Intelligent Fitness

Should I use free weights or machines?

The debate between free weights and machines has been going on since the very first machine was introduced. Both are excellent tools for development. The bottom line is this – either, if done properly, safely and consistently will give you results. Machines are known for their controlled motions, which is ideal for the novice, injured or undemanding exerciser. However, there are many variables in machines and they may tempt you to redirect your resistance and lighten your load at the greatest points of leverage, decreasing their effectiveness. Free weights, on the other hand, are an excellent way for you to get your muscles to work independently. This is important in the development of primary and secondary muscles. However, an uneducated exerciser can show increased risk of injury with the use of free weights and the stress they can put on joints in complete range of motion movements. Ideally, a program that incorporates both will keep your workout fresh and enable you to get maximum results.

How many sets should I do?

The number of sets that you will need to do will depend on whether you are strength training, endurance training, your body type and recuperative abilities are. When you strength train, you are using heavier weight to stress the muscle. Therefore, you will require fewer sets to condition the muscle. When you are training for muscular endurance, you are training the muscle to continue working past the point of fatigue and under conditions of reduced oxygen. This type of training is typically done with more sets and less weight is used. Your body type and recuperative abilities are also very important. Depending as to whether you are big and burly or lean and muscular will also determine whether or not you will need more or less sets. If your muscles are sore for days and days after you have trained your body, you may be using too many sets. Watch closely how your body feels after you have weight trained so that you can determine if you should do more sets or less sets to pursue your program goals.

How much weight is good to develop a big back?

Hopefully, your parents were kind enough to pass on the genetic abilities for you to develop the back that you are looking to develop. If not, you will be faced with much hard work, effort and energy to develop a big, developed back. In order to do this, you will need to use weight heavy enough that you can perform safely for six to eight reps. This weight will be 75-90% of your one rep maximum lift.Or, a better way to determine this is to use a weight that you can handle SAFELY for 6- 8 repetitons.  At the point that you complete your 6th, 7th, or 8th rep, you would be able to complete no more.  This is weight that is best used for hypertrophy. 

 It is also important to remember that you should not use weight that is too heavy, causing you to sacrifice safe exercise execution. Keep in mind that when you are lifting heavy to put on muscular size (essentialy trying to recruit as much red and white muscle fiber as possible) you will need the proper rest and nutrition to give your body the products it needs to recuperate and develop.

For the Hard Gainer or ectomorph, it is suggested to use a ligher weight for up to 12 repetitions.  An ectomorph is priimarily a red fiber being anyway.  Hence, this type of person has more red then white muscle fiber and responds better to lighter movements performed slower and more controlled. 

Contact us for more information on what type of weight and rep scheme would wrok best for YOU!

What kind of rep range is good for someone who is trying to put on size?

Individuals who are pursuing muscular size as their goal is most likely training with weight that is between 75-90% of their one rep maximum. Determining what your one rep maximum can sometimes be dangerous. To combat this and to keep consistent with the annals of conventional training principles for muscular size, the rep range that one should use will be 6-8 reps with a weight that you can handle with flawless execution and that you can do NO MORE than 8 reps. 

Remember, if you are trying to put on size, the number of sets you use, how often you train, and your specific body type are contributing factors to your success. Make sure that you are not over-training the body by using too many sets or working the muscle before it has recovered from your last session.