Currently my regime for upper body has been every other day.
1 day chest and triceps, second day back and biceps. 7 exercises each day.

I try to aim for 3 sets and 10 reps for everything. What would be the difference if I went for 5-6reps instead of 10 reps? Would it be better or worse? I would definitely be able to lift more doing only 6 reps.

The reason I am asking this is because the days I have double training sessions (cardio) I am too tired and just feel like skipping upper body workout. So I was curious what's the difference if some days I do less reps but more weight?

Usually less reps + more weight = greater strength gain, lesser muscular endurance game. Depending on the program and other factors, higher rep workouts tend to mean greater hypertrophy, too. Obviously if the reps go to high the weight is too light and you're effectively toning at best.

When I see girls lifting into the 16-20 rep range I have a tendency to tell them to stop reading Elle or Cosmo or whatever magazine told them to lift so light. If they want to tone up they should be looking at cardio + pre + homogenous ketones/dietary ketosis + lifting like real people, not weak sauce.

So do you think some days I can switch it up and try 6 reps instead of 10?

pm tear

I was reading some recent studies and high reps low weight still produce size and strength gains as long as you're working to fatigue.

Sure, but if you have specific goals, you're probably not going to switch off the main program very often, except to rest. If you focus on more than one type of gain, you won't get as far as if you focus on one type.



There's the whole "tension over time" argument that works along the same lines of thought, except that it's not load-specific. But yeah, it's not a story that is entirely about reps. But in the end, there's no way in hell you'll get as strong lifting for high reps & low loads as you would lifting for lower reps ranges of heavier loads. The proof is in the pudding: Olympic lifters, power lifters, strong men ... it's not that none of them work at high volume, but that none of them specialize in lifting light weights. The body requires sufficient resistance to produce the physiological changes associated with extreme strength.

One may argue that bodybuilders can get super strong on lights weights using strict form and tons of time under tension--and some anabolic help. But to paraphrase Ronnie Coleman, "everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, but nobody wants to lift heavy ass weights".

This post was edited by RewtheBrave on Mar 7 2017 10:44am

Thank you all, got what I needed