High Reps for "Muscle Tone" BAD Advice!

Good post there Rusty!

It sure makes sense to me! When I was a gym member I asked for advice from two different trainers. The first one, a trainer that knew a lot about cardio and nutrition told me that it was more important to more rep's with lower weights in order the build stamina (this is true right?). The other trainer, a more bulky kind of guy who was more into heavy lifting, told me that it was better for your muscles to do a few rep's per set, but with "as much weight as you can stand to complete the set".

In the end the advice from the second trainer definitely brought better results!

I'm not a member of a gym anymore though. That gym was damn expensive and I'm only focussing on cardio right now, and due to time issue's, I mostly do that in the early morning. Going to get a membership again (at a cheaper gym) when my love handles (and other fat deposits) are all but annihilated!

Keep posting man, I really like what you write!

Remon van der Pol

The Netherlands

Remon,

I like lifting heavy, while creating a calorie deficit through cardio and low caloric intake. That combination will help you get exceptional muscle tone.

I want to give credit where credit is due. I learned A LOT about muscle tone strategies from Pavel Tsatsouline. He was a former Soviet Special Forces Instructor…he jokingly refers to himself as the "Evil Russian". The guy is a bad-ass and to this day, trains swat teams, special forces, etc…This is what he recommends.

Thanks for the compliments,

Rusty

you're a legend mate. thanks for the motivation and the great website you have created. love it.

Jay,

Thanks a bunch. I think this is one of my first posts. I love it when people find my older stuff. Keep commenting whenever you have something to say about a post…I appreciate it!

Have a good one,

Rusty

hi marty here.i am 37 .12 stone and have a back injury .had 2 ops and they not work.want to tone up and get big bi and triccip.can only lift about 10 kg ,i have 2 dumbbells at home ,cant go to gym as not back driveing as i cant with injury.also need to lose belly fat.any hope for me or am i on scrap heap.please help.martin

Martin,

The first thing you need to do is master your diet. You can actually lose a lot of weight and actually get somewhat toned from diet alone. If $18 isn't too much to spend, order "The Warrior Diet" on amazon.

Also, read these posts regarding my back injury…your sounds worse, but you still might learn a bit.

http://fitnessblackbook.com/?s=back+injury

I would really, really focus on getting lean and light, this is going to help get pressure off your back. Get back to me and tell me if this sounds feasible.

Rusty

Hi Rusty,

I think you make sense. I used to do high reps-low weights but i never saw any improvements in muscle tone and weight loss. I got fed up and started using the opposite. Now I'm getting stronger and some friends noticed me losing weights

Bernardo,

This way of lifting is WAY more fun as well! You will like the results you get over the next few months.

Rusty

Hi Rusty,

What if your going for the strong yet slim look? Wouldn't the low reps high weights build size…and not much strength?

Simon

Simon,

Believe it or not, low volume of lifting creates hard dense muscles without increasing the size of the muscles…especially if you do it while dieting and hitting cardio right after.

Bodybuilders do high reps and go for "the pump" to increase the size of their muscles. The higher reps and higher volume tear down the muscles and it is what creates size. The reason why bodybuilders do 6-12 reps is that this is the range that damages the muscles the most…resulting in an increase in size.

I recommend 3-5 reps, because you aren't damaging the muscles. You are training your muscles to contract harder…this builds permanent tone without size.

Hope that makes sense,

Rusty

No doubt heavy lifting is fun, but the key is to set goals for yourself. Up the weight every two weeks or as needed. If you muscles get used to the weight your lifting and dont tone anymore

Hey rusty, sometimes I read your advice and compare it to other sites it is almost the complete opposite. On message boards I see people asking how to build size and the other people would respond heavy weights with low reps, then I would see people asking how to tone and other people respond to stay away from the low reps and do higher reps. Why is the advice so different?

KK,

That is why I had to create a site. I disagree with so much of the traditional advice. What you are seeing as mainstream advice is watered down bodybuilding techniques that were discovered in the 60's and 70's.

High reps are kind of misleading, because they do pump the muscles up. This pump does make the muscles look better and more defined when they are in a pumped state. A couple hours later when the pump is gone, the muscles don't look good at all.

Another reason people do high reps is that they do burn more calories than low reps, but not as much as cardio.

