The difference between increasing reps and increasing weight

[EnlightenedOne]

What is the difference? When you weightlift is it better to increase repetitions or just lift more weight with the same reps? What different benefits do you get out of each one? Could someone help me here?

[Sanitarium]

Lower reps and higher weight = improves muscle mass

higher reps and lower weight = tones muscles + improves indurance


I think 6-8 reps is the optimum number for muscle mass. Once you can do 10-12, increase the weight again til you can just lift 6-8.

[EnlightenedOne]

Thanks, I was just curious about that. What do you think is better to do for Martial Arts? Because wouldn't you want more endurance thna muscle mass in Martial Arts? Bigger muscle mass would probably slow you down anyways.

[Stigma]

The general concensus is that more weight and less repetitions give you more direct strenght, and more muscle mass, while many lesser repetitions give you more endurance.

The idea that muscle mass slows you down is simply wrong. Big fighters are _not_ nessecarily slower than a small fighters. There many be a tiny shred of truth behind the idea if you get to real extremes, but this isnt relevant since very few people can get the kind of muscle-bulk required to actually hinder your movement (without steroids).

I would say to go with a healthy portion of both in your training routine. explosive strenght is good, but IMO you get more overall return from beeing a good allrounder than only doing one type of traning. Of course, thats just my opinion =) Feel free to ignore it.

[Sanitarium]

Originally Posted by EnlightenedOne

Thanks, I was just curious about that. What do you think is better to do for Martial Arts? Because wouldn't you want more endurance thna muscle mass in Martial Arts? Bigger muscle mass would probably slow you down anyways.

Well think of it this way.

Force = mass x acceleration.

By improving either mass, or speed, you increase punching power. Explosive strength contributes to your speed, big muscles increase mass.

The more mass you put on, the harder it is for your muscles to extend your limbs at the same speed BUT this is counterbalanced by the extra strength generated by the muscle mass. However I'd say that at extremes, it starts to become less balanced, and you get slower. But only at extremes. If you keep your fat content down and keep putting on lean, powerful muscle, you'll stay just as fast.

I think a mixture of both is best, endurance work goes hand in hand with cardio so you can last longer and fight more efficiently. But putting on mass is important as an easy route to increasing strength.

[EnlightenedOne]

So will using free weights increase mass too? Or will that just make endurance better? For instance, machine bench press compared to free weight bench press.

[Sanitarium]

Whether you increase mass or not depends on the strain on the muscle, if you use heavy free weights and low reps, there doesn't seem to be a reason that you won't gain mass.

But with free weights, you exercise other, smaller muscles, ones that stabilise you, that wouldn't be used using say, a machine. Which is why I'd recommend any MAist to use free weights.

[shredder]

Generally getting stronger will have more carryover to endurance than vice versa.