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“It seems as though there are a lot of opinions about how a woman should be working out at the gym. Light weights tons of reps, heavy weight low reps… I would love your advice.” – Tera A, YouTube
This is such a great question Tera!
As a certified personal trainer I am often asked:
Should I lift heavy or light weights?
Won’t lifting heavy make me bulk up?
Isn’t lifting light weight just a waste of time?
The truth is, both types of training can offer significant benefits! You’ve probably heard many experts down play the effect of lightweight training, saying they just aren’t enough to offer any kind of real challenge or stimulus for your muscle (and if you are only doing a few reps here and there with them, never reaching muscular fatigue, I would agree). And on the other end of the spectrum, I’ve heard a few experts suggest that lifting anything over 3 three pounds is a recipe for enormous bulk in women (to be clear, I’m not saying this at all – women DO need to be able to lift heavier loads, and do it quite often just during daily activities alone).
The good news is, if you prefer lifting lighter, studies show that when worked to the point of fatigue, lighter weights can be just as effective at building muscle and strength. In fact, one recent study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found similar benefits when comparing strength training with heavier loads and less reps to lighter loads using more reps. As reported by Science Daily, one of the lead study authors Cam Mitchell, a PhD candidate in the Department of Kinesiology, noted, “we found that loads that were quite heavy and comparatively light were equally effective at inducing muscle growth and promoting strength.” A separate study, published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, also found that using lighter weights and higher repetitions was equally effective in stimulating muscle proteins when compared to heavier intensity and lower repetitions. Researchers also note that an “additional benefit of the low-intensity workout is that the higher repetitions required to achieve fatigue will also be beneficial for sustaining the muscle building response for days.”
Personally, I’m a fan of both types of training, but believe that the choice of which you decide to use depends on your body and your personal fitness goals. While it’s true that you’ll need to use less reps to get the job done with heavier weight loads, you’ll also need to be using excellent form and control as the potential strain or stress it will put on your joints increases with the weight you lift. If, for example, your goal is to put on a significant amount of muscle mass in a short amount of time, lifting light probably isn’t going to be the best method for you. On the other hand, if you suffer from joint issues or simply don’t have access to heavier loads (if you train at home, for example) lightweight training may be a more appropriate fit for you.
JOIN IN THE DISCUSSION!
Do you prefer lifting heavy or light weights, or both? What’s worked best for you?
Got a question for me? Leave it in the comments below and I may answer it in an upcoming Q and A episode!
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31 comments
Thank you for this.
I have a question: I noticed that my breathing is almost always "backwards", especially on yoga and pilates workouts. What I mean is that when you say "exhale", I notice that I was naturally inhaling. Are there any rules of thumb to follow for breathing or does it matter as long as we are breathing? I find I do need those reminders to breathe, as strange as it seems, because I often unconsciously hold my breath on harder exercises.
Thank you for another very interesting Q&A Wednesday! I always think, I should try to get as heavy as possible, but especially with overhead press, my shoulder wouldn't let me, so in the future I will try with lighter weights and more reps! Thanks!!
Jessica, I have scoliosis in my back (on my right side) so should I avoid lifting heavy weights on that side, or do the exact opposite as my doctor has suggested I lift weights to strenghten the muscles that support the spine (in addition to doing stretches and specific exercises for scoliosis, that is)? Thanks! 🙂
Well it means that there is still a chance for us who can't lift heavy weight woo hoo 🙂
I have a question about active rest day. How much is the active rest day important? What should I do for an active rest day? Is it wrong if I do some of my favorite exercises that are moderate intensity? Am I supposed to do some workouts that are low intensity instead?
I can't really think of a question right now, but I have to say that I love these videos, I feel I learn a lot from them and I love how you explain everything so thoroughly.
Another great Q&A Wednesday, it really helped me out! Along with my other question about what to do if you get a stitch when working out? What is your view on taking vitamin and mineral supplements, are they beneficial or just a placebo??
Thanks for answering this! Because of a compressed disc in my back, lifting heavy weights can cause more pain and problems for me. But lifting light weights with high repetitions is fine. So this is very encouraging! 😀
I'm sick of fitness snobs with the "sexy and strong women lift heavy, women who don't are afraid to get in real shape and wasting their time" mentality. my three pound weights are my friends, I love discovering different moves I can do with them.
I thank you for this.
love that your source is medical journals~
Great Q&A, as always! What about non-weight exercises? There are so many of them out now – Tracy Anderson, Sarah Esmonde-White, Tracy Campoli, Hamelin d'Abell, to name a few. Can I really tone my upper body, for example, by using nothing but tightening my muscles and moving them in various ways?
