Re:
IMO, from my experiences, in doing MY own body...
Anything under 5 reps works my core strength. When I do a fullbody, I would do it for 1-4 reps. To get a benefit, you'd have to do more sets though, IMO, once again.
5-10 for me is the sweet spot. I've done a 5x5 when I'd taken a lay off to get back up to a better place. I normally do squats, deads, chest, dips, etc, in this range. I also feel this is the place where you do parts of the body that don't see frequent fatigue, like calves or forearms or abs.
11+ is reserved for concentration exercises, if I do any. Forearms, calves.
If I'm beyond 10, I don't feel I've done enough weight to have worked my core intensity and strength, and under 5, either the weight was too heavy to manage going longer so that I gain a benefit from it (unless I do many sets of low reps, which if I did, I would also shorten the list of exercises I do during my workout).
I look at each workout like it's MY PERSONAL WEIGHTLIFTING session, just like I'm golfing. I go to improve; I go to move more weight or more reps. What happened last week doesn't matter. And because I'm focusing heavily on major compounds, if my legs are sore from squats, I'm not deadlifting. Period. I'll wait a day. But I will do some other activity to keep moving. Personally I stretch all the time.
That's what I've found to work for me over time. Moreover, I'm cheap, I don't like to waste lots of time, so if Dips can work alot of muscles in good fashion, I'll do those. I don't want to spend TONS of time doing it. I look at lifting with a specific purpose, to improve my strength and ability to do exercises that are specific to useful, real world movements. I'll do biceps on leg day. I don't jam workouts too long, 45 min- 1hr. Thank you very much. I think cardio and other things are to IMPROVE your stamina, cardiovascular system, aid recovery, and provide fitness as well. Lifting provides some fitness benefit, but lifting won't help you become better at climbing lots of flights of stairs, walking long distances, etc. That's what swimming, martial arts, sprinting, etc are for. Doing squats is good for the body, but a lifting only fitness type will emphasize only aspect of physical fitness. And the body is a system, so only focusing only 1 piece won't enable a person to reach their full potential.
It's up to the person to try rep ranges that bring them the progress they desire. If you're PLing, you'll go lower, and then go higher, alternating for speed, strength, and pure bodybuilding/hypertrophy. Bodybuilding, which focus on size first, strength second, and mostly the aesthetic features, will be in the midrep range.
If someone's max squat at 5 reps was their BW, which would be good, pushing it more would focus on hypertrophy, breaking down the muscle, and thereby repair. DOMS would set in, and getting back to the gym a bit tougher. There's more downtime here. However, if they inched their weight up, week by week, by only 5 pounds, you would see your recovery improve since you're less likely experience serious DOMS. If the 5lbs you did required a spotter, you might end up with some mid level DOMS (delayed onset muscle Soreness), however, nothing like going higher. This is where intensity comes into play.
I have a check system for myself, based on the reps that work and how I'm feeling. I work between 5-10 reps, sometimes 12. If on a given day, I'm not feeling adding the weight, then I'll go for a few more reps, which, IMO is just as good, provided it's not going from 10 reps to 20 reps, but instead say, 6 to 10, or even 8,9. I pushed more weight, which equals progress. I don't go too far beyond where my support muscles give out, as that can be dangerous and cause injury. But I do hit the far end of my intensity spectrum. So my reps aren't hard and fast in concrete because I want to push more of the kind of weight I'm doing, OR, add a little bit more.
Lifting isn't linear progression, and your body takes mroe time to keep up with the weight level you're at and process/digest all the nutrients you give it.
A-Unit
IMO, from my experiences, in doing MY own body...
Anything under 5 reps works my core strength. When I do a fullbody, I would do it for 1-4 reps. To get a benefit, you'd have to do more sets though, IMO, once again.
5-10 for me is the sweet spot. I've done a 5x5 when I'd taken a lay off to get back up to a better place. I normally do squats, deads, chest, dips, etc, in this range. I also feel this is the place where you do parts of the body that don't see frequent fatigue, like calves or forearms or abs.
11+ is reserved for concentration exercises, if I do any. Forearms, calves.
If I'm beyond 10, I don't feel I've done enough weight to have worked my core intensity and strength, and under 5, either the weight was too heavy to manage going longer so that I gain a benefit from it (unless I do many sets of low reps, which if I did, I would also shorten the list of exercises I do during my workout).
I look at each workout like it's MY PERSONAL WEIGHTLIFTING session, just like I'm golfing. I go to improve; I go to move more weight or more reps. What happened last week doesn't matter. And because I'm focusing heavily on major compounds, if my legs are sore from squats, I'm not deadlifting. Period. I'll wait a day. But I will do some other activity to keep moving. Personally I stretch all the time.
That's what I've found to work for me over time. Moreover, I'm cheap, I don't like to waste lots of time, so if Dips can work alot of muscles in good fashion, I'll do those. I don't want to spend TONS of time doing it. I look at lifting with a specific purpose, to improve my strength and ability to do exercises that are specific to useful, real world movements. I'll do biceps on leg day. I don't jam workouts too long, 45 min- 1hr. Thank you very much. I think cardio and other things are to IMPROVE your stamina, cardiovascular system, aid recovery, and provide fitness as well. Lifting provides some fitness benefit, but lifting won't help you become better at climbing lots of flights of stairs, walking long distances, etc. That's what swimming, martial arts, sprinting, etc are for. Doing squats is good for the body, but a lifting only fitness type will emphasize only aspect of physical fitness. And the body is a system, so only focusing only 1 piece won't enable a person to reach their full potential.
It's up to the person to try rep ranges that bring them the progress they desire. If you're PLing, you'll go lower, and then go higher, alternating for speed, strength, and pure bodybuilding/hypertrophy. Bodybuilding, which focus on size first, strength second, and mostly the aesthetic features, will be in the midrep range.
If someone's max squat at 5 reps was their BW, which would be good, pushing it more would focus on hypertrophy, breaking down the muscle, and thereby repair. DOMS would set in, and getting back to the gym a bit tougher. There's more downtime here. However, if they inched their weight up, week by week, by only 5 pounds, you would see your recovery improve since you're less likely experience serious DOMS. If the 5lbs you did required a spotter, you might end up with some mid level DOMS (delayed onset muscle Soreness), however, nothing like going higher. This is where intensity comes into play.
I have a check system for myself, based on the reps that work and how I'm feeling. I work between 5-10 reps, sometimes 12. If on a given day, I'm not feeling adding the weight, then I'll go for a few more reps, which, IMO is just as good, provided it's not going from 10 reps to 20 reps, but instead say, 6 to 10, or even 8,9. I pushed more weight, which equals progress. I don't go too far beyond where my support muscles give out, as that can be dangerous and cause injury. But I do hit the far end of my intensity spectrum. So my reps aren't hard and fast in concrete because I want to push more of the kind of weight I'm doing, OR, add a little bit more.
Lifting isn't linear progression, and your body takes mroe time to keep up with the weight level you're at and process/digest all the nutrients you give it.
A-Unit
