Personal Training
Rep Ranges and Salsa Burgers
Thank you all so much for your comments on my fitness journey. I truly appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.
Going into these last 10 days before my show, I am flooded with that small nervous feeling in my stomach. excited, yes, but of course nervous. I know everything will come together and I know I have to stay focused. The physical work is done. I have spent the last 3 months building my body and now is when the mental work comes into play. My work is done…this is the time that nutrition matters the most. Because of the nutrition changes in these last 10 days, there is not the typical heavy lifting because my body simply does not have enough energy to do so. Yes, I am still lifting, but just a little different routine. These last 10 days are all about nutrition.
It is also this time that I am so incredibly thankful for those in my life who support me no matter what. Not everyone will be in line with your hobby and what you choose to do, but no matter what they should be in support of you. There are people in my life who aren’t so ‘gung-ho’ about the fact that I compete, however I know that the day of the show, they will be there. The week before the show they will always check in and see how I am doing. The 2 months before show when I can’t drink? They don’t even question it. On the other side of the spectrum, I always have to remember I CHOSE to do this. I can’t make others feel bad, and blame the fact that I can’t have that slice of pizza on someone else. No one is to blame but me. We always have to remember that we are in control of our choices. If someone else is controlling choices in your life for you, this could turn into a negative spiral
These last 10 days is all about positive energy. Surrounding myself with positive people, supportive people, friends and family and, staying focused. I went into this show with a bit of a new goal at hand, and throughout it all, I always constantly remind myself that I CAN ACHIEVE IT.
My mind is right, my head is right, and now I have to let the next 10 days take its course.
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Last night for dinner I had the most simple, yet delicious lean ground beef burger I have made in a while. Maybe it was because I utilized the grill, maybe it was because this week anything tastes good? But either way, it was delicious and so incredibly simple!
Grilled Brussels sprouts (simple with pepper and olive oil spray in the grill) and lean ground beef burgers!
Salsa Burgers
- 1/2 lb lean ground beef (93/7)
- 1/4-1/3 C no salt added salsa
- 2 T Spicy mustard
- few shakes of Oregano
- Few shakes of TJs 21 Salute Seasoning
Directions
- Mix all ingredients in a small bowl
- Form into either 4 small patties or 2 larger patties
- Grill for about 6 minutes each side or until desired level of ‘doneness’
- Enjoy!
So simple, right? It was so delicious and juicy! Certainly making these again soon!
Speaking of delicious, the other trainer at my gym has been raving about this pizza that he sometimes gets but for the past few days it hasn’t been featured. Well today it was and as odd as it sounded when he described, I have to say, it looked incredible!
Behold the “Pear Pizza” It is just white, no sauce with thin slices of bosc pears. I know, it sounds so odd, right? Well it looked so tasty, I lived vicariously through him and took a picture instead!
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So you want to know the difference between Repetition ranges when working out?
Picking out what repetition ranges to work in when exercising can be confusing for some, but repetition range is actually quite important and an integral part of any exercise program when you are looking to see certain results.
The number of reps you want to choose depends solely on your training goals. I see that the majority of women choose to lift moderate to heavy for anywhere between 8-12 reps. I also see some women lifting very light weights for 15-25 reps and then there are those who lift as heavy as they can for anywhere between 4-6 reps.
So, with all of this said, what is the range that YOU should follow? I think that it is important to work in all three of these rep ranges to constantly shock your body.
Heavy Lifting: (4-6 Reps)
Rest time between sets: 2-4 minutes to give your muscles a good break since lifting this heavy can be very taxing on the body
- This will help you to achieve stronger muscles if building strength is your main goal. Here, you would choose a weight that you can only lift for 4-6 reps (with proper form)
- When you lift in this range, your body is recruiting mostly fast twitch fibers because fast twitch typically are designed to generate shorter bursts of power and contract quickly when you train.
- When you lift heavy, the fast twitch fibers become stronger and learn to generate power faster. This can improve the strength (and sometimes size) of your muscles
- Worry about lifting too heavy? There is no need to worry about ‘getting bulky’ because a woman’s body lacks the amount of testosterone found i a man’s body.
- Trust me, your body will NEVER get ‘bulky’ like a man’s–it is impossible!
Moderate Lifting: (8-12 Reps)
Rest time between sets: 1 min-90 seconds. Try not to rest less than 60 seconds because
your muscles will be too fatigued and you may compromise your form.
- This rep range will help you add a bit of size while improving muscle tone and strength.
- In this rep range your muscles are recruiting both slow AND fast twitch fibers at the same time. The more fibers that you train (in this case the 8-12 reps) the greater number of fibers that your muscles engage. The muscles will in turn, shape up and develop.
Muscle Endurance Lifting: (15-20 Reps)
Rest time between sets: 30 seconds is a good rest time to start with here. This is to help the muscles adapt even faster when it comes to improving their endurance. If you are training for a sport for instance, they will be less likely to tire out. The longer you train your muscles and keep them contracted, the more lactic acid there is that gets built up. You may feel a ‘burn’ when completing a set of endurance lifting. Overtime, your body will adapt and be able to work more efficiently, thus improving their muscular endurance
- Contrary to what some (mostly women) have read in magazines or heard about, lifting lighter weights for many repetitions may help you to feel that ‘burn’ however it does not lean out or add size to your muscles.
- HIgh reps cater more to the slow twitch fibers-those which contract at a much slower (same fibers that are recruited when long distance running vs sprinting–where fast twitch fibers are recruited more) Slow twitch fibers are great for endurance but are not designed to get as big as fast twitch fibers, which is why it is hard to add any size when training in this rep range
- Endurance training will help the body to develop more capillaries (help to deliver more oxygen and nutrients to your muscles) Also helps to strengthen your joints, ligaments and tendons
How should YOU train?
It is very important to dabble in all 3 rep ranges no matter what your goal is to help you get there faster! Training with all 3 methods may help you reach your goal even faster due to the constant shock that you are providing your body. If you rely on 1 method too often, your body will adapt and you want to avoid hitting a plateau, right? Constantly challenging and playing tricks on your muscles is when you see them change, grow and and improve!
Rotate Reps
- You can rotate your rep range more frequently which is a very effective technique to try. Choose 1 rep range and stick to it for 2-4 weeks. After this switch to a different rep range
- You can also change your rep range each week or time you train a specific muscle group.
- Bottom line: There are NO RULES when it comes to reps changes and rotatations. Give something a try and see if you like it! It will keep your workouts fresh, exciting and also will cause your body to avoid hitting a plateau
Use all 3 Rep Ranges in 1 Workout
- Start with a compound exercises in the heavy rep range
- Go right into an exercise that trains the same muscle, but at a different angle, speed, machine, equipment
- Go into a 3rd exercise that isolates the muscle and lets you hit that muscular endurance
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SHOULDERS: Exercise
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Reps
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Sets
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Compound: Shoulder Press
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4-6 reps
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3 sets
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Lateral Raise
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8-12 reps
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3 sets
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Plate Front Raise
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15-20 reps
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3 sets
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GLUTES: Exercise
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Reps
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Sets
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Barbell Squats
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4-6 reps
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4 sets
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Wide stance leg press
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8-12 reps
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4 sets
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Hip Bridges
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15-20 reps
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4 sets
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Hope you learned a little something and are inspired to change up your workout!
Check out my workouts section for a whole slew of upper and lower body workouts as well
as cardio and bodyweight workouts as well!
Questions:
What is the oddest pizza topping you have ever tried?
Do you tend to stick in a certain repetiton range when you train or do you change it up?
