Low Reps vs. High Reps

When you go to the gym, do you lift the heaviest weights that you can? Or do you do more reps with lighter weights?

This is a tough question for anyone who has recently started working out at the gym. A personal trainer would certainly be helpful. But if you do not have a trainer, you need to educate yourself about low and high reps. The pointers below shall guide you as to how best to design your fitness program so that you meet your health and wellness goals.

So let’s take a look at some of the things that no one tells you about low rep vs. high rep sets.

Facts about Low Rep and High Rep Sets:

Low Reps.
Are you looking to get lean and boost your endurance, or are you looking to bulk up and build muscle mass? If it’s the latter, then you should perform low rep sets at the gym. Building muscle tissue is known as hypertrophy, and it is a common goal for anyone who is lifting heavy weights to get stronger. Low rep sets are also useful for people looking to lose weight , as the muscle growth one gets from this style of training helps increase one’s daily metabolism. A common low rep program includes the pyramid or triangle drop sets.

High Reps.
High reps are used mostly to build strength in muscles It is a common practice among a wide range of athletes. This is because high reps help to strengthen the muscles used in endurance sports, such as running and cycling. In addition, high reps should be the primary style of training that anyone looking to become lean should perform.This is because high rep sets to increase the number of muscle fibers in the body, and the more muscle fibers the body has, the more the energy burned throughout the day.

So which do I choose? This all comes down to what you are looking to get out of your workout. Looking to lose weight and tone the body? Then consider two full weeks of high rep sets, and mix it up with one week of low rep, high weight sets. In contrast, if you are training to increase your muscle mass you should do low reps, high weight sets for two weeks, and mix in one week of high reps. Mixing and matching the two training styles allows your body to work on two different muscle fiber types; thus maximizing your muscular potential in no time.