Strengthening
I worked hard at the gym today at lunch. I used heavy weights with few repetitions, which is the new black of the weightlifting set. Evidently, lots of reps with low weight is out again. Alas. It was nice to move around lots of iron. After all, I still can’t do decent pullups to save myself. That’s a goal of mine. That and some really great flexibility.
When I lift hard, muscles usually come quickly, so I’ll see how it goes, only lifting hard once a week and lifting light twice more. I also gave my legs quite the beating. And let’s not forget those core muscles. Man, I work those guys to their rubbery ends.
Tomorrow’s another 3 miles. I think I’ll run at Maudslay. Sunday, one of the race organizers for my trail marathon in November said he’d come run the course with me. I’ll do one loop, which’ll be a half-marathon distance on its own. A little bit over my 9 miles on schedule, but I keep saying I feel like I’ve got more in me. Time to prove it. Besides, then I’ll know the exact course of the marathon.
All my races are trail races for the rest of this year. I canceled the one remaining street 5k. Oh, and one beach race, but that’s the same to me.
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Comments
Ya that is what I’ve read many time over as well. Mike Paus seems pretty sold on low reps high weight but I’m guided by what running coaches have their runners do which, I still understand is low weight high reps.
Any sources you can supply in favour of low reps? I’m open to ideas if I can read and make informed decisions!
I had read about the higher weights/lower reps thing about 2 years ago in Men’s Health. It came from a study of people who had just started lifting weights and measured their improvement. The group that did only one set with higher weights/fewer reps had the same improvement as those who did 3 sets with lower weights and more reps.
My gym LOVED this study because it meant they could retain more clients, saying they could get the same benefits with less time working at it.
There was alot of controversy over it, and several “experts” argued that it was a flawed study because of the 1) small number of people studied, 2) they subjects were all new to lifting, and 3) I think they were all women too.
I tried the higher weights for a while but ended up just hurting myself with so much weight. I got the strength endurance I wanted from lower weights.
I also wanted to make sure that I was not too “ripped” because it just makes it difficult to go to the beach and not be hassled by all the women. Forturnately, I have not had this problem. ;)
Jon always kills me! Ya, I hate being so bloody muscular and handsome too Jon. It’s a real curse but somebody’s gotta do it!!!
LOL, you guys are funny. I’ve also read in women’s magazine (Shape, I think) about the benefit of lighting more weight with fewer reps. Luckily, (most of) us woman can lift heavier weights without really bulking up, so we don’t have that ‘problem’ of being too ripped. Ha!
Funny?!?! We aren’t being funny???? It’s ALL true!!
I’m insulted.
Hey, Dani. We can’t visit your site because you gotta password thingy on it?
So, I’m trying to post again, what can I say? Chris, from the little briefing I got from my trainors, the low reps, hard weight is for muscle mass (bigguns’) and the high reps, lower weight is for endurance. So perhaps not so much in or out of style as much as what you are after as a by-product? Just my understanding so I thought I’d share. I know the rest period was important too short rest does something different than long (can’t remember tho). If you have a short muscle belly you will bulk up fast too…sounds like you qualify big guy! ~winks~
Glad to hear you are enjoying the weight room…I’m totally addicted.