catman Posted March 8 Posted March 8 G'day all, this is quite interesting as in the past, conventional wisdom was that for good consistent muscle gains and optimised 'hypertrophy', one needs to train hard and consistently however I am reading increasingly on the 'net, and backed up by documented evidence, that this is not necessarily true. Using 'light' weights and reduced time training sessions are every bit as effective as longer training sessions and heavier weights! My own weight training has always followed this approach, and has always worked well for me. Any comments? Regards, Felix.
rocky500 Posted March 8 Posted March 8 (edited) what about heavier weights with just as short training sessions? It may also effect the age of the person too. I know when I was younger I could do a lot more athletic stuff than I can now. The body is just not the same anymore. Edited March 8 by rocky500
catman Posted March 8 Author Posted March 8 (edited) G'day mate, yes possibly, but the latest scientific research suggests that neither heavy weights or too many sessions are really necessary! Regards, Felix. Edited March 8 by catman Grammar.
Full Range Posted March 8 Posted March 8 (edited) 19 minutes ago, catman said: G'day all, this is quite interesting as in the past, conventional wisdom was that for good consistent muscle gains and optimised 'hypertrophy', one needs to train hard and consistently however I am reading increasingly on the 'net, and backed up by documented evidence, that this is not necessarily true. Using 'light' weights and reduced time training sessions are every bit as effective as longer training sessions and heavier weights! My own weight training has always followed this approach, and has always worked well for me. Any comments? Regards, Felix. I use a regimen of Resistance bands daily for muscle tone ‘Primarily due to my age of over 65yo Following the correct exercise for a particular zone it’s easy and also gets results The good part is A good resistance band set is not expensive Takes up no room The exercises work on the strength side as well as the release stage if you apply resistance to it Anyway that is my take on this subject but it suits me and it may also suit you as well I have a similar set to this Edited March 8 by Full Range 1
Steff Posted March 8 Posted March 8 17 minutes ago, catman said: Using 'light' weights and reduced time training sessions are every bit as effective as longer training sessions and heavier weights! I think this really needs qualifying relative to actual stated goals and with tables and training plans, for age groups, gender, and dietary and other background data. Otherwise you're being offered advice that is unlikely to apply to you. Weight loss and reversing muscle atrophy from a certain age are probably not that "easy". Regardless of weights used, time and skill are required. Just doing light training occasionally may have benefits. Light aerobic benefits and fatigue prevention may result. Overall, I'd say beware of many metadata studies that arrive at large statistical only conclusions (e.g. light training has a stroke-preventing effect--question these statements and look into the studies that went into these statements). /2c 1
LHC Posted March 8 Posted March 8 Wow this is a big topic. I am novice and trying to wrap my head around all the information on the internet and social media (as a cheat way to access the literature). Some random thoughts on this space are: Understanding one's end objective is important, people weight train for a variety of reasons and I don't believe there is a 'one size fits all' answer. For example growing muscle size is related to increasing one's strength but not completely the same once one advanced beyond the beginner's stage. I think the latest research suggests muscle grow is possible using an exercise repetition of 5 to 30 repeats per set. Obviously heavier weights mean lower repetition. I have seen people suggests 8-12 reps as optimal but can't recall the reason why; perhaps related to time efficiency and/or fatigue. The concepts more important than 'heavy' vs 'light' are Performing the exercise to a point of failure or close to failure (stopping with 2-3 reps in reserve) Progressive overload the exercise by increasing the load or reps over time Some people use 'superset' or 'drop set' as tricks to boost growth, the latter involve heavy and light weights. I don't personally practice this. Time for rest and recovery in between sessions are most important for the body to adapt/respond to the muscle signalling generated from the exercise. Proper nutrition (e.g. protein) is vital for the body to adapt. I think this is pretty standard knowledge and readily available online. Personally I use a mix of heavy and lighter weights; heavier while fresh and lighter to finish off a session. 1
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