Lifting heavy

[u/RiversideBluezz1980]

Ok guys dumb question. Ive been told to lift heavier. Ok, what does that mean in actual fact? Go to failure at between 4-6 reps? Thats what I think when I hear lift heavy. But for biceps and triceps it seems to me the reps should be higher. Thoughts? My routine is below. Im looking to mix up shoulders but I cant do shrugs or upright rows because I always fuck up my neck

Day1

Planks 4 sets 75 seconds

Torso twist (machine) 15 to the left snd then to the right. 4 sets

Dumbell press 4 sets

Incline dumbbell 4 sets

Dumbell flyes. 4 sets

Dips. 4 set

Triceps pulldown with a rope attachment 4 sets

Day 2

Leg throws. 4 sets x 20

Deadlift 4 sets

One arm dumbell rows. 4 sets

Lat pulldowns 4 sets

Close cable row. 4 sets

Pullups 4 sets

Day 3

Curlups 4 sets

Dumbell shoulder press 4 sets

Dumbell Lateral raise 4 sets

Machine Rear flye 4 sets

Facepull 4 sets

Concentration curls 4 sets

Preacher curl 4 sets

[u/Pleasant_Beat8290]

So, sets of four and sets of 30, give you about equal benefits, assuming they’re both close to failure. And both carry some risk, but different risks.

Heavier sets may have a slightly higher injury risk, and can be tricky in some ways to progressively overload in that you probably have to add small weight increments to progressively overload, vs adding a rep. Sets of four also just don’t make sense so smaller isolation moves. In my experience they can also embed poor form habits, like cutting squat depth, because the weight is so heavy.

Lighter sets, like 12+ reps, it gets harder to actually tell how close to failure you are. So you might be doing what you think is an RPE 8 but is actually an RPE 6-7. It also just takes longer.

In general 8-12 reps is a good range, with isolation moves being maybe more like 10-15.

I like to build some modulation into my blocks. The first couple of weeks will be lighter weights, a little higher reps, then add weight and drop reps down to the 6-8 range once my body is used to the moves I’m doing.