Low reps and low volume doesn't tear the muscle down and as a result won't build the muscle up. The stronger you get without adding size the denser and more toned that muscle will get. This is muscle tone that will look great 24 hours per day, not just in a pumped state.

A low rep bodybuilding approach to build muscle is 6-8 reps, for a ton of sets done to failure and forced reps. This is low rep training that tears the muscle down and does add size. This is what they are talking about when they say low reps build size.

A low rep toning approach? Lower reps (3-5) for just a few sets…and not to failure and no forced reps. Then hit cardio like a crazy person!

Hope that helps!

Rusty

Hi Rusty.

Is 5 the max reps for muscle not to tear ?
What exactly will happen if I do 4 sets of 5 reps, and my last set with 12-15 reps. Also, I'll stop before I reach failure.
Is it a good idea, because I really like high reps for last sets.

Another thing, I read on one of articles that you workout on empty stomach. Is it more effective in "burning fat"?
I'm doing that actually nowadays.

Thanks a bunch Rusty.

BNY,

Sure…one set to 12-15 reps short of failure, won't do anything bad. Also, working out on an empty stomach is good at using fat for fuel during the workout as well as increasing your body's natural release of HGH. This is what really helps you lean out.

Have a great one!

Rusty

Another thing, will it create a 'temporary pump' if I do 12-15 reps of light weight for my last set [before faillure] ?

Thanks Rusty.

Hi Rusty.

Something came up in my mind.
Suppose I'm doing 6 sets, 4sets of 8 reps [heavy weight] with 2 sets of 15-20 reps [light weight before failure/close to failure].
My approach is to build slight mass and do 'inferior cardio' to burn the FAT on that particular area at the same time. [especially boobs and thigh]

Does the method make any sense, or I'm getting the wrong idea here. I really don't want a PUMP though on my muscle. I strictly don't want a body builder look instead I want a Model figure [I guess you guys call it a Hollywood look].

Thanks Rusty for your advice. Cheers.

BNY,

The higher reps won't reduce fat on the area that you are working, but they will help build a slight amount of mass. You can do the strategy you outlined, but make sure you hit some cardio afterward to burn off some of that stubborn body fat. I wouldn't worry about "pumping" the muscles too much at this point. If you get a bit of a pump for now that is okay. Once you are really lean and defined and you want to create that dense-defined look, then avoid the pump.

Hope that makes sense!

Rusty

Actually, lower repetitions work fast twitch muscles, which are most involved with muscle size. (example: sensation of no more strength left in exerted muscle)
Higher repetitions with less weight work slow-twitch muscles, which are most involved with density. (example: sensation of burning)
Bodybuilding routines for size consist of high weight with low repetitions, especially for advanced bodybuilding for size. Residual tension (emphasis on residual) is not the same as muscle density.
Here are the scientific facts:

http://64.233.169.104pdf+higher+repetitions+muscle

http://www.teenbodybuilding.com/shane6.htm

Trainer,

Those articles you pointed out are great resources. I have read the same studies these articles are referring to many times. They prove my point. I recommend 3-5 reps and here is what the articles said about these rep ranges…

From the Teenbodybuilding.com article:

"Strength gains in the 1-5 rep range can take place without muscular hypertrophy. This doesn't mean that growth cannot occur at these junctions. It just means that growth is not the optimal method of adaptation in this zone… contractile proteins in a cell are responsible for muscular growth. These must be exposed to enough stress (which they aren't in low repetition sets) or they will not be damaged enough to overcompensate and increase in size."

"You also learned that sets in the 1-5 rep range don't recruit as many fast twitch fibers as sets in the 6-12 rep range although they do recruit a higher percentage of fast twitch fibers compared to slow twitch. Low rep sets can be used to your advantage to bust through a plateau or gain strength while maintaining the same size."

From "Repetitions and Muscle Hypertrophy":

"For a variety of reasons,a moderate repetition scheme (approximately 8 to 10 repetitions per set) is the decidedly better choice for achieving optimal gains in muscular mass."

