heavy weight, less reps? or light weight more reps

So what's everyone think? i have asked at least 10 people and including instructors in the gym, what do they think is best for buildin lean mass and with defiance of the muscle aswell, more reps with a light weight say (12 - ) reps, or less reps say between 6 - 8 reps with a more heavier weight?
and progress from their with a heavier weight. all the people i have asked have come back with one or the other, i just want to know what the majority of everyone out there hitting it up in the gym thinks is best?

Many Thanks Harry From England!

Pretty much anywhere from 1-20 reps and 1-5 sets. I would try out a bunch of combos to see what you like and how your body responds. I like doing 3-5 reps for 3 sets on compounds and then accessory stuff from 6-12 reps / 3 sets. I try to increase the weight each week, sometimes within a week (workout each body part 2x/week). It's really eating a slight calorie surplus that will dictate lean gains.

Definitely heavy weight, less reps IMO. With a heavier weight you really shock the muscles and force them to adapt more quickly. I know I've made better progress since I upped the weight and went down to 6-8 reps.

I do both. 1 or 2 warm up sets of 10-12 with a weight you are comfortable with, and then 1 working set of 6-8 reps with high weight that you fail around 8 with.

Why not do both? On my old split for example I had 4 chest excercises and did: 4x5, 3x8, 3x6, 2x12

[QUOTE=Biekse;731754253]Why not do both? On my old split for example I had 4 chest excercises and did: 4x5, 3x8, 3x6, 2x12[/QUOTE]
Agreed! Both! Search for pyramid training! ;)

I go heavy on the big 3 and for other assisting lifts I do high reps. Gained 60+ lbs doing this.

3-12 reps 5 sets per bp minimum and I would say a max of around 8 or 9 sets. DON'T COUNT WARM UPS.

[QUOTE=sed26;731774533]I go heavy on the big 3 and for other assisting lifts I do high reps. Gained 60+ lbs doing this.[/QUOTE]

This has worked well for me as well. I believe I read somewhere it referred to as low rep tension with high rep fatigue. Could be wrong on that. Either way my body has responded well to it.

[QUOTE=7Seconds;731799023]This has worked well for me as well. I believe I read somewhere it referred to as low rep tension with high rep fatigue. Could be wrong on that. Either way my body has responded well to it.[/QUOTE]
This is the main thing right here, no matter what question you ask you are going to get 20 different answers. The important thing is to take what all of them tell you, and try it out. Then see what your body responds best to.

[QUOTE=7Seconds;731799023]This has worked well for me as well. I believe I read somewhere it referred to as low rep tension with high rep fatigue. Could be wrong on that. Either way my body has responded well to it.[/QUOTE] Yea this way it incorporates both strategies in the same workout. You can't beat it IMO.

Something that *MUST* be considered when lifting heavy is *FORM*. If form is sacrificed at the expense of lifting the heavier weights you may be stressing your core and/or your back and instead of developing strength and improving your fitness level, you will instead get hurt. This is specially true as you age.

I'm living proof of what I've just said.

I'm 49 years old and have been lifting weights since high school. I've never been a "weight lifter" or "body builder" per se, but always lifted weights to enhance activities and sports like cycling, skiing, basketball etc. Over the years I've developed strength to the point where I could throw up 10 reps of 275 lbs on the bench press and regularly worked out with 80lbs dumbbells for exercises ranging from overhead presses and inclined bench. Not super strong, but certainly not a light weight.

I was diagnosed with two inguinal hernias this past year and had them operated a few weeks ago. To say that my surgery has turned into a nightmare is an understatement! You can read the ongoing saga in my blog: hernia-man.blogspot.com

Why did I get the hernias? Aside from the simple fact that FIVE uncles on my mother's side have all had to get hernia surgery at some point or other, I am convinced that the MAIN reason I developed these hernias is because I lifted TOO HEAVY! Too heavy to the point where I sacrificed form.

Now, what do I mean by sacrificing form? Well, I'm not talking about the typical thing where you see someone in the gym shaking and their back bending into a half circle as they try to pull weight that is too heavy for them. I am talking about FORM in the sense that I found myself using too much of my core when I should have been using the muscles that I was trying to work!

For instance, whenever I would do curls with a curling bar I would feel that my mid section was helping me bring the weight up, instead of simply allowing my biceps to do the job. The same thing whenever I would raise any weights off of the floor(dead lifts or bent over rows). I also felt too much pressure on my core whenever I would do lat pull downs.

You may say: "well, the problem is that your core was not strong enough." But, that is NOT TRUE. My core was plenty strong. The problem were the much thinner and weaker muscles BELOW my abs and those cannot be developed in the same way as you can with your so-called 6/8 pack. The muscles where the inguinal hernias develop are paper thin and all of the training in the world won't make them stronger.

So, what's the moral of the story?

As you age, or if you have a genetic predisposition toward inguinal hernias, you may need to lift LIGHTER weight. Your body, as it ages, can no longer sustain the onslaught of heavier weight. If that's the case, then there is only one choice: lighter weight with higher repetitions.

Sure, I will miss lifting heavy, but I don't want to be in this miserable condition again, having to endure yet another hernia surgery, or two!

My workouts will forever change(whenever I get around to working out again...I suspect in another 3-4 weeks) after my bout with double inguinal hernia surgery.

My devalued US $0.02.
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