Originally Posted by jazzy_cyclist
Danno -- so how do you do weights without bulking up? I've been going to the gym a few weeks now since we are only getting many less "rideable" days here in New England.
I've been doing mostly core-related things like back extensions, ab machines, leg curls, leg presses, squats, etc. I was happy with having lost weight during the season, but I am seem to be gaining some of it back! Should I be aiming for heavy weights w/ few reps or light weights/max reps?
If you're looking to gain mass and bulk up, you'll have to lift heavier weights with less reps. BUT if you're looking at muscle maintenance and muscular endurance, then you'll be looking to do lighter weights with more reps. I get the feeling you want the muscular endurance, so focus on light weights and more reps. So, for instance, if you do leg curls, and you're wanting muscular endurance, and you find that 70 pounds is not too heavy, then you can do 3- 4 sets of 12- 15 reps, and if you do 12 reps, by the time you get to the 9th rep, you should feel fatigues, and by the 12th rep, you should feel like you have to work very hard to get that weight through the full motion of the exercise. If you decide to shoot for 15 reps, by the time you hit that 12th rep, you should feel some fatigue in the muscle, and when you get to the 15th rep, you'll feel like you have to work to get that last rep out.
Working out with light weights doesn't mean it's easy, but it does mean that you're focusing on fatigue through repetition, not through the heaviness of the weight.
Koffee