
Should I Use Heavy Or Light Weights?
If your fitness goal is to build muscle mass, then you should opt for heavier weights. Not only that, but you should periodically increase weight to keep your muscles challenged.
If your goal is to increase healthy muscle tone, but not see any drastic increase in mass, then keep with lighter weights.
How Many Reps Should I Do?
Again, this depends on your goals. For those who are striving to increase muscle mass and bulk, fewer reps is ideal. If you simply want to maintain healthy tone, more reps is better.
So remember, heavier weights with fewer reps is what will build and increase muscle mass. You want to move slowly, as well. An ideal number of reps for increasing muscle gains is 4 to 6.
If your goal is to simply have healthy, lean and toned arms then keep weights light and do lots of reps. A good amount is 14 - 16 reps.
It is also important to increase weight if you are trying to increase results. Too many people get frustrated when they aren't seeing results, and it's because they aren't challenging themselves.
In order to see increased gains in muscle, strength and endurance, you must increase your efforts. If you are doing the same routine, with the same weights and the same reps, day after day you will only maintain your current level. If you want more, you have to do more.
Increase your weights. If you aren't struggling a little with your last two reps, you aren't challenging yourself.
If you are feeling like you have hit a fitness plateau and aren't making progress, consider consulting a personal trainer. He or she may suggest you increase your weight, slow down or do fewer reps. Sometimes, the answer is to change up your routine and do some completely different moves.
Overall fitness means challenging yourself, trying new things and proper nutrition. The Downtown Athletic Club in Amarillo is a full-service gym with weight training, a variety of classes and equipment and personal trainers who can help take you to the next level in fitness by providing you with a custom workout to get you results faster.