Note: It also points out why I tell people to "avoid the pump" if they don't want to get large…

"People tend to think of a pump as a temporary condition that is strictly cosmetic. However,this belief is shortsighted. Numerous studies have demonstrated that a hydrated cell stimulates protein synthesis and inhibits proteolysis (protein breakdown; 4, 10, 13). In this way, muscles are provided with the raw materials to lay down new contractile proteins—the basis for muscle tissue growth. Unfortunately, during low-repetition training, the time under tension simply isn't sufficient to generate a pump. Consequently, cell volume is relatively constant, and the impetus for protein synthesis is thereby reduced."

"A moderate-repetition set maximizes muscle damage a fact that has been shown to be imperative to increases in muscular hypertrophy (2). Theoretically, the longer that crossbridge formation is maintained during training, the greater the potential for damage to the tissue. Because the duration of crossbridge formation is shorter in a low-repetition set than in a moderate-repetition set, there is less time for myofilamental damage to take place."

"In final analysis, there is substantial evidence that training in a moderate-repetition range is the superior method for building muscular mass…if mass is your goal, the majority of training should be performed in a glycolytic mode, keeping repetitions between 8 to 10 per set."

So Trainer, the reason I typically recommend that people stay under 5 reps, to insure that the pump does not occur and that muscle damage is minimized. If people focus on gaining strength without gaining size -and- make sure they reach a low body fat level with a clean diet and cardio, they will display an outstanding degree of muscle definition. This is how Bruce Lee was so ripped without gaining size. I know this isn't the typical advice you read on most fitness sites, but believe me…it works very well.

I do appreciate the links and if you still disagree with my approach that is cool. There is more than one way to reach certain levels of fitness.

Rusty

I am trying to tone m muscles but I hate doing weights because when I lift more than 30Lbs I get frustrated and stop all together. Someone old me to trick my body and do light weights and than increase my weights. What advice could you give someone who loves to do cardio and never do weights my skin is so flabby I can cry. I weigh 150Lbs and I feel if I shape my body I probily would stop thinking I am so fat and learn to love my body more.

Valerie,

There isn't too much I can say to make you motivated to lift weights. What I will say is this…lifting is easier than doing cardio. I bet 90% of the readers would agree. You will also see quick results with lifting and there is a lot of variety you can add to make it interesting.

Hope that helps!

Rusty

"This is how Bruce Lee was so ripped without gaining size. I know this isn't the typical advice you read on most fitness sites, but believe me…it works very well."

Dear Rusty, while your many tips are much appreciated, I must remind you that Bruce Lee never used weight training or machines in his fitness regimen. All of his exercises used his own body as his source of resistance and/or weight, and he repeated them multiple times a day, every day, throughout much of his early childhood and adult life. I believe this would be called Isometrics. This is why he was capable of supporting, and repeatedly lifting his entire body with only the tip of one finger touching the ground. Finger pushups!

Additionally, the specialized fibers developed by the disciplined training specific to the practice of martial arts contributes greatly to tone and density. This is merely a result of the training, and not the goal. Thus it would take much more effort to achieve the sort of muscular structure possessed by Bruce Lee than merely isometrics or weight training, and this is an impractical endeavor for the individual who merely wants to appear ripped.

Respectfully,
a martial artist

hey rusty im getting really strong doing this type of lifting.im like wow,this is really surprizing to me.its actually funner because im going up in weight every week.i did flat bench yesterday and was doing 275 for 5 slow reps.is that too much i dont want to get bulky.but if i stay with like 220 its really not that hard and i dont feel like im working the muscle.i feel my muscle getting very hard.i figure im doing enough cardio so i will not look like a power lifter.

shane#1,

Get as strong as your body will allow and hit cardio hard. You will look like a complete bad-ass…actually you will be a bad-ass. Don't you love this approach?

Rusty

yeah brother i really do,it actually dosnt seem as hard on mybody.my joints dont hurt as much.i wanna be like that russian dude a freaking machine but not massive.so do you ever wear those personal sauna suits to do cardio in?i started using one and i sweat like crazy.in one 30 minute cardio session i lost 3 pounds of water.i usually do it before i go to a club because it takes water weight off in my face.

p.s. rusty would you please do a post on old time strong men,you can look up the golden age of strong men and these guys have great bodies.this is like in the 1800s long before streroids and alot of these guys only eat once or twice a day.i think your readers would really get a kick outta these guys.i think they rule,they were strong as hell but not all that massive.

shane#1,

Funny you mention sweating as a way to look good before you hit the clubs. I believe a big reason that people in the clubs look more attractive in the summer is because they are a bit "leaned out" due to sweating in the hit sun. I used to think it was because of the tan that people had in the summer, but I think it goes beyond that. Great strategy! I haven't worn a sauna suit before…I sweat a lot already.

