bflax11

To build muscle mass you should be doing high weight for sets of 2-4 reps and occasonaly 6. When you are lifting lower weights for sets of 8-10 reps you are toning and burning fat and not building as much muscle. The ideal situation would be to do a set of lower weight of 10 reps and then work your way up to doing sets of 2-4 reps with a high weight then as a cool down do another set of 10 reps. Similar to what Kyle Harrison does with his bench press, YouTube - Kyle Harrison Lacrosse work-out.

ptriz21

I am trained in this area (through trainning and through exercise physiology class)

Size and Strength
Start with a medium weight and put out around 7 reps. This is a warm up. Go do a set of a DIFFERENT EXERCISE or two. Come back to the original exercise. Increase weight such that you can only put out around 5 reps. You should be really pushing the last rep or two. Go do a set of different exercise. Come back for your last set of the original exercise. Increase the weight such that you can only put out around 3 reps. This whole set should be challenging. Of course you should increase weight as you progress through your program. GO SLOW, dont just slam the weights around. If done right, MOST of the muscle building occurs in the relaxation phase of the exercise. For example, your biceps have to do more work to lower a dumbell slowly and controlled than during the flexing/effort phase. Your relaxation phase should last twice as long as effort phase.

Low weight/high rep is, like many have said, a way to get your muscles leaner. It builds some, not much, muscle and helps to burn fat in combination with cardio workouts. Low weight/high rep will help build muscle endurance.

On that note, muscle endurance is best enhanced with isokinetic (static) work outs. grab some light weights, hold your arms out parallel with ground and keep them there for a minute at a time. Other examples are wall sits and planks.

whew....first post, hello all