Want to lift weights but don’t know where to start? You scroll through your Instagram feed looking for guidance, but all you see is fitness influencers touting ideas that you either lift big or don’t care about.
That’s a little intimidating and disappointing, right? But like most exercise and health, it’s not that simple.
I’m an exercise scientist (former federal powerlifting medalist and Olympic weightlifting national champion) who studies resistance training (also known as weightlifting). Studies show that lifting smaller weights and doing more repetitions (or “reps” in gym parlance) can play a role, but it all depends on your goals.
In short, if your goal is to build serious strength and bone density, lifting heavy is an efficient way to do it. If you don’t like , don’t think that light lifting is a complete waste of time.
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Wait: What do you mean by “heavy” or “light”?
What is heavy for one person may be easy for another.
In resistance training, weight load or “weight” is often expressed as a percentage of “maximum 1 repetition” (often shortened to “1RM”).
One repetition maximum is the heaviest load you can lift. one time.
Approximately 80% of one maximum repetition is often defined as “high intensity” or heavy lifting.
Approximately 40% or less of one maximum iteration is often defined as “low intensity.”
In other words, lifting 80% of your maximum reps will allow you about 8 reps.
The more reps, the less accurate the relationship.
However, some estimates predict that you can do about 20 iterations at 60% of the maximum number of iterations per one (depending on the person, of course).
It is worth remembering that not everyone can You lift heavy, perhaps because of age, injury, or simply being unfamiliar with the gym.
But the important thing is that if you train at a lower intensity, say 40% of your maximum reps in one, you need to do more reps to get a positive effect.
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Advantages of carrying heavy objects
lifting loads ranging from 40% to 80% of the maximum number of iterations for one It has been shown to elicit improvements in muscle mass (hypertrophy).However, research show To maximize strength, you need to lift higher loads.
High-intensity exercise is probably most effective A type of exercise to maintain and improve bone health.research is Indicated The best approach to bone health is to combine high-intensity resistance and impact training.
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Lifting lighter?here is what you need to know
research is Indicated Participating in high-rep, low-intensity BodyPump™ classes may offset age-related loss of bone density in the lumbar spine.
If you choose to lift lighter weights, you will have to do more reps to get the same benefits as lifting heavier ones.
research too show If you’re lifting lighter, you may need muscle dysfunction to elicit muscle growth.
Lifting heavy objects may have the same effect without going to exhaustion.
What about combustion energy?
On average, an hour of low-intensity/high-rep style resistance training sessions can burn you out about 300 caloriesA high-intensity session with longer rest times equates to roughly the same calorie burn as a high-rep session with less rest.
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there may also be sex difference How older men and older women respond to resistance training. For example, older men may benefit from a higher intensity program, while older women may actually benefit from a higher volume program (more repetitions).
Note that low intensity training is difficult. Training low load/high rep until or near failure is actually very uncomfortable (remember: “training to failure” actually means more than that). reaching a point where it cannot be lifted). It takes a great deal of motivation and willingness to tolerate discomfort.
Is doing Low-intensity training that doesn’t require serious effort It’s unlikely to result in significant improvements in muscle growth and strength.
Benefits of light weight include the fact that you can carry it around. This means you can train in the comfort of your own home, whether at the beach, in the park, or on vacation. It is inexpensive and easy to store. For many people, they are not intimidating either.
For some, these benefits make it easier to stick to a regular exercise routine. It may not be.
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it depends on your goal
Moral of the story? What you do and how you do it matter. But maybe not as much as you think.
If an influencer or fellow gym-goer tells you that you have to do it your way, question it with a healthy dose of skepticism.
They are not you and do not have your exact goals or limitations. There are probably more than one way to achieve the result you are looking for.
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