weight training for strength NOT bulk

[Spartacus Sully]

If you are not looking to bulk up, you just eat the caloric amount that is equal to what your body uses. The rep scheme does not matter much only that higher rep scheme are not nearly as good at stimulating central nervous system(and especially the testosterone production, which is the main growth factor in the body). Lower rep/higher weight schemes are almost always a better way to increase strength and mass, simply because they make our body adopt more. Thats about it to the whole of weight training.

really i think thats a large mis-conception.

fast twitch fibers react much more quickly to eletrical impulses then slow twitch, if your increasing the over all conductivity of the muscle by increasing the number of fast twitch fibers of course its going to appear as though your stimulating the nervous system better. the best way to stimulate the nervous system is by doing the same thing over and over an over and over and over and over and over again. so while you are doing reps and you are doing the same thing over and over and over again your not doing it nearly as much as you would be with high reps low weight as well since slow twitch is not nearly as conductive as fast twitch by exercising in a manner that promotes slow twitch your cutting off the conductivity of the muscle forcing your nervous system to get stronger.

[Clegg]

Uh, the #2 poster is correct. Lower reps, higher weights.

Doing more reps and less weight isn't the right way to go about it. "Hey, I wanna get strong" "Oh, well the best way to do that is to lift less weight"

How is your diet?

[Spartacus Sully]

Uh, the #2 poster is correct. Lower reps, higher weights.

Doing more reps and less weight isn't the right way to go about it. "Hey, I wanna get strong" "Oh, well the best way to do that is to lift less weight"

How is your diet?

but it is just as effective at strengthening the muscle.

less weight more reps improves speed strength, stamina strength and explosive strength.

low reps heavy weight improves max strength and explosive strength.

both ways are effective at increasing strenth but depending on the goal one way can be many times more effective then the other.

[Clegg]

low reps heavy weight improves max strength and explosive strength.

Glad you agree

[J.Dempsey]

Wow didn't think I'd get such an informative response, u guys know your ****!
Only problem is, which is it? Higher rep less weight or heavier weight less rep?
It does make sense to lift heavier to increase strength, but I thought that wud tear your muscle up more and in turn make it grow??
My diet is pretty decent, cereal, tuna/chicken sandwich or salad, and very little carbs after 6, I also take whey protein shake after training... Mayb like you guys say, just the right calories to train and I won't be able to bulk up?
Only thing is, how do you work out how many calories you need?!
Thanks

[Spartacus Sully]

Wow didn't think I'd get such an informative response, u guys know your ****!
Only problem is, which is it? Higher rep less weight or heavier weight less rep?
It does make sense to lift heavier to increase strength, but I thought that wud tear your muscle up more and in turn make it grow??
My diet is pretty decent, cereal, tuna/chicken sandwich or salad, and very little carbs after 6, I also take whey protein shake after training... Mayb like you guys say, just the right calories to train and I won't be able to bulk up?
Only thing is, how do you work out how many calories you need?!
Thanks

why not do both?

a set of low reps heavy weight, 2 sets of low weights high reps, and a set of high weight low reps.

[El Protagonista]

Wow didn't think I'd get such an informative response, u guys know your ****!
Only problem is, which is it? Higher rep less weight or heavier weight less rep?
It does make sense to lift heavier to increase strength, but I thought that wud tear your muscle up more and in turn make it grow??
My diet is pretty decent, cereal, tuna/chicken sandwich or salad, and very little carbs after 6, I also take whey protein shake after training... Mayb like you guys say, just the right calories to train and I won't be able to bulk up?
Only thing is, how do you work out how many calories you need?!
Thanks

Man, the truth is you're never going to find the correct answer. Everyone's body is different. Me for example, I've gotten better results (as far as gaining size) by doing 8-12 reps. I have friends who get better results doing 4-6 and other people get the best results with 15-20. Tbh, don't listen to anyone.

Instead pay attention to what your own body is telling you. Everyone is different and this is why muscle magazines and internet articles are always contradicting eachother.

My advise is to try different methods for about 4-6 weeks at a time and see what works best for you.

[BrooklynBomber]

really i think thats a large mis-conception.

fast twitch fibers react much more quickly to eletrical impulses then slow twitch, if your increasing the over all conductivity of the muscle by increasing the number of fast twitch fibers of course its going to appear as though your stimulating the nervous system better. the best way to stimulate the nervous system is by doing the same thing over and over an over and over and over and over and over again. so while you are doing reps and you are doing the same thing over and over and over again your not doing it nearly as much as you would be with high reps low weight as well since slow twitch is not nearly as conductive as fast twitch by exercising in a manner that promotes slow twitch your cutting off the conductivity of the muscle forcing your nervous system to get stronger.

That would be only good if you were looking to get better at one specific exercise with one fixed weight, for example body weight pull ups. If your dream is to be able to do 50 pull ups then doing pull ups 5 times a week, each time slightly increasing the number of repetitions would be what you are describing.

However if your dream is to be able to slam someone in the wall with a small push things get a lot trickier. There is only limited amount of people that you can push into walls before they gang up on you and kick your ass, however if you are looking to increase your overall physical strength to what it's not been a week ago, or yesterday then you need to optimise your cns through progressive overloading of the actual weight, rather then number of times you can push that weight, because every time you pick up a heavier weight, you exert more force= all things being equal, your every next single push would be likelier to slam someone in the wall. If you, however, work only on one weight, all your body will do would be to adopt to use less energy to exert the same amount of force. So yes, your every next push will still move the person only a couple of inches back, but you will get less tired of it.

[Rockin']

When I was amatuer I took a weight training class for 3 semesters in highschool. I did alot of high rep lower weights but did them fast, pumping them out.

I also did higher weights with less reps. If I couldnt lift it 10 times then I lowered the weight until thats what I was doing, 10 reps.

In that time I moved up from 139 to 147. I was strong but not bulky, just cut. Lots of stretching and I was good.

Boxing is so much about endurance. I still say that less weight and higher reps is the way............Rockin'

[Earl-Hickey]

When I was amatuer I took a weight training class for 3 semesters in highschool. I did alot of high rep lower weights but did them fast, pumping them out.

I also did higher weights with less reps. If I couldnt lift it 10 times then I lowered the weight until thats what I was doing, 10 reps.

In that time I moved up from 139 to 147. I was strong but not bulky, just cut. Lots of stretching and I was good.

Boxing is so much about endurance. I still say that less weight and higher reps is the way............Rockin'

exactly, i dont see how being able to bench 3X your bodyweight 5 times is transferrable to the boxing ring.