Shore Fit
By Bonnie Dodd-Miller
There are two sides to whether you should lift heavy with fewer reps or light weight with more reps.
First, you have to go into it with a plan and your goals. Identifying what you want in the long run will help you decide. I’ve gone both routes at different times in my exercise life, but I found for my body and strength, I need to lift heavy. Heavy weightlifting works for me but it may not be what you’re looking to achieve as far as goals.
Lifting for pure strength is best partnered with heavy weights. If you’re trying for strength, or your max force output, the heavier the weight, the more strength gains you’ll have, along with size gains.
It’s also super time efficient. The way I train has me motivated to get stronger and lift heavier while tracking my progress to see how much stronger I’ve become week after week or month after month.
For instance, you can start with a basic bicep curl using a 10 lb. dumbbell and curl 20 reps no problem. If you’re looking to gain strength, you must increase that weight to say, 15 lbs. and after about 8 reps, you start to struggle even reaching 10 reps. This is called muscle failure. You must break down the muscle in order for it to repair. This is how growth occurs. It takes some time to find the correct weight for you but once you get it, you get it!
Lifting heavier weights for fewer reps, which calls for a shorter workout, actually builds more muscle than a longer workout using lighter weights. The more muscle mass you have, the faster your metabolism will be. You’ll burn more fat even when you’re not working out, because muscle burns more than fat.
Heavier weights are typically for strength or power training. The difference between the two depends on the speed of the movement. This is what is so great about CrossFit. It combines both.
I learned a lot from CrossFit in terms of lifting heavy, but also, lifting correctly. Form is everything. You can’t expect to get into the gym and lift those 8 lb. weights forever and see any progress or development. You have to constantly monitor and progress to the next level of your goals to build muscle and get stronger.
Heavy weights, meaning ones that challenge you with fewer repetitions, are excellent for building strength and muscle. Other benefits include lower repetitions needed to be performed, an efficient way to build muscle strength, higher calorie burn from more effort, and it sends a hormonal signal to your body to grow muscle. My heart rate gets up into my aerobic zone while lifting heavy and does not while using lighter weights. I get a full on sweat without even doing cardio.
Now let’s talk about the benefits of using light weights. Using light weights helps with endurance strength training. I talked about this in my previous article on types of fitness. Light weights are beneficial for lean muscle since there is an aerobic cardio component to the exercise. You can use light weights while performing jumping jacks, jump squats and other cardiovascular exercises.
Light weights may also offer an advantage for beginners just learning the ropes. This is a big one for those just starting out on an exercise program. Starting your weight lifting journey with lighter weights helps you focus on form, making sure it’s perfected before getting into the more heavy and challenging weights that require excellent form to prevent injuries.
Form is everything. If you’re doing it incorrectly, this leads to injury and then you will be out of commission and this will hinder all your wellness goals. So learn it and do it right before moving on to another level.
Improving technique and form is critical. It’s also easier to find equipment for a workout and less overwhelming when you’re first embarking on your fitness journey.
Other benefits include, building lean muscle mass and strength, and moving through a greater range of motion. I work with a lot of older adults so this type of exercise works for them.
I teach a smooth weights class which is a land-based class where the heaviest weight used is 5 lbs., but the majority are using 1-3 lbs. You have to consider the population that you’re working with as well.
Whether you’re lifting heavy or light, the most important aspect is that you’re lifting at all. Strength training is so important especially as we age. Our muscles need to stay engaged to avoid atrophy to live a functional and enjoyable long life.
Bonnie Miller is certified fitness instructor at the Ocean City Aquatic and Fitness Center and Atilis Gym in Galloway. She is a mom of three and resides Somers Point.
