HIGH REPS, LIGHT WEIGHT - DOES IT WORK?

🎙️ Hello, everybody! Today, we’re diving into training, the toning myth, and a little heads-up for the next episode. But first... 🚨

👉 The next podcast is going to be all about cholesterol in midlife 🧬—because this topic has come up twice in the last week with female friends and clients. Their LDL (a.k.a. the "bad" cholesterol) is suddenly elevated, and they’re concerned about it.

💡 So, in the next episode, I’ll explain:
✔️ Why cholesterol changes in midlife 🕰️
✔️ How to read your bloodwork 🩸 to assess real heart risk ❤️
✔️ The advanced cholesterol tests 🏥 to ask your doctor for (they're simple, cheap, but not standard!)

🔜 That’s for next time. But today... let’s talk about the toning myth! 💪

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🚀 Muscle is the New Sexy!

I love that building muscle is finally fashionable! Young people want to be buff now, especially women, which is fantastic. But… there's still this old-school approach:

🗣️ "I’ll do light weight, more reps so I don’t get too big!"

This used to be super popular—and still is among midlifers. Why? 🤔 Because many have spent most of their lives trying to lose weight and fear doing anything that might make them bigger.

🔎 But here’s the reality:
A pound of muscle is about a third the size of a pound of fat 🥩—so if you gain five pounds of muscle, you’ll actually be smaller! 📏

 

🎯 The "Lightweight, High Reps" Trap

People say: "I want to be lean and toned, so I do high reps with light weights."
I get why they think that works, but here’s the truth bomb 💥—it doesn’t work the way they think.

💡 Let’s talk about hypertrophy. That’s the process of building and shaping your muscles.

📌 Key fact: Hypertrophy happens in a rep range of 6 to 30 reps—yes, even high reps can build muscle! But here’s the catch:

✔️ If you're doing lightweight, high reps, you still must go close to failure. 😮‍💨
✔️ That means stopping with only 2-5 reps left in the tank.
✔️ Most people aren't doing that. Instead, they stop way too soon. 😬

Result? They spend forever in the gym ⏳ doing boring workouts 😴 and not getting the toned, sculpted body they want.

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🚫 Why the Typical "Toning" Approach Fails

Most people doing lightweight, high reps:
❌ Are using isolation exercises (inner thigh machine, tricep pushdowns, etc.) 🤦‍♀️
❌ Are not going close to failure 🚫
❌ Are not using compound movements like squats, deadlifts, or rows 🏋️‍♀️

💥 And that’s why they’re not getting results! 💥

If you want a tight, lean, muscular body with definition—you need real resistance training.

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🏋️‍♀️ What Actually Works?

👉 Heavier weights, lower reps (8-12 range), and lifting close to failure.

And here’s the best part: You won’t get bigger! (Especially if you’re over 40.) 🚀

📌 Let’s bust another myth:
If you lift heavier in that 8-12 rep range—but don’t eat excess calories—you won’t bulk up. The size comes from fat, not muscle.

✔️ If you want definition, lift in that 8-12 rep range 🎯
✔️ Occasionally mix in 30-rep sets (but don’t rely on them!)
✔️ Avoid wasting time with endless, mindless reps.

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🏆 Want Strength? Do This Instead

If your goal is strength 🏆 (not muscle growth), you’ll want to:
✔️ Go SUPER heavy 🏋️‍♀️
✔️ Train in the 3-5 rep range 🔥
✔️ Take long rest periods (2-5 minutes) between sets

💡 That’s how powerlifters train!

And guess what? Some of the strongest people out there are tiny—because strength ≠ size.

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🔥 The Biggest Gym Mistakes

🚫 People waste decades doing the wrong type of training for their goals.
🚫 They don’t know their body type (ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph) 🧬
🚫 They don’t adjust nutrition for their specific body type 🍽️

For example:
⚠️ Ectomorphs (naturally lean) shouldn’t be fasting 🚫
⚠️ Endomorphs (easier weight gain) can do carb cycling

📌 And guess what? If your body proportions aren’t suited to certain exercises, you might be wasting time on movements that don’t work for YOU.

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🎯 Bottom Line: Train SMART, Not Just Hard!

🏋️‍♀️ If you want a defined, strong, sculpted body, you need:
✔️ A proper training plan 📊
✔️ The right rep range for your goal
✔️ Smart nutrition based on your body type

⏳ Stop wasting time. Get specific. Follow a plan that works. And make training fun!

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🚀 Muscle Month Starts Soon! Join Me!

💥 March 16th - April 12th 💥

👉 This is for people who want to:
✅ Build muscle and stay lean
✅ Learn specific training strategies
✅ Actually understand how to train for THEIR body

📢 All sessions are recorded 🎥 and available for 6 months—so you don’t have to attend live!

🔥 Join me at MuscleMonth.com! I’m in my element coaching this program, and I’d love to have you there!