here's a question for someone really intelligent.

[Mystic Eric]

ok, we all know that we can't "shape" a muscle, or do high reps for toning. but like some people i talk to say that you can build different "qualities" of muscle. like i was thinking and it does rather make sense. like have you noticed how powerlifters have muscles that are really blocky and bad looking? and they all train within the 1-4 rep range. but body builders tend to train in a higher rep range. so some of the "trainers" that i've talked to say lower reps do build muscle, but just not as good quality. is there any truth is this? i feel that i'll have some good responses from chris mason and mac...

[chris mason]

Yet another B.S. myth. What are they talking about? Quality muscle? Both higher and lower reps will build your muscle if it is subjected to more than it can momentarily handle. The fast and intermediate twitch fibers are believed by some scientists to be more prone to hypertrophy (growth). So, that being said, lower reps (I would guess this to be <10) should promote a little better response in terms of growth. The shape of a powerlifter's muscles are due to his genes, not his training. Let's consider Bill Kazmier, he had a physique that looked more like a bodybuilder than a power athlete in his heyday, and yet he was one of the strongest men who ever lived. Now, let's consider Fred Hatfield, he squatted with over 1000lbs, but certainly didn't look like a bodybuilder in doing so. Both men were champion powerlifters, but with very different looking bodies. I think that alone ruins the theory of the people whom you are talking to. The trainers you are speaking with, as usual, don't know what they are talking about. I have always considered myself more of a bodybuilder, but I have almost always trained with lower reps. I built plenty of muscle (I would like to think attractive muscle---if you remove a little fat). I think you should follow the advice in my article, do one set with low reps, and the next set with higher reps and that way you have covered your bases.

[Paul Stagg]

A BIG factor to remember is bf %, as well.

Most of the PLers folks see are the heavys and superheavy's, and most of them carry a pretty high bf%, compared to bbers.

Kaz didn't - he was always pretty lean.

Also, another way to cover your bases is periodization. You won't be able to perform the same lift in the same rep range and progress indefinately. One way to continue progression is to change your rep range.

I just completed a lifting cycle where I lifted predominately in the 4-8 rep range. My gains on most lifts have now stalled in that range, so I'll adjust my training to incorporate some higer reps (8-12). I'll continue getting stronger, just in a different rep range. The higer reps also give joints and nerulogical systems a bit of a break.

Remember, too, that you don't have to periodize your entire body the same way all the time - for some bodyparts you can be going low reps, and for others higer reps.

[Maki Riddington]

Well said Paul!!!!!!

[Paladyr]

A BIG factor to remember is bf %, as well.

Most of the PLers folks see are the heavys and superheavy's, and most of them carry a pretty high bf%, compared to bbers.

Kaz didn't - he was always pretty lean.

Also, another way to cover your bases is periodization. You won't be able to perform the same lift in the same rep range and progress indefinately. One way to continue progression is to change your rep range.

I just completed a lifting cycle where I lifted predominately in the 4-8 rep range. My gains on most lifts have now stalled in that range, so I'll adjust my training to incorporate some higer reps (8-12). I'll continue getting stronger, just in a different rep range. The higer reps also give joints and nerulogical systems a bit of a break.

Remember, too, that you don't have to periodize your entire body the same way all the time - for some bodyparts you can be going low reps, and for others higer reps.

Bingo!!!!

[dxiw]

ditto

[BigCorey75]

it also can depend on the way a person trains.

power lifters tend to do alot more squats and deadlifts that bodybuilders. Also powerlifters tend to use a wider stance and this leads to alot of hip development and usually wider and thicker abs and can lead to a more H shape than an X frame.

also powerlifters also tend to carry a higher bodyfat percentage than bodybuilder.

also because of constant heavy lifting and eating muscles of powerlifters tend to be alot thicker than a bodybuilder with this and along with a higher bodyfat kinda makes powerlifters to tend to have a blocky shape, but there are lots of lean powerlifters nowadays who look like bodybuilders

[Killa Kurt]

A BIG factor to remember is bf %, as well.

Most of the PLers folks see are the heavys and superheavy's, and most of them carry a pretty high bf%, compared to bbers.

Kaz didn't - he was always pretty lean.

Also, another way to cover your bases is periodization. You won't be able to perform the same lift in the same rep range and progress indefinately. One way to continue progression is to change your rep range.

I just completed a lifting cycle where I lifted predominately in the 4-8 rep range. My gains on most lifts have now stalled in that range, so I'll adjust my training to incorporate some higer reps (8-12). I'll continue getting stronger, just in a different rep range. The higer reps also give joints and nerulogical systems a bit of a break.

Remember, too, that you don't have to periodize your entire body the same way all the time - for some bodyparts you can be going low reps, and for others higer reps.

It all depends on what your training for, if your training for strength, i can confirm that you can do low resp 1-4 for as long as u want.....i did 3 rep sets for bench for about 3-4 months, and my bench went from 275-360 in that period, at the time i was still gaining.

[Behemoth]

It all depends on what your training for, if your training for strength, i can confirm that you can do low resp 1-4 for as long as u want.....i did 3 rep sets for bench for about 3-4 months, and my bench went from 275-360 in that period, at the time i was still gaining.

So in 3 more months you'll be benching 445?