1. [Home](https://www.workoutsmart.com/) 2. [Ask Dan](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan) 3. [Weight Training](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training) Weight Training # All of a sudden my reps have been reduced to 12-15. In the past, they… The question All of a sudden my reps have been reduced to 12-15. In the past, they have all been 20 or so. Is this correct? I am doing the "get lean" program, and have had good results so far. I am in week 5. Why the sudden reduction in reps, when the weight amount has stayed the same?? Dan's answer Dan Wirth, MA, CSCS Hello, Your reps have been reduced this week because you are on week 5, and week 5 is a download week in your chosen 12 Week Training Schedule. The download week serves as an active recovery period after completing a specific length of harder training. During this week, the weights and/or reps will be reduced. You have been training hard for a month now, and even though you may not feel like you need a recovery week, getting some rest in now will allow you to maximize your recovery and prepare for the next month of training. Remember, each week is different. Some weeks are easy and some weeks are brutally hard. You need to follow the way these workouts are laid out if you want to maximize your gains and prevent overtraining. Dan designed the periodization models the Wave Engine runs. See how the Wave Engine turns his programming rules into your workouts. [How the Wave Engine works](https://www.workoutsmart.com/wave-engine) ## More in Weight Training - [After I gave my weight and strength info. I noticed your program designed for me for the Body Mass a medium weiight -high repetition style workout. For example, my maximum bench is around 360 and I do 5 or so reps with 315,but your bench routine calls for me to do around 15 reps with 200,180,etc. Will this help me build mass? Perhaps it will. Since I can gain decent muscle mass with medium-heavy weight in the 8-12 rep range but then I plateua out on the size gains.But my strength does keep increasing. So will the higher reps and lower weight instead produce better muscle size and density? But will I loose strength,doing it this way. Such as on my bench press. Sometime I notice I loose strength when I try high rep routines here and there. What is the happy medium? Especially since I do need to loose the fat at the same time. I have been doing aerobics after my workouts,not excessively,which have been working, but again my size gains are stahled. Again perhaps this is another reason for yourhugher rep's lower weight routine for me. But again will it still allow for strength and size and fat loss simulatneously?](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training/after-i-gave-my-weight/337) - [I finished my first workout yesterday, and am completely sore all over today. Should I just workout through the soreness?](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training/i-finished-my-first-workout/40) - [Is working out one muscle group a day enough to gain weight and strength. and howmuch rest would i need For example Day 1 Legs Day 2 Arms Day 3 Chest Day 4 Shoulders Day 5 Back](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training/is-working-out-one-muscle/1712) - [I am a college football player who last summer used a four times a week lifting program very similar to yours. The program, which I followed down to the last detail, left me no stronger or faster than I was before. After the season finished this year, I have been doing a 3 times a week program similar to what I did in high school. I have made surprising gains in my strength. The program goes as follows: MON- BENCH, HANG CLEAN, DIPS, AB WORK WED-INCLINE BENCH, SQUAT, NARROW GRIP CHIN-UPS, AB WORK FRI- BENCH, HANG CLEAN, WIDE GRIP CHIN UPS, AB WORK My question to you is that because I'm making gains with this program should I stick with it or go back to the 4 day a week program? What else can I be doing to make me faster and stronger?](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training/i-am-a-college-football/221) - [Sorry to bother you again (there was a misunderstanding with the last email), but what i was asking is weither you think it's better to do the regular workouts with chest, shoulders, triceps one day, back and biceps anothor. Or is it better to workout every second day and do you back with triceps and your chest and shoulders with biceps. I felt that i have more arm strength with the latter way because my tri's and bi's aren't tired out from doing exercises where they are the secondary muscles. p.s. Your programs work like magic. They almost force you to workout properly even if you don't know what you're doing. I've got a dozen of my friends using your program now and they dig it too. thanks for your time](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training/sorry-to-bother-you-again/1581) ## Train on the programs Dan writes. [Start 14 days free](https://www.workoutsmart.com/signup)