Rusty

hey rusty,

the great gama of india is widely considered to be the greatest wrestler that ever lived. throughout his entire life he remained undefeated, having won thousands of matches. although he did live around a hundred years ago, i was wondering if you had any information regarding his diet and/or indian training methods (i.e., did he use yoga, indian martial arts, etc.) thanks!

Hey great site! I have been an avid lifter for many years now, and this is the issue that I cannot figure out. My diet is good and workouts are intense but I always end up working out bodybuilder style and with my build, I just simply don't like how I look with all that muscle. I love working out and am trying to lose some muscle and lean out. My goal is a physique like David Beckham or just a lean ripped guy. So you recommend doing 3-5 reps at what percentage of my max for the lifts would you say? And after would HIIT be good?

bobji73ape,

I didn't know too much about the Great Gama of India, but decided to look him up on Google. Obviously he dominated his sport, but I don't necessarily think he was the healthiest looking guy. His physique isn't as aesthetically pleasing as I think we would want to aim for. No doubt he dominated, but I wouldn't want a physique like that.

Alex,

Make sure to avoid lifting to failure from this point forward…don't do any forced reps or negatives. Lift sets of 3-5 reps, make sure you stop one or two reps short of failure. You will find that if you do 10-12 total sets for a body part and stop short of failure, you will maintain or even gain strength while slimming down.

High volume lifting …aiming for the pump and burn is what damages the muscles and causes muscle growth. Avoid this type of lifting. Spend 20-30 minutes in the free weight room and 30-45 doing cardio. Do it on an empty stomach and don't eat anything until one hour after your workout is done. This will lean you out over the next 6-12 months.

Rusty

nice post but…… COMPLETLEY DISAGREE !!!!

i do hi reps low weight and completely slimmed down and toned up Big Time !! and i kept moving the weight up so that all i could do was 20 reps…. if it got too easy…moved it up again, kept doing this and got ripped… with hi muscle definition….

Rog,

You can get toned with high reps. I just don't think it is the most direct method.

I actually consider reps in the 20 range to be a decent way to do circuit training, but that it a whole different approach altogether.

There certainly are a bunch of ways to get lean. Thanks for the comment.

Rusty

Ok, I can't afford a personal trainer and find out all the numbers they use to decide what kind of body I have, my metabolic rate, the best diet, cardio, and strength training. I am about about 15 pounds heavier than I usually am, I'm 5'1", and most of my weight goes to my middle section (stomach and back). I want to get back to my avg. weight which is 105… The body type I prefer is muscular but long and lean because of my short stature. I want to know what the best strength training program would be for me, reps and sets. I hear ya saying low reps, but how many sets do you suggest? Also, if you have any good facts to back up what you say I would appreciate it. Thanks

lifting heavy is a lot more fun too. i think it goes towards your functional strength articles. being able to lift a heavier weight seems more practical in life.

Interesting post. The part about a pump being a kind of temporary muscle tone reminded me of something Arnold wrote in is autobiography. He said that his training partner Franco used heavy weights all the time and that this kind of training causes muscles that look flexed all the time. Arnold said by varying his training with more moderate lifts he developed a physique that did not look all that impressive when he was just standing relaxed but that opened up dramatically ("like an accordion" I think was his phrase) the second he hit a pose. He liked the surprise/shock factor of this and thought a Franco style physique with hard muscles offered no surprises and therefore less drama in posing. So this seems to confirm what you are saying about muscle tone through heavy weights. I'm going to try it, but isn't there more of an injury risk with these very low reps?
Also I thought Daniel Craig looked good in the Bond film, but I read he trained circuits compound free weight exercises in sets of 15. Any thoughts on the apparent effectiveness of his high-rep program?
Thanks, great site. Long live the aesthetics of lean!
BTW, martial artist who says Bruce Lee never used weights is incorrect. Lee was actually a keen advocate of trying everything and talks about weight training in his writings. He had a power rack and lifted weights for many years. In fact he injured his back doing barbell good mornings and was in bed for months recovering. Dan Inosanto also remembers doing drills of barbell punches with Bruce Lee — so yes he used weights, big time.

