What exactly is "Lifting Heavy" ?
WolnaDusza
Posts: 28 Member
I have some physical restrictions (knee surgery and shoulder injury) that prevent me from doing strong lifts or other huge weight exercises. By no means do I use 5 lb weights, more like 20-60lbs because I want to retain muscle while I'm losing fat.
What do you consider "lifting heavy"?
What do you consider "lifting heavy"?
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Heavier than you are used to. Heavy enough that your muscles get to failure on each set, every single time.
That's how I see it, no matter what weight I'm lifting.0 -
Heavy weights as in heavy for you.
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What kind of lifts are you doing?
To me lifting heavy falls into the range that something that I can lift 3-6 times while still maintaining strict form.0 -
Heavy enough that you can't do more than 5 reps, IIRC. It doesn't matter if it's 4lbs or 90000lbs.0
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Progressive loading, working with volumes of weight that are 50%+ your 1RM, etc.0
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I think its different per person but I always lift where I will fail on after my 10th rep on my first set (except for warmup sets). I usually go up about 5 lbs from there and fail on my 5th or 6th rep. Then I'll go up again 5 lbs and try to pump out 3 reps on final set. I believe the rule of thumb is, heavier + less reps = strength, lighter + more reps = size. For strength you should look into the SL 5x5 program. For size gains you should go lighter, longer.0
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Lifting heavy is relative.
Heavy for a 135lb lifter will be light for a 225lb lifter.
The rep range doesn't have to be as low as 5 reps contrary to popular belief.
People advocate "heavy lifting" because of the popular gym myth that you need light weights for cutting and heavy weights for bulking.
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Heavy enough that your muscles get to failure on each set, every single time.
This can lead to a certain burn-out for a lot of people over time, especially if someone doesn't take a break/deload every now and then.
I would define lifting heavy as lifting in rep ranges up to 12 reps per set and using a weight that you could do maybe two more reps with per set, in other words a weight that challenges you. Heavy lifting also generally involves an element of progressive overload. The weight will depend on the person and the exercise. (example: I've been lifting since July. As of end of September, when I tested my strength the last time, I could do glute bridges with 100 kg for 3 reps but overhead presses with only 5 kg (per side) for 3 reps—and I'm damn proud of both.)
Maybe you could talk to your doctor/physiotherapist and check which exercises would be ok for you to do? I have some congenital issues but I just avoid exercises that don't work for me. In order to get a full-body workout, it would probably be good, if possible, to have a squat variation, a deadlift variation and both push and pull variations for the upper body. I recently read Nia Shank's 'Intuitive Strength Training' and really like her approach.0 -
Thank YOU ALL for all of your input! Makes sense to me to reach failure on the last set. True, heavy for me might not be heavy for another person. Progressive loading...I will aim to challenge myself each workout.
LENNOX - I'm doing light bench presses 50lbs, heavier deadlifts (100lbs), non weighted squats (knee issue).
LIFTANDBALANCE - Thanks for the great input, I'll look into "Intuitive Strength Training'
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Depending on what said knee issue is, I squat (weighted and unweighted) do box jumps, box step ups, and lunges to rehab my knee.WolnaDusza wrote: »non weighted squats (knee issue).
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Heavier than you are used to. Heavy enough that your muscles get to failure on each set, every single time.
That's how I see it, no matter what weight I'm lifting.
that's not how this works.
Heavy lifting is a rep range- and is about progressive loading and or long term training for a bigger goal- rather than just endless reps for cardio- or muscle endurance.
Training to failure for EVER lift EVER workout is a recipe for failure and a high way called nogainz.
Guidelines on this - and I repeate GUIDE LINES
0 reps = too heavy
1 rep = one rep max/heavy
1-5= heavy lifting
5-10 = heavy - and often associated with higher volume training and often associated with hypertrophy.
10-15 = muscle endurance
15+ = body pump type classes see this type of loading and often is more about the cardio aspect than the strength aspect.
Either way- pick a goal.
Then pick a path to the goal.
If the goal is simply to not lose muscle mass whilst losing weight anything 15 and under will get you there- so the whole 8-12 range is good- but not mandatory- if you want to power lift- have at it. There is not a single "RIGHT" or "WRONG" way to do it. But let it be goal driven.0 -
unless you go FR.
Don't go FR unless you're ready to have Jesus ask to work in.0 -
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In addition to what JoRocka said, you should also keep in mind that lifting doesn't just rely on your muscles but also ligaments, soft tissue and nerves. Those take much longer to recover than muscles so always going to muscle failure is a recipe to disaster for those as well. I would assume that this could be even worse for someone with physical issues.
