why different results

[theletch1]

Erica and I have been lifting together for around a month now to augment our aikido training, improve our general health and spend time together doing something fun. We each have different specific goals for our lifting though and with the help of an excellent trainer are already beginning to see results. My question is this...can anyone explain to me why (physiologically) results differ due to high weight low reps/low weight high reps? Also, why does recovery time between sets make such a difference. I'm working to bulk up so I'm doing sets of 8-10 reps with a weight that makes me push for the last rep and she's looking to "tone" so she's doing sets of 15 that make her push for the last rep. She will rest for 1 minute between sets while I've been told to wait 2 to 3 min between. We both get an excellent "pump" from our workout and only mild soreness the day after. Our energy level the rest of the week is up even more than when we were just doing the aikido alone.

The whole point of the question, I guess, is just to satisfy my curiosity. As I said, we're already seeing results and I've had nothing but good reports about my trainer (gym provided) so I'm not questioning his tactics. I just like to understand why things work the way they do.

edit: Forgot to mention that there are some exercises that we'll both do 15 reps per set on that only work very small muscle groups or are meant to pre-fatigue a certain body part. My back is still not 100% from falling off that roof in '04 so my leg day is almost a micro-management point for HR (the trainer) and he has me prefatigue the legs so that it doesn't take as much weight to give my legs a good work out.

 

[Hannya]

From what I understand the rest times are either meant to be short to keep your heartrate up (during toning) , or long breaks so you can lift 100% again. Also when you push for that last rep while bulking its should be almost to physical failure to get that last rep out, hers is more of mind over matter "OMG my muscles burn like hell, but I can do this last 5".

I try and do a little of both and pyramid my lifting for 5 sets, 4 sets with increasing weight each time also increasing my rest time, then I do my last set back to back heaviest 6 reps, lightest 15 reps. What I've been told is do what works for you, everyone different and theres a billion different workout routines. I see you got a personal trainer so he should guide you in the right direction.

The energy boost I didn't really notice until about a month in. I just felt better about so many things, so its hard to say where it specifically came from. Now I'm trying to convince everyone I see to join the gym Anyways, congrats on your results so far bro, hope you achieve everything you want

 

[Shirt Ripper]

Erica and I have been lifting together for around a month now to augment our aikido training, improve our general health and spend time together doing something fun. We each have different specific goals for our lifting though and with the help of an excellent trainer are already beginning to see results. My question is this...can anyone explain to me why (physiologically) results differ due to high weight low reps/low weight high reps? Also, why does recovery time between sets make such a difference. I'm working to bulk up so I'm doing sets of 8-10 reps with a weight that makes me push for the last rep and she's looking to "tone" so she's doing sets of 15 that make her push for the last rep. She will rest for 1 minute between sets while I've been told to wait 2 to 3 min between. We both get an excellent "pump" from our workout and only mild soreness the day after. Our energy level the rest of the week is up even more than when we were just doing the aikido alone.

The whole point of the question, I guess, is just to satisfy my curiosity. As I said, we're already seeing results and I've had nothing but good reports about my trainer (gym provided) so I'm not questioning his tactics. I just like to understand why things work the way they do.

edit: Forgot to mention that there are some exercises that we'll both do 15 reps per set on that only work very small muscle groups or are meant to pre-fatigue a certain body part. My back is still not 100% from falling off that roof in '04 so my leg day is almost a micro-management point for HR (the trainer) and he has me prefatigue the legs so that it doesn't take as much weight to give my legs a good work out.

Different muscle fibers differ in how they work and respond to stress. Changing how long muscles have to "come back" in terms of their energy supply will also effect your rest period and the effect the training has on the muscles. Ask you trainer, he should be able to break it down pretty well for. I don't want to contradict too much of what he says.

Sounds you have a fairly solid overall program. Beginners in the weightroom?

I wouldn't, however, have you rest that long. Your both simply building muscle, the difference is how hard one is working and the amount of conditioning going on. If I train maximal effort for maximal strength and you train for hypertrophy and she trains for "toning," which is a made up term as most people use it...we are all doing to same thing; stressing the muscles resulting in three things. The first is neural adaptation, the second building strength and the third is building muscle. The differences come with the variances in our training that cause different stress to the body.

Does you trainer have a profile on the clubs website or something? Just curious.