Lighter weights, higher reps?

BobTbay

BobTbay

Mr. Nice Guy
Trusted Member
Hello,

I was reading an article about the late great Jack Lelanne, where it said that doing lighter weights and higher reps to failure was just as effective as heavier weights and better to prevent injury in older people.

LaLanne invented early versions of the resistance machines you seen in gyms everywhere, and was known to perform his exercises until he experienced muscle fatigue, lifting until he could no longer do another rep. According to researchers from McMaster University, lifting to muscle fatigue with lighter weights is as effective as lifting with heavy weights—and can be especially beneficial as you age.

“The main reason you can’t lift heavy all of your life is that it hurts! Your ability to recover is compromised as you age. So lift lighter, but to fatigue and [you’ll have] less damage to muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints, while still [experiencing effective] muscle growth,” says study author Stuart M. Phillips, Ph.D. FACN, FACSM Professor & Associate Chair Graduate Studies Department of Kinesiology.

article here
www.mensjournal.com

What We Learned From Jack LaLanne | Men's Journal

When Jack LaLanne passed away, we shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, he was 96 years old. But we were surprised. For almost 100 years, the guy had been the picture of health, inspiring people by walking the walk. He didn’t just create a workout show, he did his own routines regularly. He...
www.mensjournal.com www.mensjournal.com

This immediately jumped out at me, because I work out at home in my wheelchair and have only a 25lb and 40lb dumbell and an armbike. I work out upper body only(obviously) five days a week and it would be nice to think I can still make progress.

Does this source and info seem reputable and credible?

Thanks for your input,
Bob
 
BobTbay said:
Hello,

I was reading an article about the late great Jack Lelanne, where it said that doing lighter weights and higher reps to failure was just as effective as heavier weights and better to prevent injury in older people.

LaLanne invented early versions of the resistance machines you seen in gyms everywhere, and was known to perform his exercises until he experienced muscle fatigue, lifting until he could no longer do another rep. According to researchers from McMaster University, lifting to muscle fatigue with lighter weights is as effective as lifting with heavy weights—and can be especially beneficial as you age.

“The main reason you can’t lift heavy all of your life is that it hurts! Your ability to recover is compromised as you age. So lift lighter, but to fatigue and [you’ll have] less damage to muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints, while still [experiencing effective] muscle growth,” says study author Stuart M. Phillips, Ph.D. FACN, FACSM Professor & Associate Chair Graduate Studies Department of Kinesiology.

article here
www.mensjournal.com

What We Learned From Jack LaLanne | Men's Journal

When Jack LaLanne passed away, we shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, he was 96 years old. But we were surprised. For almost 100 years, the guy had been the picture of health, inspiring people by walking the walk. He didn’t just create a workout show, he did his own routines regularly. He...
www.mensjournal.com www.mensjournal.com

This immediately jumped out at me, because I work out at home in my wheelchair and have only a 25lb and 40lb dumbell and an armbike. I work out upper body only(obviously) five days a week and it would be nice to think I can still make progress.

Does this source and info seem reputable and credible?

Thanks for your input,
Bob
Click to expand...
I've heard this before, but if you want to get huge, I doubt it would work.
Now if you are older and still want to maintain or gain a decent build, it would work.

But changing it up is the best bet. Heavy low reps for a while till your body or brain get bored of it then higher reps lighter weight.
 
I 100% think you can make progress with what you got. I'm mid-40s, and I often switch things up from one to the other, going as high as 20 reps in 1 set. Its actually the only way I'll be able to feel next-day soreness on certain muscles. I still see great results with higher reps... (there's a chance it could be the copious amount of drugs I take, but I do feel it works ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )
 
I agree with all the comment above. Progressive overload doesn't have to be with heavy weights. I don't throw around the same weights I did in my 20's and I'm bigger now in my 40's and it has nothing to do with anabolics. I concentrate more on form, feeling the reps (if you can't feel the exercise find another one), and getting more out of the exercise each week. That might be two more reps - progress is progress.
I do lighter squat sets from 20-50 reps. Progressive overload can be doing squats or shoulder presses with the same weight but more reps.

Your body typically will respond to what you ask of it. If you lift heavier weights, your body has to build bigger muscles to move that weight so I agree with Sorbate but we aren't talking about powerlifting here, we are talking about bodybuilding. I prefer rep ranges in the 8-15 range plus it preserves my joints and I am less apt to get injured.
I get much more out of high rep shoulder and bicep workouts than I do pressing heavy weight for 3-5 reps. Like @aGuyFromWinnipeg - I typically have more DOMS when I do higher reps.
 
BobTbay said:
I have, I think maybe next spring, there is a gym with a few accessible machines but only for manual chairs and I use a power chair.
Click to expand...
I think its fantastic that you've changed your life & got more active and continuing to get more fit! I am pretty sure you would benefit from having different equipment available to you... you need to be able to some pulling exercises as well. You also need to change things up and do different things to keep from getting bored or sick of doing the same things over and over with just a couple of dumbbells.
May I ask why you're only using a powered chair? Maybe now that you're considerably lighter why not move to a manual chair, that will increase your strength and stamina as well and make your progress even better!
 
BobTbay said:
I have, I think maybe next spring, there is a gym with a few accessible machines but only for manual chairs and I use a power chair.
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How functionable are your arms and hands.
I have a nephew that is in a chair as well, arms are not the best, but he has a machine he uses to (or used) to help with his strength.
‘I could ask him for a picture so you can see it.
You never know he might even sell it?
 