Hello Rusty, Just found your website and it's great, lots of really usefull stuff. However I couldn't find a post about the best way to gain stamina, any tips here, or is it just a case of high reps? I have a "light" exercise routine that i perform around 3-4 times a week, press-ups sit-ups ect. I recently followed your advice regarding doing the motions slower with more emphasis on the tension just wondering is this the best way to go about it? cheers.

Hey Rusty. I love your site alot. I had aquick question for you. I currently follow your high weigh low rep advice and I gota say it works great for cutting. I was wondering what you thought of me doing HIIT after weight training. I usually do 30 minutes of HIIT

I recommend doing HIIT right after lifting. This is exactly what I do. It makes sense, because you will be even more depleted of glycogen and will burn more body fat during HIIT as a result.

Here is a great HIIT workout that I recommend:

http://fitnessblackbook.com/low-body-fat-percentage/

it makes sense, when you rip muscle fibers cells fill in the gap making it bigger, not what i want.
i have a question though, should i do a full body work out every other day (3 days a week) or workout a different muscle group everyday?

Hi,
Ok Rusty I've been reading alot of this and it all sounds really good but im a bit confused because it seems like some things are fluctual or can be inter-compatible.

I was wondering if you could simplify a bit of terminology for a routine i could use for the shape i want.

I'm about 240 right now and I could probably cut like 30 lbs. I'm 6'3" and im athletic so knowing how to do cardio comes easy with that.

But I want a thinner body from at least the stomache up and I want to go for strength and permanent tone but if thats not possible i want more on the side of being thinner and losing the excess stomach wait possibly getting my 6 pack again.

Is there something you can recommend me like a specific routine or amount of reps and sets per machine (because I get the stop before muscle failure part and use max weight low reps…unless this wouldn't apply to the srategy/technique I should be approaching).

So all in all, I'm just wondering if you could give me a workout or set routine using low rep or high rep, max weight or less weight, and involving cardio but put it some-what in lamen terms?

Thank you so much Rusty and I realy love everything I've read on your site so far its getting me motivated to workout again and continue it this time.

Best Regards,
Mark

MAN UR GREAT U HAV AN EXPLANATION TO BACK WT UR SAYING IM GONNA DO THIS NOW CUZ IM SICK ND TIRED I STPED GOIN TO GYM CUZ I WAS DEMOTIVATED I M BIG I HAVE THE MASS BUT ITS NOT LEAN U HAVE GVEN ME NEW HOPE I CNT THANK U ENOUGH MAN THNX ALOT

Rusty, you have no idea how long I've waited for a website such as your's. As a former teen bodybuilder, I know the agony of those grueling long hours of "pumping iron" and "two hour feedings". I also used to carry a milk carton full of water around school just to stay hydrated. But realizing that many of those techniques were either outdated or simply fitness corporations' marketing techniques, I've decided to utilize a much more "natural" way. And I have been doing bodyweight exercises and HIIT ever since. Anyways, I was just wondering, if I don't have access to a gym, is there anyway I can still achieve the same effects of the "low rep low volume" routine you've described? Maybe, through explosive exercises? I would love to hear from you! Keep up the great work!

I think the debate between rusty and trainer is an interesting one. I'm interested in reading those studies trainer posted. I never thougth about the fact that just tearing down muscle will cause it to grow larger even though I was using low weight. I thought that high volume didn't matter as long as I didn't increase my weight. but this brings up a question. doesn't rusty recommend bodyweight training? it seems as though that's pretty high volume and would cause hypertrophy then. I can do 30 push-ups in one set, and probably 30 air squats. after a few sets that's high volume training and likely to tear down muscle…it just seems as those two prescriptions are contradictory? it would be great if this were cleared up a bit.

Rusty:
I am 5'10 and 167lbs, and I don't have alot of body mass (so skinny). I am wondering if the 2 day split with heavy weight and low reps, cardio and low calorie intake will give me the David Beckham or Cam Gigandet look. Let me know what you think