High weight low rep v Low weight high rep

[training12]

Completed strong lifts program twice. Not progressing further
Will shifting to high reps on lower weights help. What are the advantages. Aim is to lose weight.

[George2100]

Give it a try. Different things work for different people.

[training12]

I was doing stronglifts

For high rep i'm on 3x12. Should I be doing more sets or reps?

[George2100]

I was doing stronglifts

For high rep i'm on 3x12. Should I be doing more sets or reps?

Can’t really give you advice without seeing your whole routine and knowing what your lifts are man

[training12]

Stronglifts completed

My form on some towards the last few sessions was not strong
Squat 90kg
OH Press: 25kg
Bench: 50kg
Dead Lift:10kg
Barbel Row: 60kg

Low weight High rep have started on this weight 3x12 have tried 3x15

squat 30kg
OH press 15kg
Bench:30kg
Dead Lift 60 kg
Barbell Row 30 kg


other weight exercises machines also doing low weight high rep
Tricep 40kg
Bicep Curl 25kg
Leg Raises 30kg
Leg Extension 50kg
Leg Press 50 kg
Shoulder 20 kg

[DCSpartan]

YOu need to focus on strength. High rep sets of 30kg bench presses isnt going to get you anywhere.

[WakingOp]

You should check your nutrition/ recovery. You should be able to ride strong lifts further than that. Unless you are extremely small.

You may need longer rest periods between sets. I can rush through workouts and still hit my target weights- usually, but I think I'm a freak. Years of suspended license have left me with much better than average conditioning. But even then, if I'm really feeling it- 1 minute rest don't cut it.


This actually made me realize I'm starting to autoregulate.

Lately, my joints been bothering me, so I've been "taking it easy". If you are properly motivated, you can just go work up to the last weight you did... it should feel too light. So you add weight and then start. Or, just do the same weight again. It shouldn't repeat too many times before it gets boring and you NEED to add more. But, that is only if you are motivated. You WANT the bar to be heavy.

If you want to do high reps, you need a double progression. Do 3x8. Then 3x9, etc. Then you have to add weight when you hit 12, and start over. It's gonna be really slow

[FurtadoZ9]

In addition to the information you provided

Age?
Height
Starting bodyweight and current bodyweight

When you say you ran the program twice, how long did you run each cycle? On each cycle, what were your starting weights for each exercise and where did you stall?

Something tells me it was ran incorrectly, or like mentioned your recovery hasn't been great.

[sooby]

either you just need to eat more and get bigger or you didn't milk stronglifts for the progression that you could have.

doubt higher reps will help you here unless you address the elephant in the room

[OldFartTom]

Completed strong lifts program twice. Not progressing further

Then stop doing StrongLifts and move to MadCow, which is what StrongLifts says you should do at this point! they even offer a free download of a MadCow xls (definitely they used to anyway, if not Google it)

... Aim is to lose weight.

Then go and read https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macronutcal.htm because 95% of weight loss is diet not exercise

[daudi81]

If your goal is to lose weight, that is done by nutrition & how much you eat (stay in a caloric deficit). It has absolutely nothing to do with high rep / low rep mumbo jumbo.

[training12]

Thanks for the replies.

I completed two 12 week cycles of stronglifts.
Weights I finished at are above, deadlift should be 100kg
The aim is to drop weight. Can build muscle to do that. Am on a calorie deficit. Was looking for other methods which can help. I want to drop around 30 pounds. Over the last few weeks I have dropped 5 pounds. Could be water weight.

[OldFartTom]

Then stop doing StrongLifts and move to MadCow, which is what StrongLifts says you should do at this point! they even offer a free download of a MadCow xls (definitely they used to anyway, if not Google it)

Then go and read https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macronutcal.htm because 95% of weight loss is diet not exercise

I still agree with the second bit --> diet is key to weight loss

But reading the weights again, I'd like to change my mind on my first point
I am assuming you are giving the total of bar and plates (as this is the convention)

Squat 90kg
OH Press: 25kg
Bench: 50kg
Dead Lift:100kg
Barbel Row: 60kg

These are weird weights
your row is > bench
your OHP is only 1/2 your bench

There has to be some kind of serious form problem with row and OHP??
I think there is mileage to restarting Stronglifts one last time and looking at form, the numbers above don't add up?

[training12]

I still agree with the second bit --> diet is key to weight loss

But reading the weights again, I'd like to change my mind on my first point
I am assuming you are giving the total of bar and plates (as this is the convention)

Squat 90kg
OH Press: 25kg
Bench: 50kg
Dead Lift:100kg
Barbel Row: 60kg

These are weird weights
your row is > bench
your OHP is only 1/2 your bench

There has to be some kind of serious form problem with row and OHP??
I think there is mileage to restarting Stronglifts one last time and looking at form, the numbers above don't add up?

Doesn't include the bar. Form at these weights for all of them had problems. need to work on my shoulders. Tried the machines and dumbells, hasn't helped. Now am doing pull ups.

Is why I started lower weights to keep the form but higher weights. Don't know if will be on any benefit.

[WakingOp]

Well if you don't count the bar, idk why do many people are doing that suddenly... you can add 15kg by using a technique bar instead. Gains...

Seriously though, count the total weight or you will have issues when you try to use percentage based methods(you will) calculators will be way off when you try to change rep range, etc. Plus it's an extra 20kg, you are stronger than you give yourself credit for