Why is high-reps & low-weight believed to "cut" you up ?

[R.I.C.]

I've been working out for about 4 years now (with varying levels of intensity and consistancy)... and everyone i've ever come across preaches "go heavy with low reps for mass, and light with high reps for cuts"...
I agree with the first part, it's worked for me. I've made substantial muscle gains with that principle.
But I have problems with the second part. After all, what does "ripped" mean ? To me, it means having full muscles, which are completely exposed because your body fat levels are low enough not to obscure your muscles.

With this in mind, a person on a low-fat diet, who supplements their workout with a substantial amount of aerobic exercise (walking, cycling...), and continues to lift heavy weights with low reps... should still get ripped, right ?

Any views on my (flawed ?) belief, would be greatly appreciated !

[MsFit]

Training heavy in the 6-8 rep range hits the growth fibers, also know as type 2b muscle fibers. You have it right, lifting builds muscle, diet and cardio burns fat. Build the muscle, supplement to preserve it and tweek the diet and add cardio to burn excess body fat. Light weights and high reps waste energy that can better be used to BUILD MUSCLE.
MsFit

[mattabull]

msfit, ive heard a lot of people say "you need to get fat to get big" but on the other hand ive heard the opposite...what do you think?

[D&G]

You don't "need to get fat" - what that refers to is you need excess calories to put on muscle and when you have an excess you will end up with a bit being stored - hence the fat gain.

It is possible to gain muscle without adding fat but that is very difficult.

[D&G]

Before anyone says it yes I am Msfit and thats why I answered

[mattabull]

all sensible replies are welcomed d&g...thanx

[D&G]

Msfit is pretty tough I just didn't want her to beat me up for answering a post that was addressed to her.

[MsFit]

ROTFLMAO............That's the answer I would have given; and don't worry, my paroll officer has instructed me to stop lashing out on the innocent. Darn, what am I going to do now?
MsFit

[Big H]

come home with me

[Buffedtothecore]

EVERYONE SAYS HIGH REPS LOW WEIGHT. ANSWER ME THIS AND RIDDLE ME THAT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR BODY GETS USED TO THE RESISTANCE; HINT, IT DOESN'T RESPOND! THE BEST THING FOR GETTING BUFFEDOUT IS GREAT FORM PRACTICALLY PAUSING AT THE CONTRACTION; NOW TAKE HIGH REPS AND ADD RESISTANCE SO YOUR MUSCLES DO NOT ADJUST. WOW! MAKE SENSE. WORD AS TO BUFFEDOUT WHO CUT UP IN 81 DAYS CHECK OUT MY PAGE THEN BUY MY DVD IN 2 WEEKS. IT WILL SHOW YA HOW OR kellyeisele@yahoo.com and I will give a phone conference and write up a workout and diet program; my stuff is guarenteed! holla

[Wilky88]

I find that my different muscle groups respond to different rep ranges and different intensities. For example, my shoulders get better results from doing 6-8 reps, arms 8-10 reps, and legs 10-15 reps, so there is no set rep range you need to do to get big or cut.

As for the "get fat to get big" saying - due to the lack of cardio and the amount of calories you consume when bulking, it is hard to have a good solid bulk without adding a couple of per cent to your body fat. But as for the more reps gets you ripped...i say bol***ks to that idea. Having mass from your bulk and a low body fat due to cardio gets you ripped. If you supplement right after you bulk, and hit the treadmill a few times a week, you shouldn't lose any lean muscle, and should lose some body fat. Thus making you "ripped".

[lambpasty]

I think the main reason thay people tend to go light weight/high reps on a cut is due to the decreased caloric intake and decreased carb intake, both of which usually lead to decreased strength and increased fatigue due to glycogen depletion. Keeping the weight lower and the reps higher allows for keeping the intensity high even when unable to push your highest numbers.

[BrettT07]

Wow this thread is old

[AFMARQ]

Wow this thread is old

This thread 2001. Started one month after Sept. 11th attacks. Who in their right mind was thinking about low weight high reps when our country was in a crisis? Mind = Blown.

[SmithMachineGuy]

Not thinking about your workout would be letting the terrorists win.

[debdeepb34]

Do the terrorists do a high rep low weight .. or low rep high weight work out ...

[_ADV]

They get enough exercise climbing onto aeroplanes

[serval]

I've been working out for about 4 years now (with varying levels of intensity and consistancy)... and everyone i've ever come across preaches "go heavy with low reps for mass, and light with high reps for cuts"...
I agree with the first part, it's worked for me. I've made substantial muscle gains with that principle.
But I have problems with the second part. After all, what does "ripped" mean ? To me, it means having full muscles, which are completely exposed because your body fat levels are low enough not to obscure your muscles.

