There is such a thing as the “golden era” of bodybuilding. The time frame is conditional, this period lasted from the 1970s until the end of the 1980s. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Pearl, and Frank Zane were prominent representatives of the “golden era”. Athletes of this time actively used high rep and low weight workouts and recognized their effectiveness.
Features of High Rep and Low Weight Workout
For generations, athletes have used maximum weights and low repetitions for mass gain. This training scheme was considered the classic and most effective. However, there is also an alternative program for gaining muscle mass, which is high rep workouts. This system is far from new. Repetition is a type of workout that uses lightweight, and repeats the movement over twenty times within one set. The rest between sets should be done for no more than one minute.
This system is used both to build a lean body and to increase muscle mass.
It is recommended to use a similar training scheme for people who are overweight, as it helps to effectively burn body fat. Also, this training is popular among beginners, as it helps to develop the correct technique for performing the exercises. Experienced bodybuilders often resort to this type of exercise in order to add variety to the training process.
To lose weight with reps, you need to follow a few guidelines. The first advice is the number with the number of repetitions. The exercise should be performed at least twenty-five times, it is with this amount, that the muscles are maximally activated and a burning sensation is felt, which means that you are doing everything right. The weight of the dumbbells and weights should be kept to a minimum. The optimal rest time between sets is half a minute, since such a substance as glycogen does not have time to recover and the fat begins to be burned. The rest between exercises is a maximum of one minute.
For beginners in the gym, it is recommended to build up mass only with the help of high repetitions, since this will allow you to develop the correct technique and not to harm the joints. The main advice in this case, is to design workouts that are based on basic exercises. Several muscle groups are involved in such exercises. It is also recommended that all exercises are to be done at a slow pace, as this will help develop the correct technique. Do not rush to increase the weight as it will be more effective to do more repetitions at the start.
For those who have been in the gym for several years, high rep and low weight workouts is stressful for the body. It is used as an alternative to training with large weights, so that the body does not get used to the same type of load. Alternating exercise patterns increases productivity. It is recommended to engage in high rep training session one month out of three, it is with such an interval that the greatest progress is noted. You need to work out within these exercises to failure, namely to a strong burning sensation in the muscle area. The basis of the training should be basic exercises, but it is also worth including isolating ones as well. It is also recommended to alternate the training scheme constantly.
High Rep Workout to Build Muscle
The use of high rep and low weight workouts to increase muscle mass has always been a controversial issue. However, there have always been adherents of this method. Constant work with low weights and maximum reps, of course, will not bring you the desired results if your goal is to build a large muscled body. However, the use of this training scheme is effective as extra stress for the muscles after long workouts with large weights.
The first tip for using high rep workouts is to work to failure, which is the main difference between lightweight training and heavyweights. It is recommended to do the approach before the onset of the burning sensation in the muscles and to perform at least 5 more reps on top of that once the muscles have started to burn.
It is also worth considering that not all exercises are suitable for high rep training. Barbell squats and deadlifts are not recommended to be performed with small weights to failure. These exercises also include all the classic weightlifting exercises. The most suitable for high reps is upper body and leg workouts, resulting in high performance. The next recommendation is to clarify the “lightness” of the working weight. You should not take a 5 kg dumbbell and try to work to failure if the weight of the bar was 80+ kg before. It is recommended to select the most comfortable weighting agent with which a person will perform the exercise more than twenty times. If the athlete can perform more than thirty repetitions, the weight must be increased until failure is achieved at twenty repetitions.
As for the speed of performing exercises during high rep training, a slow pace is allowed only for beginners. Performing a low weight approach slowly by an experienced athlete will be ineffective. Training at a fast pace and with maximum muscle tension at the peak point will bring the greatest productivity with this type of high rep training.
Conclusion
To summarize, it should be said that high rep and low weight workouts is acceptable for building muscle mass, however, the tips outlined above should be followed. Still, repetition is a type of workout that is used as a relaxation of the body for those who are not in their first year within the field of fitness. However, you should not exclude them from the training program. The effectiveness of this method has been proven by more than one outstanding athlete and coach. This program allows you to train much more often, than with the classic scheme for mass gain (not three times a week, but four to five). Also, this technique is less traumatic for the joints. High rep workouts are recommended for overweight people as the main form of training and also people with injuries such as tendon damage due to lifting heavy weights.