Thank you Jessica. I have trained for over 50 years. I got very poor advice as a teenager from the Arthur Jones 'Church' of one set to failure in 1970 and 1971. I am very glad that you found more literature support for the wide range of effective resistance as well as rep schemes. The key point you made is to listen to your body. Perhaps my athletic and targeted military training blunted that capability. I have come to learn that the latter was nearly purely mental. It remains difficult to overcome. Please cover more about how to hone this mind set, as you have time. As a 60 year old male, I find your site extraordinary for men as well as women. I will be looking forward to more training DVD's as well.
Jessica, love your workouts and would like to know with the 12 power walk video how many calories you can burn?
i cheat my self when i use heavy weights with light weights i do all reps correctly and i can see my muscles getting buffed while working out
Hi Jessica, love your workout dvds and would like to know how many calories you can burn with your 12 minute power walking video??? Thanks, Anita
Hi Jessica, love your workouts and I'm 67 and would like to know if age should be a factor?
Hi Jessica! My question is…can body weight exercises be as effective as using weights? i.e. planks, triceps pushups, etc? Using your videos, I have been able to use lighter weights ( I use 5's and 2's, I used to use 12's!! ) and I am in BETTER shape than using the 12's. Using the 12's during a class I took at the Y, I developed back and knee problems. Everyone thought I was so strong. I was stupid with a capital S. I am so glad I found your videos, they help me to workout pain free!
Where are today's answers?? 12/17/14???????????????
I have a question. I am top heavy so if I lift weight wont I look more heavier on top or should I just use the weight for my bottom half??
hi ! iknow this is a ''stupid'' normal girly question.. but im still wondering. im working out alot and lift alot of weights. i often do heavy weights . and im very strong. so i have a fit body and are kind of slim. but still my thighs are quit muscular. what do u recomend to tone it down? should i go lighter? I do alot of cardio too. but it doesnt seem to help that much on the muscle
So, would it be good to start normal/light weight and after a time you get used to the weight, add a couple more pounds?
Loved your answer just got! My arms have always been muscular and larger than most women's arms. As you have seen me do reviews of your videos you know I'm not a happy person, however my arms to build very quickly. In part because I take insulin and it's my natural body composition. I have found with your circuit training when you're doing heavier weights it helps keep my cardio level up but I don't book because the rest of the week about four times a week I am lifting 3-5lbs with included self resistance and my arms have actually Shorrock because my muscles were pretty bulky. Completely agree with you it depends on if you want to add muscle. Most women will not book up my arms just happened to be a little heavier.
Hi Jessica. Can you really lose those bat wings by working out with weights. How many times a week should you work on a certain body part to see results
This is a good answer. However, the real question is or should be what is light and what is heavy? Some women just go too light and end up doing tons of reps like 30, 40 and even 50! That's just too many.
As a personal trainer, I see it quite often, as women go for the lightest weights possible to lift as they're afraid of "bulking up". But the extremely high reps make them sweat a lot, since effectively they're doing cardio if you're doing 30+ reps and they think they're working out hard because they're sweating profusely. But they end up not seeing any real change in the areas they are targeting as they continuously use weights that are just too light. Light, to me means choosing a weight that gets you to 15-20 reps when working upper body and 15-25 reps when working legs. "Heavy", I would say 10-12 reps for the upper body and 8-10 when working lower body. But it's all about the intensity at the end of the day anyway.
Most women, I think would benefit from doing body-weight workouts to start with that target the entire body. I myself enjoy going to an adult gymnastics class and in that time my strength and endurance have skyrocketed. So lifting weights as in dumbbells and barbells isn't always necessary to get in a good workout, but the intensity must always be there, whatever one does.
Is lifting heavy or light good for fat loss? Right now I'm lifting heavy/low reps but not sure if I should lift light/high reps to decrease body fat
The highest I go is 10 lbs and I see results. Strength training is my favorite exercise.
is it ok to lift light weights after eating? I mean like 2 pounds. I lift 10 pounds when I train. thanks !
Thank you so much, Jessica! Very informative 🙂
I want to gain weight! Should I lift heavy weights or light?
I've heard that women should stay away from working out their traps specifically like doing shrugs so for my fiancée I don't have her doing trap specific exercises but I've seen a few girls doing shrugs. Jessica Smith should I start incorporating exercises in our routine for her to start working her traps or am I right to have her stay away from that? I am aware that women's physiology and hormone levels are different for women than men which is why women don't need to worry about getting too bulky and I also know the importance of working out all muscles to have balance to prevent injury. But most of my knowledge of working out is from research for myself but now I'm have to start thinking about my fiancée.
Hi Jessica. In class we did an experiment and my professor said I'm a fast twitch. So my question is… how does that affect the amount of weight I use to gain muscle..? Should I do heavy weights less reps or vise-versa?
Please suggest about weights. I don't want broad body. I want slim n lean body. I heard that the more weight girls lift the more they get broad. I don't want bulky body. They say that less weight more reps will do the work. What do you suggest?