THE ONE GYM MYTH THAT JUST DOES NOT GO AWAY!

Only using light weights and high reps.....

“Heavy weight just bulks you up,” says the shapeless cardio only gym enthusiast. “Lighter weights with higher reps is what really gets you ripped.” Tsk, tsk tsk. This guy/girl has missed the boat on this one. Mr Nonsense and his amoebic physique have good intentions, but this way of thinking is as archaic as eight-track cassettes. Simply put this is bullshit.

High-rep sets definitely have their place increasing muscular endurance and pump, for instance but they should never be the backbone of your program when you’re trying to get lean & muscular. Sticking to lightweight sets (12-20 reps) for an extended period robs you muscles of what they need most a constant challenge. In the absence of new stimuli, such as constantly increasing weight loads, your muscles will simply grow content and either plateau or backtrack in size and shape. Lifting heavier will help you gain more lean tissue, which allows you to be slightly more metabolic at rest. Plus, heavy training (6-8 reps) increases the total caloric expenditure during and after your workout.

My Best Tip

Base you program on heavy, multi joint lifts such as squats, deadlifts and various presses that recruit and build more total muscle and burn more calories. Use moderate (10-12 reps) and lightweight (12-20 reps) sets to complement your heavy training, not the other way around. Train heavy get the body of your dreams.