by Paul
(Boise)
Nate,
I realize that different things work for different people... but there are so many articles that promote the high reps method, and then just as many that say it needs to be heavy weight.
So in your opinion, what is the best way to train?
ANSWER:
Paul,
Well I'll assume you're asking which is better for putting on muscle mass.
My opinion is that lifting heavy is far superior for gaining muscle. My argument for this is that Ronnie Coleman, who has won more titles than anyone, trains with extremely heavy weights.
Also, Arnold was an advocate of heavy training. It only makes sense that your muscles will really only grow in response to workloads they're not used to.
Basically, you need to be lifting a little more weight than your previous workout each time to really pack on muscle.
Lifting heavy and using fairly low reps really is the fastest way to build muscle.
One thing to keep in mind though... Low reps for your upper and lower body are two different things.
Arnold taught that to really stimulate the fibers in your legs, you needed to do at least 15-20 reps, while low reps for upper body exercises is somewhere between 3-8.
The best advice I have aside from giving you a complete training routine is to just use a workout journal and write down how much weight you use and then try to beat that by a little in your next workout.
Good luck-