Lift bulky or lighter weights with high reps? It all depends on the goal

So you want to lift weights but don’t know where to start. You scroll through your Instagram feed looking for tips—but all you see are fitness influencers who preach the idea that you either lift bulky or don’t bother.

It’s a little scary and discouraging, right? But like most things exercise and health related, it’s not that plain.

I’m an exercise scientist (and former Commonwealth powerlifting medalist and Olympic weightlifting champion) who studies resistance training, also known as weightlifting. The research suggests that lifting lighter weights and doing more reps (or, in gym lingo, “reps”) can make a difference – but it all depends on your goals.

In tiny: If your goal is to build sedate strength and bone density, lifting weights is an effective way to do it. But if you can’t lift weights or it’s not your thing, please don’t think that lifting lighter weights is a complete waste of time.

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Wait: what do we mean by “bulky” and “featherlight”?

What is hard for one person may be a piece of cake for another.

In resistance training, the load or “weight” of a lift is often expressed as a percentage of the “one-repetition maximum” (often abbreviated as “1RM”).

The maximum weight you can lift is one repetition once.

Around 80% of your rep max is often defined as “high intensity” or bulky lifting.

Around 40% or less of your repetition maximum is often referred to as “low intensity.”

In other words, if you lift 80% of your one-rep max, you’ll be able to do about eight reps.

The more repetitions we perform, the less precise the relationship will be.

However, some estimates suggest that you can do about 20 reps using 60% of your one-rep max (of course, this varies from person to person).

It is worth remembering that not everyone Power lift weights, perhaps due to age, injury, or simply being novel to the gym. And while you may not be able to lift weights now, that doesn’t mean you always will.

But the bottom line is that if you are going to train at a lower intensity, say 40% of your rep max, you will need to do a lot of reps to see positive results.

Benefits of lifting weights

Lifting weights of different masses 40% to 80% of your max rep has been shown to improve muscle mass (hypertrophy). However, studies have also to introduce Lifting heavier weights is necessary to maximize improvements in muscular strength.

High intensity exercise is probably the most effective type of exercise to maintain and improve bone health. Studies have shown shown The best approach to bone health is to combine high-intensity endurance training with impact training.

Lifting Lighter Weights? Here’s What You Need to Know

The research have shown shown Participating in high-repetition, low-intensity BodyPump™ classes can offset the age-related reduction in bone mineral density in the lumbar spine.

If you choose to lift lighter weights, you will need to do more reps to gain the same benefits of lifting heavier weights.

Research as well to introduce If you lift lighter, you probably need to go to muscular failure to induce muscle growth. In other words, you probably need to lift to exhaustion.

Lifting weights can give you the same benefits without having to completely exhaust yourself.

What about energy burning?

On average, one hour of low-intensity, high-repetition resistance training can burn about 300 caloriesA challenging session with longer rest periods will burn about the same amount of calories as a session with higher reps and shorter rest periods.

They can also be gender differences how older men and older women respond to resistance training. For example, older men may benefit from higher-intensity programs, while older women may actually benefit from higher-volume (more reps) programs.

It’s worth noting that low-load training is challenging. In fact, it’s really uncomfortable to do low-load/high-rep training to or near failure (remember, “training to failure” means getting to the point where you can’t do any more lifts). It requires a significant degree of motivation and a willingness to tolerate discomfort.

Act light weight training without any serious effort It is unlikely to yield significant improvements in muscle development and strength. So if you choose this style, make sure you are willing to put in the effort.

The benefits of lightweight dumbbells include the fact that they are portable, meaning you can exercise in a pleasant environment, such as the beach, park, or on vacation. They don’t cost as much and are basic to store. They are also not as intimidating to many.

For some, these benefits will make it easier to stick to a regular exercise routine. For others, these benefits may not outweigh some of the aforementioned benefits of more customary weight training.

It depends on your goal

The moral of the story? It’s what you do and how you do it that matters. But probably not as much as you think.

If an influencer or other gym goer claims their method is the only solution, be skeptical.

They are not you, they do not have your specific goals or limitations, and there is likely more than one way to achieve the result you are seeking.

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