It works for arms apparently. A lot of pros are still growing their arms still using the 30lb dumbells and even 25lbs. They're gyms that specialize in people with disabilities if you really want to push yourself. They're benches, machines and routines designed for people in wheel chairs and totally different lifts for things.

If you are choosing to stick with 25 and 40lb dumbells that's totally your choice and you absolutely shouldn't be using gear at that level. You can easily get up to 60lb dumbells in each hand for benchpress in a few months naturally.
 
For me depends on what i am hitting.
For large muscles like chest, back and legs i do better with heavy 6-8.
For isolation like arms, delts, etc lighter weight and higher reps for a burning pump anywhere from 10-20
Not sure what your capabilities are, but if you can do heavy presses and pulls, its worth a try.
Really can just try different things and see what works for you.
 
Everyone is different..

I used to get best results from the 6-8 rep range.. But the weight started getting extremly heavy and then even with amazing form, injuries injuries injuries. The human body just isnt' built to do this.. argue all you want, but evalutionary we aren't there... yet..

the best way to look at strength/building building to see the long term.. Yup there may be faster ways to your goal, but if injuries and over training happen, you don't end up at your goal or take a lot longer to get there.

Look at top athletes of nearly any sport.. For the most part they got there while keeping injuries to an asbsout minium.. And those guys have WAY better medical care, nutrituon, drugs, therapy etc than we do. Need to play things smart..

I don't know where along the way I should have stopped the heavy ass weights, but injuries and over training (which leads to injuries and slow recovery) pretty much ended my prime self.

So being in my 40's, I do super sets (so weights aren't as high), I do high reps stuff (dead lifts are 1 working set of 15-20 reps for example).. any exercise I KNOW causes wear and tear/ injruies I oftne just don't do it.. Thankfully I can still dumbell shoulder press, but I've learned I got to preexhaust my delts with fly's first or I get wear and tear and hurt..

I've also learned to control inflamation through diet as best I can.. I've also learned to use doctors/chiropractors/stretching etc.. I've learned to listen to my body to prevent injuries instesd of power through.. I've learned once your out of your teens/early 20's you can't just "keep pushing through".

My point is, heavy weights with lower reps might give you the faster progress now, but for how long? It might not get you where you want to be the fastest all things considered..

I used to laugh and tell people you aren't a real body building/strength lifter if you haven't fucked up your rotator cuffs, torn a muscle etc.. I wish I could go back and time and give myself a slap in the face and a good talking too..
 
@BobTbay first off, great on you making a change, this can be hard to do without the diversity that you face.

Look up Ryan Humistan on YouTube. He is very funny but also extremely smart. He has a few videos on this topic. I’ve mostly been a lift heavy guy with barbells but as I’ve aged it’s becoming much harder. I’ve been incorporating some of his principles with good results.

Good luck on your journey and reach out to the board when you need encouragement or a kick in the ass.
 
The Old Guy said:
@BobTbay first off, great on you making a change, this can be hard to do without the diversity that you face.

Look up Ryan Humistan on YouTube. He is very funny but also extremely smart. He has a few videos on this topic. I’ve mostly been a lift heavy guy with barbells but as I’ve aged it’s becoming much harder. I’ve been incorporating some of his principles with good results.

Good luck on your journey and reach out to the board when you need encouragement or a kick in the ass.
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That's funny. I'm watching him right now. I started watching him more when we lost our friend John Meadows (Mountain Dog).

As mentioned, he is knowledgeable and can be pretty damn funny.
 
superbeast said:
For me depends on what i am hitting.
For large muscles like chest, back and legs i do better with heavy 6-8.
For isolation like arms, delts, etc lighter weight and higher reps for a burning pump anywhere from 10-20
Not sure what your capabilities are, but if you can do heavy presses and pulls, its worth a try.
Really can just try different things and see what works for you.
Click to expand...
I am the same. Chest/back lower reps and higher weight.
 
As I’ve aged the mind muscle connection has been very beneficial when using lighter weights for more reps. In saying that, nothing builds a strong and thick muscular physique better than heavy compound movements for lower reps in my opinion.
 
The issue that I see with this is that progressive overload is very hard to consistently increase past the 10 rep range. It is much easier to raise the intensity on heavy sets instead of just chasing the pump on high rep sets.

If you can actually progressively overload with high volume then fill your boots, but if you lie to yourself that you can just because you like the pump you are only cheating yourself. From my personal findings, the VAST majority of people who train high reps low intensity are using the same weights each week in the gym doing the exact same rep range and just falling into a habit. For this reason I think that heavier weight is better, people start chasing PRs which is forcing progressive overload.

what I like to do is pick a compound and then go heavy on that, and then pick plume accessories around it. For example if I was to train back I would be doing a heavy ass intense row, and then I’d be doing lat pullovers and stuff like that higher volume around it. The heavy compound lifts are to ensure that maximal effort is being reached and then from there just keep chasing absolute maximum effort every set always going for an extra rep or increasing the weight.

as Ronnie used to say, everybody wanna be a bodybuilder but nobody wanna lift no heavy ass weight
 
To the OP. Just do what you can do man and work as hard as you can. Maybe start picking up more weights or a piece of equipment when you can to add to do it or find a gym that will work for you.
Using your dumbbells and armbike and staying on a good diet will yield results.
 
storman said:
To the OP. Just do what you can do man and work as hard as you can. Maybe start picking up more weights or a piece of equipment when you can to add to do it or find a gym that will work for you.
Using your dumbbells and armbike and staying on a good diet will yield results.
Click to expand...
@storman put it just great…I agree with his advice. Do what you can do and look for ways of changing it up. Keep a positive mindset and a healthy diet and you will see results.
 
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