Reps, or Weight?

[abtrax]

Hi all,

I have a question which I hope someone can help with. I have been training in the Gym for a couple of years and have seen a slight increase in weight and a slight increase in body muscle, but over the last 6 months I seem to have hit a plateau in weight for arm/back exercise. I am able to lift a decent amount of weight and get to my max weight and struggle on the last set (usually 3 sets of 8 reps). But I don't seem to feel that burn anymore in the arms. I lift as much as I can within that last set, but give it 10 mins and I could life it again, so I don't seem to tire out the arms and rarely feel that tight/burn after a session.

I recently tried just doing 2 exercises one day and did much lower weights, but much higher reps and sets (6 sets of 15-20 reps). This seems to tire out my arms much better and after I get a tight feeling in my arms and a sense of depleting all my strength to the point that I can barely pull up my swim shorts in the changing room right after.

My question is, is this better? I have always been taught that high reps and low weight is for toning, and heavy weights, low reps is what builds, but when I try the heavy weight my arms don't have that 'i'm dead, cant go anymore' kind of feeling.

Advice would be greatly appreciated.

My stats:
6'0
178lbs
(shoulder dislocation to both shoulders in the last 5 years)
chest press (seated/cable machine) 80kg
bench press (free weight) 60kg
Deadlift 110kg

[hammerfelt]

Drop the reps up the weight.

[r3dt4get]

It took you 2 years of trying to "feel the burn" to realize that method doesn't work? It doesn't matter how tired your muscles feel, or if you feel the burn. What builds muscle is progressive overload, which basically means adding weight over time. If you just go in the gym and do random workouts with random weight all the time, trying to feel the burn, you are just wasting time. Your performance is measured in how much weight/reps you lift, not how your muscles feel.

[J777]

It took you 2 years of trying to "feel the burn" to realize that method doesn't work? It doesn't matter how tired your muscles feel, or if you feel the burn. What builds muscle is progressive overload, which basically means adding weight over time. If you just go in the gym and do random workouts with random weight all the time, trying to feel the burn, you are just wasting time. Your performance is measured in how much weight/reps you lift, not how your muscles feel.

that is not true.