Generally, exercises with higher reps are used to improve muscular endurance, while higher weights with fewer reps are used to increase muscle size and strength.
So, in general, low reps with heavy weight tends to increase muscle mass, while high reps with light weight increases muscle endurance. This doesn't mean that you have to rely on one method exclusively. Alternating between the two may be the best approach for long-term success.
The answer is… both! That answer may seem like a cop-out, but it's accurate. A combination of heavy strength training and high-repetition metabolic conditioning is the most effective and scientifically proven way to lose fat and maintain muscle.
Both approaches are beneficial to the body. In general, exercises that use heavier weights at low repetitions result in increased muscle bulk and power. Conversely, exercises performed with lighter weights and higher reps lead to muscle toning and muscular endurance.
High Rep Training is More Effective at Improving Lean Muscle and Body Composition Than Cardio. Building muscle is a byproduct of lifting weights.
High reps build muscle and connective tissue strength, and give your body respite from the grind of low-rep sets, too. Similarly, low-rep sets build neuromuscular and CNS efficiency.
Lifting weights requires more supervision and instruction for maximum benefit and avoidance of injuries than cardio exercise. Using weights alone without cardio, you will most likely develop bulk instead of a toned and streamlined body.
A loaded barbell isn't the only path to building muscle. According to a new study published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, you don't have to lift super heavy in order to boost strength and gain muscle. As long as you go to failure, it doesn't matter how much weight you lift.
When you first do an exercise, you'll get stronger rapidly. Just so you know: this is not because your muscle got a lot bigger. But, rather, because of your brain's improved ability to activate that muscle during the exercise. This is what we call neurological adaptations, which lasts about 8-12 weeks.
You aren't lifting heavy enough.
In the resistance training context, hypertrophy occurs when skeletal muscle tissue enlarges, because the resistance stimulus increases the size of the muscle's component cells. Achieving hypertrophy puts you in a muscle-building state, but you won't get there by lifting light weights.
Heavy weights.
Lifting weights is a great way to build muscle strength, but when you're over 50 there is no reason to push yourself too hard. Try a slightly lighter weight that you can safely do 10 to 12 reps with.
Relying on cardio to burn calories is the biggest mistake people make when trying to lose fat, trainer Ben Carpenter told Insider. It can ramp up your appetite, which can lead to more eating, he said. Cardio is important for health, but eating in a calorie deficit is most important for fat loss.
The best types of cardio to aid in weight loss are either low-impact, low intensity cardio like rowing, incline walking, and biking, or HIIT workouts implemented in small doses such as kickboxing, interval training, and weight training.
Can you do cardio and weights on the same day? Traditional workout guidance suggests people alternate their workouts—cardio one day, followed by weight training the next, or vice versa. But “there's no reason you can't do both in the same workout session, or split into two sessions on the same day,” Dr. Ghuman says.
Biceps are best suited for intermediate reps. High reps tend to make them look flatter once the pump subsides, but very low reps aren't effective at stimulating maximum growth.
There is no such thing as toning workouts
This is typically suggested to be done by using higher reps. However, the truth is that there are no difference between the various rep ranges in the context of losing body fat or building muscle to get "ripped".
High-intensity interval training (HIIT): It is probably one of the fastest and most efficient ways to lose stomach fat and reduce the overall body fat percentage. HIIT is a high-intensity short period of exercise that usually doesn't exceed 30 minutes, with short breaks of recovery periods of 30-60 seconds.
If you're overweight, focus on activities that put minimal stress on your joints, like walking, swimming, or water exercises. If the idea of 150 minutes of exercise every week sounds daunting, break your workout routine into smaller chunks. Your goal should be to get 30 minutes of exercise a day, five days a week.
Strength training specifically leads to gain lean muscle gain. These are fat-free tissues that are highly metabolic, allowing more caloric burns than any other tissue in the body. Essentially, this is why strength training works best: it loses fat while maintaining muscles that burn calories.
If you only do one kind of exercise, every day, you put your body at risk of overuse injuries. Cardio is a major culprit of this because movements like running and jumping put so much pressure on your joints. Injuring yourself out of your workout routine will definitely be a setback to your weight-loss goals.
Results showed that the subjects burned more fat when they worked out on an empty stomach than when they exercised 60 or 90 minutes after eating.
Swimming
You might call swimming the best workout. The buoyancy of the water supports your body and takes the strain off painful joints so you can move them more fluidly. "Swimming is good for individuals with arthritis because it's less weight-bearing," explains Dr.
In fact, the survey of 2,000 adults found that on average, the age when most in the survey felt too old to work out regularly was just 41 years old.