR CAN I TRAIN
>DAILY THIS WAY?
I think you can train lower body several days in a row (like doing a "freestyle" workout) using light or no weights. For upper body, I'd leave a day in between, because the elbow and shoulder joints can suffer from overtraining. (I started having elbow tendinitis when doing a Slim Series rotation: I think the "double-time" reps were part of the problem, so when I do SS, I don't do those anymore).
>
>** DO I NEED TO WORK TO EXHAUSTION OR JUST A BURN?
IMO, it's pretty much a waste of your exercise time to not go to the point where the last 2-3 reps are tough, no matter how heavy/light the weight is.
>
>** IF I'M NOT CHALLENGED, DO I INCREASE WEIGHT OR INCREASE
>REPS?
One or the other, but not both at once. It's always safer to increase your intensity by changing ONE aspect of your trainig at a time.

In progressive resistance routines, you have a range of reps (say 8-12), start with a weight that allows you to do the lower end of reps (8), increase reps as you can, then when you hit the upper end of reps (12), increase weight so you have to return to the lower end of reps (8).
>
>
 
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