With this in mind, a person on a low-fat diet, who supplements their workout with a substantial amount of aerobic exercise (walking, cycling...), and continues to lift heavy weights with low reps... should still get ripped, right ?

Any views on my (flawed ?) belief, would be greatly appreciated !

yes, you can still get ripped by lifting heavy but its not a good idea to be on a caloric deficit when ur lifting heavy because u dont recover and ull increase chances of injury... also... high reps which use endurance muscles use more fat for energy... so thats where the fat burning comes in

its also probably more effective to loose fat by cutting out ur carbs than being on a low fat diet

[somebeast]

cycle between high reps and low reps in the same week and you should get better gains

[BillabongVolcom]

Just cycle weekly. One week do 4-6 rep range, Max-OT style, the following week do a little more volume 8-12 rep range, more of a bodybuilding style.

Or you can do it Fred Hatfield style.

3 x 4-6 Dead-lifts
3 x 6-12 Bent-over Rows
3 x 12-15 Wide Pull-downs Superset V Cable Rows
1 x 50 Straight Arm Pull-downs

Hitting different fibers in each workout.

[kibaru]

I'm also unsure because there are quite a lot of 3 set of 12 reps 4 day splits out there on the site. But I'm just not sure will it really do anything for me? I've never done 3 12s in my life, highest would probably be 3x8s so I'm sure there will eb some benefits right?

[severrin]

I've been working out for about 4 years now (with varying levels of intensity and consistancy)... and everyone i've ever come across preaches "go heavy with low reps for mass, and light with high reps for cuts"...
I agree with the first part, it's worked for me. I've made substantial muscle gains with that principle.
But I have problems with the second part. After all, what does "ripped" mean ? To me, it means having full muscles, which are completely exposed because your body fat levels are low enough not to obscure your muscles.

With this in mind, a person on a low-fat diet, who supplements their workout with a substantial amount of aerobic exercise (walking, cycling...), and continues to lift heavy weights with low reps... should still get ripped, right ?

Any views on my (flawed ?) belief, would be greatly appreciated !

I know this is a bit late to the game, but I know that high rep routines, help to tone the body out. But more importantly it helps to build muscular endurance, and your Anaerobic ability in that muscle group. This seems to be forgotten by many people, because one of the by products is the resulting fat loss and "shredded" physique.

If you increase your anaerobic pathway, you can get more bang for you buck in the first rep when you're lifting heavy, or trying to gain strength.

It can also improve your cardio endurance, and increase your vascular system as well.

So there are benefits to both sides of the lifting coin.

[PhiDelt234]

testorone levels are high with low heavy reps. high reps do nothing but build muscular endurance. High reps don't get you more shredded or toned.

[ptwa9]

People misconfuse cause and effect. They see skinny, "cut" people in they gym who can't lift a ton doing light weights over & over until they feel they've hit failure. And they see fat bastards doing heavy weights & their ego keeps them at 3-5RM so they can look like they're lifting more weight. Irregardless, effect doesn't come before causation.

[kellycat]

So what would someone do that can't get past her plateau and has been doing the same tired workout for years? I 've too been told to do high reps with low weight to sculpt and define. I do not want to bulk up.

[RetardedNinja]

So what would someone do that can't get past her plateau and has been doing the same tired workout for years? I 've too been told to do high reps with low weight to sculpt and define. I do not want to bulk up.

Happy ten year Anniversary of this old ass thread

[NattyEdAYS]

I've been working out for about 4 years now (with varying levels of intensity and consistancy)... and everyone i've ever come across preaches "go heavy with low reps for mass, and light with high reps for cuts"...
I agree with the first part, it's worked for me. I've made substantial muscle gains with that principle.
But I have problems with the second part. After all, what does "ripped" mean ? To me, it means having full muscles, which are completely exposed because your body fat levels are low enough not to obscure your muscles.

With this in mind, a person on a low-fat diet, who supplements their workout with a substantial amount of aerobic exercise (walking, cycling...), and continues to lift heavy weights with low reps... should still get ripped, right ?

Any views on my (flawed ?) belief, would be greatly appreciated !

Join Date: Oct 2001

33 posts?

So what would someone do that can't get past her plateau and has been doing the same tired workout for years? I 've too been told to do high reps with low weight to sculpt and define. I do not want to bulk up.

Join Date: Apr 2011

1 post?

[valle269]

dang 2001

[meowmuscle]

So that you can use shorter time rest between sets to increase your heartbeat. 30 sec rest between sets.

[phatmajic]

Just need to keep mixing it up, should be sore every time you leave