Jeremy Ethier

Light Weights vs Heavy Weights for Muscle Growth


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Conventional wisdom has us convinced that high reps and light weights build muscle endurance and contribute little to muscle mass gains. However, is this a valid perspective? We need to look at the research to determine if heavy and light weight training cause different effects. After reviewing the research out there, it seems that using heavy or light weights doesn’t matter much in terms of hypertrophy. Studies show that muscle growth tends to be equal despite using light or heavy weights (high rep vs low rep). But this is only true when going near failure, and one benefit of lifting heavy weights is the better strength gains you see when compared to light weights. Based on this, your best bet is to incorporate high reps with light weights AND low reps with heavy weights into your workout. This will enable you to target both metabolic stress and mechanical tension; both are essential mechanisms of muscle growth.

SCIENCE-BASED PROGRAMS:

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Jeremy EthierBy Jeremy Ethier