Which lift will improve your gains?

As bodybuilders and lifters there seems to be an emphasis on lifting heavy in order to see some major gains. This game is all about size and definition and less about strength and endurance. Bodybuilding isn’t the same as competing in powerlifting or a strong man competition. It’s about the development of the human form through sculpting your body into well defined and striated muscle groups. Heavy weights are going to definitely get you to your shredded best. So where the hell do light weights fit into the equation?

Over the years there’s been a notion that if you want to get absolutely ripped then you better lift lighter weights with higher reps. For those people who live their lives by this school of thought, sorry to say that you’ve got things backwards. Light weight is not the key to building massive muscle or even shredding your muscle. There are a some factors behind seeing your hard work translate into muscle definition. Firstly you have to grow your muscles and the only way you can manage that is by lifting some heavy weights. The second is by lowering your body fat. Many people think that by lifting weights alone that you’ll be shredded in no time. Whether you want to see your pecs or ripped abs, the reality is that you have to get your body fat down if you want to see the results of working with those heavy weights.

Light weights aren’t without merit though. We’re not totally denouncing light weight workouts, however you’ve gotta know the difference before jumping to conclusions. Lifting light weights for high reps are perhaps better used in building muscle endurance than bulking muscles. It can be great supplementary exercise in between your heavy lifts. This endurance will ultimately pay dividends when you’re performing those heavier lifts.

So ultimately it’s not about which is better, heavy or light. The difference between the two types of lifts is how and when to use them. Combining both methods will only improve your overall ability.

So do you incorporate both heavy and light weights into your routine? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.