Q: I have been working out using 12 reps for the past couple of weeks and the weight is getting easy. Is it better to increase the reps and use the same weight or increase the weight?
A: Increase the weight. No matter what your goals are it is almost always better to increase the weight. The only time I would not increase the weight is when the increase in weight is causing an injury/pain. Which very rarely it is the weight that is causing the injury/pain, usually the injury/pain is caused by poor form or poor joint mobility.
By increasing the weight you challenge your muscles to work harder and use more muscle fibers. By getting more muscle fibers involved you will gain more strength, build more muscle tissue (Women you will not get bulky by doing this.), gain more definition, and burn more calories (Both from the extra work you're doing and from the increase in muscle tissue that you are building. This causes your metabolism to increase and helps you burn more fat.) You also should consider decreasing your reps and adding even more weight to avoid a strength plateau.
If you were to only increase the reps you will not get the same effect. This is because of the type of muscle fibers involved. By increasing the reps you will be activating the Type I fibers, which are endurance fibers and have a low power output. Resulting in you not looking any leaner or more defined. By using heavier weight you will activate the Type II fibers which have a high energy output and are designed for strength. By activating the Type II fibers you will increase their cross sectional diameter, which does not happen when you train Type I fibers, and this causes your muscles to look more defined and you to look leaner.
Have a Great Day!
Josh
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