For squats, Bulgarian split squats might be another option.0 -
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LiftAndBalance wrote: »
Do a squat session where you're pushing your 80% for 10x5, supersetted with sets of 10 deadlifts at 60% and then 15 box jumps, then go do 300 reps of leg extensions at 80% to cool down.
That's FR.0 -
LiftAndBalance wrote: »
Do a squat session where you're pushing your 80% for 10x5, supersetted with sets of 10 deadlifts at 60% and then 15 box jumps, then go do 300 reps of leg extensions at 80% to cool down.
That's FR.
and for those else who don't know- it's a reference to Tropic Thunder.
But yeah- super setting plus leg extensions definitely sounds like it qualifies. Eff that.
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LiftAndBalance wrote: »
Do a squat session where you're pushing your 80% for 10x5, supersetted with sets of 10 deadlifts at 60% and then 15 box jumps, then go do 300 reps of leg extensions at 80% to cool down.
That's FR.
and for those else who don't know- it's a reference to Tropic Thunder.
But yeah- super setting plus leg extensions definitely sounds like it qualifies. Eff that.
Holy crap
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you definitely feel it. Little old dude with a walker offered to help me walk down the stairs from the gym, only two flights, but best I could muster was a step at a time. heh.0
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you definitely feel it. Little old dude with a walker offered to help me walk down the stairs from the gym, only two flights, but best I could muster was a step at a time. heh.
You're a nutter. seriously. people think I'm batty for doing Sheiko- the idea of doing 300 anything makes me watch to punch myself in the face.
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First time I did it, it was 300 extensions, 300 hamstring curls... doing it 60 reps to a set. I wanted to die, and it took forever.0
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It's amazing how many different answers are given for this question. "Heavy" lifting is more of a reference to Maximal Strength or Absolute Strength lifting loads which are ~85% to 95% of your 1RM.Do a squat session where you're pushing your 80% for 10x5, supersetted with sets of 10 deadlifts at 60% and then 15 box jumps, then go do 300 reps of leg extensions at 80% to cool down.
That's FR.
What's the training purpose of that?0 -
conditioning for extended climbing sessions in conditions where I've already been working under load for a few hours.
Alpine climbing.0 -
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All pretty high volume with progressive loads, I'll work up bench from maybe 85# to 135# and sit there for a few sets of 20 or 30 reps, slow eccentric, quick concentric, supersetted with dips, lat raises, delt pulls. Then I'll work up to 5 sets or so of 3-5 reps at 225 which was my assumed 1rm until I put up 245 on saturday. I'll do that while energy stays with me, then I'll hit an FSL to finish up.
Then I'll work BB rows, with weighted decline crunches or 50 rep pushup sets in between sets of the row, then I'll finish up with pull ups and chin ups, as many as I can legit, then throw on some bands and do a few more.
I'll do a session like that once a week, then a lighter session where I'll hit volume over maximal weight, days like that I might stay at 135, but hit 150+ reps total volume for my bench. Or I'll do that with pulls, at around my 60% for a high volume.
Now that my knee is doing a lot better, I can actually cut some of this and spend some time bouldering.0 -
This thread has made me laugh!
I remember doing a week of 100 rep sets. That was vomit inducing.
Heavy weight/low rep and light weight/long reps. There's a place for all of that, mix it up, keep your muscles guessing. And plenty of cardio. And core.
#ironman0 -
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sigh.
I thought your explanation above was excellent. I was going for the simplified Northern imbecile version.
Maybe "muscles" was the wrong word. Maybe I should've used the word "body" instead. I've always been a believer in mixing it up to shock muscles into growth. Doing the same thing, over and over and over leads to overtraining and zero gains.0 -
I've already contributed significantly to the thread- but I mean- if I must.....
muscle confusion and "keeping your muscles guessing" isn't really a thing.
There is a reason why power lifters and oly lifters train the same lifts over and over and over again. The way you get good at something is by doing the thing.
If you just want a fitness routine to keep busy- sure change it as much as you want- but the goal there is to check the box "yes I worked out today"- not "I have long terms goals"
While I agree sometimes you do need to change the routine- more often than not it has to do with mental acuteness and you got bored and aren't training as hard as you once were.
Most people can stand to run the same program for months.
I heard someone tell a girl once she needed to change her program up every 2 weeks.
Are you kidding me? you can't even get and really successful results in 2 weeks.
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