What is "iifting heavy"?

heidi5k

I keep hearing "lift heavy" or go home.
Not sure what this means, how heavy is heavy, and what types of routines people do when they LH.

Thanks!
(I don't want to have to go home...)

Toddrific

Heavy is relative to you.

If you can lift it more than 12 times its not heavy enough.
Generally for big compound movements (Squats, benches, deadlifts) you want to max out at about 8 reps. If you can go more, raise the weight till you are at about 5 reps.
For isolation type exercises (bicep curls, triceps, etc) you want to max at about 12, if not go heavier till you are at about 8

Helloitsdan

Figure out the maximum you can lift 1 time.
Thats your 1RM.

Then drop the weight down after resting for about 1.5-3mins and try to figure out what you 5 rep range is.
This is heavy lifting.

By lifting in the fashion while having ample rest time between sets youll gain strength as opposed to size.
Over time you will get bigger but it takes longer because its stimulating different muscle fibers.

If you lifted in the 8-12 range for hypertrophy, youll get bigger but not necessarily stronger.
Your muscles will fill with sarcoplasm, water and glycogen giving you a "pump".
If you stopped doing this for a while you would actually look a little smaller and not be strong.

Strength programs tend to be better for people losing weight because it helps maintain lean mass.
In some ppl you could actually gain lean mass but this is rare and generally comes from folks who are obese II or obese III.

So push for strength.
3-5 rep range.

Starting Strength and Stronglifts 5x5 would be a good place to start.

ironanimal

Rep 1 - Okay, easy enough
Rep 2 - This is actually pretty heavy
Rep 3 - Wow, I can feel it
Rep 4 - Puuuuuuushh!
Rep 5 - NRGNRGANNAGNNHH!!

ExplorinLauren

bump

kazzari

Basically, if you are lifting weights that are so light you can easily do 15 or 20 reps you are wasting your time. You get stronger, you need a weight that is heavy enough to challenge you. So heavy would be a weight with which you could not complete more than 3 - 8 reps. A moderately heavy weight for building muscle would be a weight you can lift more than say 10 or 12. Most programs will have you doing phases of the same exercise where the load will vary from week to week, to vary the stimulus since our bodies adapt to the load quickly.

Sabrina8338

I've been wondering the same thing. Thanks!

kazzari

Yeah, and what everyone else said!,

Yanicka1

Rep 1 - Okay, easy enough
Rep 2 - This is actually pretty heavy
Rep 3 - Wow, I can feel it
Rep 4 - Puuuuuuushh!
Rep 5 - NRGNRGANNAGNNHH!!

LOL

Lifting heavy is very individual

I do 6 to 8 rep. If after 8 reps I could do a couple more, I just add weight next time

Qarol

Rep 1 - Okay, easy enough
Rep 2 - This is actually pretty heavy
Rep 3 - Wow, I can feel it
Rep 4 - Puuuuuuushh!
Rep 5 - NRGNRGANNAGNNHH!!

This was me on the bench this week....70 lbs

kazala

This is an interesting thread. So I recently did 30 day shred started with 1 lb weights (thought they were 2lb lol) then upped to 2kg (4.4 lb) weights. I'm getting used to these quite quickly. Once I am more used to these how much do I up them, do I go up 1 or 2 lbs a time and increase slowly and gradually, or should I go heavier quicker and push myself ? Cheers

heidi5k

Thanks so much everyone! I am always amazed how willing mfp peeps are to help.

Hopefully soon I'll know what everyone is talking about from experience.

neverstray

Sort of not accurate advice here. I stay in the range of 8-10 reps. If I hit more than 10, I add weight. It's simple. You want the last 2 or 3 to be really difficult without compromising your form at all. No swinging around and flailing and twisting, and NO HOLDING YOUR BREATH. Lift until it hurts, then do 2 or 3 more. If you don't push, you'll never gets results. You want to feel the burn and work through it.

Yanicka1

Thanks so much everyone! I am always amazed how willing mfp peeps are to help.

Hopefully soon I'll know what everyone is talking about from experience.

Don't forget to breath and also moaning and grunting will happen

IamRoJ

Rep 1 - Okay, easy enough
Rep 2 - This is actually pretty heavy
Rep 3 - Wow, I can feel it
Rep 4 - Puuuuuuushh!
Rep 5 - NRGNRGANNAGNNHH!!

Totally this! I've just started lifting about a month or so ago. For me it's when the muscle heads at that part of the gym look kind of smirky like "she can't lift that*" or when I can hop on a set after some grunting sweating guy and *not* have to change the plates.

kazzari

This is an interesting thread. So I recently did 30 day shred started with 1 lb weights (thought they were 2lb lol) then upped to 2kg (4.4 lb) weights. I'm getting used to these quite quickly. Once I am more used to these how much do I up them, do I go up 1 or 2 lbs a time and increase slowly and gradually, or should I go heavier quicker and push myself ? Cheers

I don't know anything about that program. How many reps and what kind of exercises? As a trainer, I never started a woman on less than 5 lbs. For any exercise, and they would progress to 10 or 15 very quickly from there, most started at 10 or 15, so I'm guessing you're doing high reps?

juicemoogan

Rep 1 - Okay, easy enough
Rep 2 - This is actually pretty heavy
Rep 3 - Wow, I can feel it
Rep 4 - Puuuuuuushh!
Rep 5 - NRGNRGANNAGNNHH!!

Love it!

ninerbuff

When you make the "ugly" face while lifting it.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

hdsqrl

Can you apply these rules to the weight machines as well? Or only to the free weights?

chrisdavey

This is an interesting thread. So I recently did 30 day shred started with 1 lb weights (thought they were 2lb lol) then upped to 2kg (4.4 lb) weights. I'm getting used to these quite quickly. Once I am more used to these how much do I up them, do I go up 1 or 2 lbs a time and increase slowly and gradually, or should I go heavier quicker and push myself ? Cheers

This is the definition of not lifting heavy.

kcragg

bump