How heavy is heavy?

shelbyfrootcake
shelbyfrootcake Posts: 965 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I see more posts on here than I care to count about the fate worse than death of ending up/being 'skinny fat' and that we must all throw away diddy weights and do heavy lifting. Sooooo, my question is how heavy is heavy?

Replies

  • McBully4
    McBully4 Posts: 1,270 Member
    Well for me heavy is a 425lb deadlift. So heavy to you and me are most likely two totally different numbers. So heavy is relative we are all different, basic rule if thumb is that 10 reps should be tough if you can do 12 or more you need to go heavier. The strong lifts program is excellent for beginners, and with that you would go even heavier they want 5 reps to be a struggle.
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
    So many of these threads this week. Heavy is the most you can lift in the 1-5 rep range.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    So many of these threads this week. Heavy is the most you can lift in the 1-5 rep range.

    This. And you should be really pushing it. Each should be difficult.
  • shelbyfrootcake
    shelbyfrootcake Posts: 965 Member
    Two posts, two conflicting answers. MFP strikes again.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Depends on your goals. Generally speaking...

    Heavy is the most weight you can do while maintaining good form throughout. The number of reps/sets will depend on your goals
  • taylor5877
    taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
    Generally 1-5 reps is good for strength (strength doesn't always equal size), 6-10 for hypertrophy (muscle size increases), and 10 plus is for muscle endurance (though studies show higher reps helps, paradoxically, release more growth hormone).

    "heavy" is something that you nearly or do fail at on the last set on the last rep(s).

    I think most would say that "heavy" really just applies to stength or hypertrophy routines though.
  • Iceman1800
    Iceman1800 Posts: 476
    I never call anything heavy. If I can't lift it, I'm just not strong enough yet
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Two posts, two conflicting answers. MFP strikes again.

    Then why are you posting here??? It's the nature of the beast. You are asking a community of 1000s about a topic most of them know little about and are giving either personal/anecdotal experience OR regurgitating something they read somewhere.
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    Heavy is relative and depends on the person. One day long ago, benching the bar felt heavy to me, now it doesn't do anything! We get stronger and adjust and a greater weight is needed for it to feel "heavy"

    When someone says they "lift heavy" they are usually referring to lifting a percentage of their 1RM, or lifting within a specific rep range. <6 reps is usually seen as optimal for strength and what one would call heavy - assuming that you are going to, (or almost going to) failure with each set. 6 reps would not be heavy of course if you felt like you could do 12 without any problems!
  • Lina4Lina
    Lina4Lina Posts: 712 Member
    It depends on you but if you are lifting in the 12-15 rep range, you generally aren't lifting 'heavy'. I've been easing back into weight lifting so I am working in the 12-15 rep range, favoring the 12 rep spot.

    Honestly, I hardly ever work in the 1-5 rep range unless I'm trying to see how heavy I can lift. I generally work in the 8-10 rep range.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Here's my opinion:

    Assuming your goal is to retain skeletal muscle, you are "probably" going to be best off training in a hypertrophic rep range, but this is still somewhat of a grey area and EVEN IF you aren't exactly in that "slot", you're still going to reap the benefits of weight training.

    As a very general recommendation, I'd say somewhere in the neighborhood of 6-12 reps such that you approach failure (you do not need to hit complete failure) at the end of the set. But I wouldn't make this a hard-and-fast rule as it depends on the individual, it might depend on the particular lift, etc.

    I would also say that as a general rule you should be adding weight to the bar over the course of weeks, or adding reps until you reach the upper end of the rep range at which point you add weight. Some form of progression needs to exist regardless of rep range.

    I would also say that as a beginner it is probably not quite as important what rep range you train in as you're going to get excellent benefit from lifting, period.

    EDIT: LOL I answered a different question apparently. /sigh
  • McBully4
    McBully4 Posts: 1,270 Member
    I never call anything heavy. If I can't lift it, I'm just not strong enough yet
  • MonkRocker
    MonkRocker Posts: 198
    Two posts, two conflicting answers. MFP strikes again.

    Then why are you posting here??? It's the nature of the beast. You are asking a community of 1000s about a topic most of them know little about and are giving either personal/anecdotal experience OR regurgitating something they read somewhere.

    This. And as already said - it's subjective and greatly dependent on your goals.

