Mixing Low and Hi Reps in the Same Workout

Most gym goers working toward building muscle have heard the verbiage, "more weight, low reps for mass" and "less weight, hi reps for definition". This is basically true, however you can certainly add mass using low weights and high reps just as you can obtain definition using low reps and heavy weight. Most of your results will depend on workout intensity and form along with the right diet.

For the average weight trainer looking to build lean muscle, combining both philosophies in the same session can be a great way to change up your routine for better results. Studies show that the body will burn more calories after a workout using heavy weights for low reps and the body burns more calories during exercise using light weight for higher reps.

Get the best of both worlds by training heavy early in your sets and light at the end. For example, let's say you are going to do 4 sets of bench press. The first two sets focus on using heavier weight for a rep range of 6-8 reps. The final two sets drop the weight so that you can do 12-15 reps.