How Much Weight Should I be Lifting?
So here’s a question that’s being thrown around a lot lately and I don’t think it needs to be. Well, that is of course if you have no idea what your doing then pardon my request.
It’s just that many don’t know how to balance this. The main debate here is reps versus the weight itself. Which should you do more, and which should you do less?
The obvious general answer that we all don’t want to hear from people like me is “it all depends on the person and there thresholds and blah blah blah”.
Right, so then how about we generalize some more to counteract that very same general statement. As in one generalization offsetting the other.
How clever…
Let’s say you’ve been consistently exercising for over 3 years, but you like to take breaks that can stretch for as long as seasons, your female, average body weight for your height (by American standards), slight muscle tone, any age, but you got some extra shake in the nether regions or hind quarters if I may which is quite alright since that’s acceptable in most societies.
Nothing wrong with a full figured woman, but they tend to be overly subconscious about their weight. The skinny twig look has faded I think.
I mean what it really comes down to is how you carry yourself, and how you present yourself. Do you clean up well and know how to dress and act presentably and respectably? In the end that’s the main thing that matters. Having that attitude will assist the frame of mind of being physically conscious and aware of your physique and overall health. Bam! Oh yeah I’m dropping jewels of wisdom tonight.
Anyway, let’s get back to the boring stuff. Reps or weight? To be or not to be? If your somewhat in the realm of similarity to the person I described in my example, then follow along. Everyone else go take a hike or read another life changing post of mine.
No, just kidding stick around, this kind of crazy exercise talk can benefit everyone if they apply it and readjust it to their own personal situation.
Okay, so, heavy weight is more for muscle growth primarily. Actually, if you want to get technical its best for strengthening your muscle groups. And usually the stronger your muscles get and progress, 2 things happen.
The first is that they get larger in size and shape. But don’t forget about the second. They also get harder. A lot of times you can increase your strength and one of your bonus results out does the other. Like you could get much harder but moderately bigger, or even where its almost unnoticeable.
The more repetitions you do the more toned you get.
As in, your muscles become more defined and shapely. But you can also hit the “hardening bonus” too with high repetition training.
The difference is with heavy weight experimentation your getting harder because when a muscle grows it can only grow hard. Muscle composition in general in women and men is always hard or firm.
With high reps your simply tightening the small muscles that are already there, and their not really gaining much growth or size, but are taking different shape and form.
So again the difference is growing has to = some hardening, and tightening = primarily shape changing.
That’s a real caveman way of explaining it. Either I’m not smart enough to explain it any other way, or I really don’t want to bore you with any technical jargon. After all, I did promise on my homepage keeping that to a bare minimum.
Anyway if you’re that chick in my example who knows her way around track, gym, field, or any general sweating scenario, keep these concepts in mind. Let’s be honest, women are more infatuated with cardiovascular exercise than anything here.
They love moving around and keeping their bodies in a slightly different type of shape then men. I think its all about mobility if your a woman. My general advice though when it comes to weight training would be to stick to high repetition training, but at the same time don’t be afraid of knocking out some heavier weight from time to time.
See for us guys it can really vary. We can attain a few more different variations of an in shape body than a woman. Don’t freak out on me girls, its just from my ignorant perspective. I mean let’s face it, when a woman has bigger muscles than a man its a bit odd wouldn’t you say? That’s all I’m getting at.
But us guys go for many more shapes like from big bulky physiques, to lean hard ripped physiques, to cardio machine physiques with giant runners legs, to pro boxer physiques with giant upper bodies but with twiggy little legs.
There are many more too, you’d be surprised…
I think strengthening and the tightening up of muscles are equally important. For men we tend to focus on the strengthening portion, and for women you tend to focus on the tightening side of things.
This may just be because that’s what naturally comes a little easier for both sexes ultimately.
Advancing your physique with this understanding and concept brought to light here might have been obvious, but at the same time might be easier said than done.
Listen to your body. Your not superman, or wonder woman, so work out hard and push the pace every time, but don’t continually force something that’s not within your current grasp and attaining. Work your way up to that milestone slowly and steadily.
The tortoise or the hare can win the race, but why chance anything (hurting yourself) being the hare?