    I tend to agree with the 1-5 rep max weight as being "heavy". But my goals may not be the same as yours or anyone else's.

    So really the answer is: depends.

    And you should rephrase the question. :)
  • McBully4
    McBully4 Posts: 1,270 Member
    Two posts, two conflicting answers. MFP strikes again.

    heavy is what heavy is
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    Two posts, two conflicting answers. MFP strikes again.

    Then why are you posting here??? It's the nature of the beast. You are asking a community of 1000s about a topic most of them know little about and are giving either personal/anecdotal experience OR regurgitating something they read somewhere.


    Just curious, if no one talks about personal/anecdotal experience or else something they read, what information do you use?
  • Onema2012
    Onema2012 Posts: 26
    3-5 Rep range lifting is generally associated with CNS recruitment and development of strength. Whereas lifting in the 8-12 rep range is associated with development of muscle tissue, ie hypertrophy. Although there is obviously some crosssover.

    For retention of muscle tissue while dieting, I believe there have been studies showing that the 6-8 rep range would be best.


    Heavy will be different for everyone. I personally try to increase my lifts every session, thus heavy is merely a weight that I can't yet lift.
  • taylor5877
    taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/weis1.htm
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Two posts, two conflicting answers. MFP strikes again.

    Then why are you posting here??? It's the nature of the beast. You are asking a community of 1000s about a topic most of them know little about and are giving either personal/anecdotal experience OR regurgitating something they read somewhere.


    Just curious, if no one talks about personal/anecdotal experience or else something they read, what information do you use?

    First,
    I didn't say not to use info you read here, I was just saying not to complain when you get conflicting opinions. To some degree, you have to be able to read through a thread and filter out the crap from the good info.

    Next,
    If I'm looking for real information, I want stuff that takes into consideration legitimate, repeated, large scale studies, science, and common sense. The "it worked for me" rationale has virtually no value, IMO. So I'm much more apt to read articles and postings from people who I consider experts (Alan Aragon, Lyle McDonald, etc) or go right to the people on this site who I believe know their **** (SideSteel, joejccva71, erickirb, stoutman81, etc).
  • tadpole242
    tadpole242 Posts: 507 Member
    Back when I lifted, (1980 1992) it was all about decending reps, which in studies done at the time and more recently, was shown to increase muscle 30% 40% faster than 'high reps low weight' or even 'high weight low reps'. it worked for me.
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    Two posts, two conflicting answers. MFP strikes again.

    Then why are you posting here??? It's the nature of the beast. You are asking a community of 1000s about a topic most of them know little about and are giving either personal/anecdotal experience OR regurgitating something they read somewhere.


    Just curious, if no one talks about personal/anecdotal experience or else something they read, what information do you use?

    First,
    I didn't say not to use info you read here, I was just saying not to complain when you get conflicting opinions. To some degree, you have to be able to read through a thread and filter out the crap from the good info.

    Next,
    If I'm looking for real information, I want stuff that takes into consideration legitimate, repeated, large scale studies, science, and common sense. The "it worked for me" rationale has virtually no value, IMO. So I'm much more apt to read articles and postings from people who I consider experts (Alan Aragon, Lyle McDonald, etc) or go right to the people on this site who I believe know their **** (SideSteel, joejccva71, erickirb, stoutman81, etc).

    Right. If SS or Acg read something somewhere that Alan Aragon wrote , apply it and then pass along the info, that's personal application of info they read somewhere.

    You have to understand that new people or people that don't read the forums much don't know the difference between the people with good solid info and people who just say, oh it worked for me it'll work for you.
  • TheDeviation
    TheDeviation Posts: 149
    I never call anything heavy. If I can't lift it, I'm just not strong enough yet
    ^This. It's subjective.
  • dandaninc
    dandaninc Posts: 392
    So... have you gotten the answer you were looking for?
  • shelbyfrootcake
    shelbyfrootcake Posts: 965 Member
    A lot of interesting answers, most of which was useful. Thanks guy and gals!
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    I typically do three sets of 8. Heavy for me is "This is easy!" on reps 1-3, "This isn't as easy as I thought," on reps 4-6, and "DAMN, this is heavy!" on the last two.
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
    I don't think they first two replies are in conflict?
This discussion has been closed.

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