Weights and Reps

I get a lot of questions about how much weight and how many reps you should be lifting during your strength workout. My lame answers is always... "it depends". It is important to vary your routine in order to maximize your results and get the quickest/safest Fat Loss possible. Therefore, depending on where you are in your current program will dictate how much weight and how many reps you should be doing. Here are the 4 phases of lifting and the recommended weights/reps for each:

1. General Strength (12-15 reps, sub-maximal weight): This phase serves the purpose of teaching your body proper technique and coordinating your muscles for the more intense phases of lifting. It is important to activate the correct muscles and in the correct sequence before you attempt heavier lifts. I'll recommend 12-15 reps for each set. You'll choose a weight that you can control without major struggle through the 15th rep. Every lift should be smooth and symetrical (both limbs moving at the same rate).
2. Maximal Strength (4-6 reps, maximal weight): The purpose of this phase is to activate as many muscle fibers as possible. When you first start resistance training, your brain will only be able to activate a small percentage of fibers in each muscle. The heavier your lifts become, the more fibers the brain is recruiting. When in your strength phase I recommend lifting the heaviest weight you can successfully move for 4-6 repetitions. The final rep should look strenuous and slow, otherwise you haven't truly hit your maximal effort.
3. Hypertrophy (8-12 reps, near maximal weight): The purpose of this phase is to stimulate the growth of lean muscle. The most important variable is how much time your muscles are in tension. I recommend lifting as heavy weight as possible for 8-12 repetitions. However, because time under tension is critical we are going to adopt a 4/1/1 tempo. This means you will decelerate (lower) the weight for 4 seconds, pause at the lowest point for 1 second and then accelerate the weight for 1 second returning it to its starting position. Each set you perform should take around 60seconds to complete.
4. Power (4-8 reps, less than 1/2 of your max weight): The purpose of power is to teach your muscles how to move explosively. I usually only recommend hi-intensity power training for athletes, however general populations can also benefit for lower-intensity versions of power training. Power teaches your body how to produce maximal velocity while under tension. You will use lower repetitions (4-6) and lower weights (often just your body-weight). However you will perform the exercise as fast as possible. While power training will make you tired, it is important and unsafe to get this style of training confused with circuit training. Power lifts require skill and complete focus. Therefore you should rest completely between each set or attempt.
   

Stay tuned for more blogs on how to utilize the phases of strength and assemble a program.