Just one more thing that might help when determining the best routine for yourself.



A lower weight (but still challenging) done at higher reps, promotes muscle/weight gain.
This is a case of where you "pump" the muscle, in a sense.

A medium weight, done at 6-8 reps, promotes some weight gain, but good power improvement as well.

High weight, at low reps, promotes almost strictly power gain.



It's just something I've come across recently as being beneficial to know.

I've been trying to keep my weight (body weight) up, but increasing the weight being lifted and thus decreasing the volume, meant a loss of body weight - despite my feeling a lot stronger.

I find when I focus on lower weights and high rep for most of the exercises: overhead press, incline press, squats, snatches, clean and jerks etc.

But for the compound lifts, the deadlift, and the bench press, to do triangle sets, starting at lower weight, but working up to high weight low rep - I find I can maintain bodyweight and see a good improvement in power gain also.

I started doing the deadlift at I think 80 or 90 kilo's.
Now i'm at 140 (low reps)

Started bench at 70 kilos, now at 100 (again, low reps)