for an ad-free Fetcheveryone experience!

Arms Like Garth - a weight-training wire

37 watchers

Maclennane Sep 2023 10:18am, 20 Sep 2023 31,317 posts	Quote Pin Maclennane sets of 15 though! Wouldn't like to speculate how low I'd have to go for that!
HappyG(rrr) Sep 2023 1:38pm, 20 Sep 2023 47,778 posts	Quote Pin HappyG(rrr) I read somewhere that even for strength and muscle gain, higher reps and lower weight can be beneficial. Contrary to the received wisdom of low reps high weight. Probably guff! Anyway, mostly just doing it for general S&C rather than muscle build. 3 x 15s on everything, usually to failure, though need to go up a bit on pull downs. G
Maclennane Sep 2023 1:45pm, 20 Sep 2023 31,318 posts	Quote Pin Maclennane I've seen both touted as the only way to go. My 5x5s are working for me at the moment, the only thing is that 5 sets takes bloody ages
SPR Sep 2023 1:56pm, 20 Sep 2023 42,706 posts	Quote Pin SPR Muscle build guys (bodybuilders) generally do high reps. The strength guys do lower reps. I'd go with what strength guys do until something changes, if higher reps were the way to go (once you have decent experience) they'd be loads of them doing it.
SPR Sep 2023 1:58pm, 20 Sep 2023 42,707 posts	Quote Pin SPR There's obviously a continuum though nothing is all. Anyway one of the benefits of high weight/ low reps for me is less soreness.
Nellers Sep 2023 2:44pm, 20 Sep 2023 41,260 posts	Quote Pin Nellers My (limited) understanding is that lower reps means you don’t get the same muscle mass gain(z) but the higher weight means you get the strength. I was told that it would surprise many people how much Mo Farah or any one of the top Kenyan or Ethiopian distance runners could squat for one to 3 reps without needing huge quads. Again, I suspect it’s a bit more complicated than that but 5 x 5 with as much weight as I can manage seems to be working here too.
HappyG(rrr) Sep 2023 3:24pm, 20 Sep 2023 47,782 posts	Quote Pin HappyG(rrr) I just don't like big weights! Feel silly, and as I'm working solo seems dangerous. G
Nellers Sep 2023 3:37pm, 20 Sep 2023 41,261 posts	Quote Pin Nellers I have had the same fears, G. I’m very cautious with my weight increases because if I have to bail out of, say, a back squat the bar is going other landing on the treadmill or the rower (or my neck!). My boys have been trying to push me to go up in bigger jumps but I’m happy just ticking up slowly and regularly. (My old 1 inch barbell and weights mean I can go up in 2.5kg, 1.5kg or in extreme cases 1kg jumps and I do!)
SPR Sep 2023 3:46pm, 20 Sep 2023 42,708 posts	Quote Pin SPR I don't get the feel silly comment. Big is relative and you don't have to be at your limit. Working to failure whatever your rep scheme is what makes weight dangerous in general on your own I'd say.
SPR Sep 2023 3:53pm, 20 Sep 2023 42,709 posts	Quote Pin SPR I believe Farah was squatting 1.5 body weight for 5 reps? I got up to that pre lockdown, I was injured at the time. Interestingly at the time, I'd stopped squatting for a while and was deadlifting and Olympic lifting. When I returned to squatting, the first session my legs were extremely confused but I made progress following that quickly. We'll see where I get to this winter. Seems harder to get back consistently after track season these days.