Should I alternate high reps and low reps, and how should I do this?

[Anonymous]

I have one or two rest days a week, and I useually try to work upper body one day and lower the next. Some days I can push a lot more weight, so I kind of just adjust my reps and volume to how I am feeling. I work my abs every other day.
Anyway, I usually take on an all or nothing approach and I try to work until failure. This approach has left my body is knots and I'm really feeling it today. I know what DOMS are, and this just feels different.
So I've done some research, and trainers suggest splitting it up. Say, if I do high reps with very low weight or even just body weight on one of my secluded body days, and then focus on moving more weight with less reps the next. Would this help me keep gaining and toning?

[Theguyoverthere]

Alternating rep ranges works wonders for many different reasons. 1 big reason is I feel that it helps eliminate stress and such in your situation.

If you do decide to alternate the rep ranges just make sure you're feeling the reps and getting the burn in those ranges. If you do decide to use heavier weight at lower reps just keep your joints in mind because a lot of people who do heavy weight and low reps will tell you their joints hurt after a while. So if you're squatting with heavy weight, keep your knees in mind and such.

I also notice you mentioned going to failure. If you want to work those rep ranges alternating you can simply just do a "Burn out" set on your final set and rep out the last set, strip the weight a little, rep out more, and repeat until the weight is none.

If these don't work you just might be due for a "deload week" as well. Many people have differing opinions on how to though. A lot of people will do 50% of the normal weight at regular reps just to keep in the habit of going to the gym. You'll feel like you got "nothing done" but you're deloading. Or you can just do a "cardio week" to deload or simply not workout at all for a week. Gym goers hate the idea of doing this though when they're determined to keep progressing.

[Asker]

Yes, this is why I'm trying to alternate my reps. I really hate leaving the gym not feeling sore because it feels like I've done nothing. But I do notice that if I just get a slight burn on one day, then I can go back the next day which I've scheduled for that particular muscle group and can really push my limits. I'm still just so concerned about slowing my progress. But being a woman, I suppose it would be good to do low volume weights too and pilates-like moves on some days, just so I can tone those muscles instead of just gaining mass.
The burn out sets you mentioned look like something I want to try. I've heard of these "20 rep squats" and they're meant to blast you. Some people say they do a weight stripping method for them.
Thanks a lot for the advice!

[Shaft50]

It sounds like you're going the right way about it, but try to break it up a bit further by working on more areas, dedicating those to a particular day, for example:
Day 1: Arms;
Day 2: Legs;
Day 3: Back and Shoulders;
Day 4: Abs and chest;
Day 5: Cardio and plyometrics.
Also, it helps to invest in a foam roller, to work out the 'knots' (more often than not, the knots you are feeling is actually your fascia seizing up, trying to protect the muscle underneath), which can be done just after a workout.
From my experience too, try going 2-4 weeks with the same routine and then switching it up, keep your body guessing so that it doesn't become conditioned to the same exercises.

[Asker]

I never really use a routine, but it's something I know I should be doing. So I'm going to make one today and start it next week. But when trying to alternate exercises, can I always keep doing some of the same ones? Say for legs, can I always keep squatting in every routine, but change up other leg exercises?
My gym has a foam roller, so I'll start using that for sure. Thanks heaps!

[Shaft50]

Yeah, you can keep squatting, but change your style of squats: Sum squats, dynamic squats, weighted squats, static squats, squat to the song "Flower" by Moby... have a listen and you'll get it... ;-)

[opugh93]

yes, try doing the method you mentioned with doing high reps/low weights one day, and doing low rep/high weights the next. you don't want to over train.

[Phoenix98]

The high rep low weight deal is a myth if you want to tone you do low reps high weight, and you lose fat weight. In other words just do strength training and lose fat weight.