Did you know that heavy and light mixed exercises are good for muscle growth?
Because today I will explain whether you should lift heavy or light weights first
Both the training program and the training should start with light weights before progressing to heavier weights
Lifting light weights prepares your muscles before the strenuous physical exertion of lifting heavy weights
This allows you to safely lift heavier weights
I also struggled with this dilemma when I first started weight training
That’s why today I want to share my research and personal experience (I myself managed to gain 40 kg of muscle) in the matter of training routines
Need to lift heavy and light weights? Definition of heavyweight and lightweight Go from light to heavy in your training program Go from light to heavy with each workout Two ways to go from light to heavy in your workout Why Do You Need to Lift Heavy Weights to Gain Lean Muscle? Do bodybuilders primarily lift heavy or light weights? Summary
Should you lift heavy or light first?
In the context of building muscle, lifting heavy weights is recommended to aid in muscle growth
In contrast, lifting light weights is suitable for smaller exercises such as warm-ups and bicep curls
So should you lift heavy weights first or last?
As I mentioned above, you should always go light to heavy (as a general rule)
In other words – should you start a 12 month training program by lifting heavy weights?
Or should you start with a light weight and then work your way up to a heavy weight over the months?
In other words – should you start training with heavy loads first?
Or should you start with lighter weights during your workout and then progress to heavier weights?
The good news for you is that in both contexts, you should usually go from light weight to heavy weight
Definition of heavyweights and lightweights
A weight that is heavy for one person may be light for another
So what is considered heavy and light weight in weightlifting?
A heavy weight is a weight between 60 and 100% of your maximum lifting capacity for the exercise, also called a 1-rep maximum
In contrast, light weight is between 0 and 60% of your maximum lifting capacity for the exercise
Therefore, it is recommended to determine a maximum of 1 repetition for each exercise
All you have to do is find the exercise and data in the strength level database to estimate your 1-rep max
It then calculates the maximum weight you can lift once for a given exercise
From here you can get 60-100% of your 1 rep max for heavy weights, 0-60% for light weights
This can be calculated by multiplying 060 to 100 for heavy weight or 000 to 060 for light weight by 1 repetition
For example, if your approximate bench press 1-rep max is 51 pounds, then a heavy weight for you would be 31-51 pounds, and a light weight would be 1-30 pounds
Find out how much weight to lift in my other article!
Go from light to heavy in your training program
As someone who wants to build muscle, you want to lift heavy (eventually)
Instead, you should start lifting lighter weights before lifting heavier weights
Starting with light weight, you can learn to exercise safely
And once you’ve adapted to the movements of the exercise and your muscles have developed a new foundation of strength, you can move up to heavier weights
So how much should you lift relative to your body weight as a beginner?
These are relatively light weights for someone who exercises regularly
And it allows you to lift heavier weights as you progress through your training program
If you train with dumbbells, adjustable dumbbells like the Powerblock Elites allow you to easily transition from light to heavy lifts
Go from light to heavy with each workout
During each workout, you should also lift a light weight before the heavy weight
In general, you should lift light weights to warm up your muscles
A warm-up set involves performing a movement for a specific exercise, but with a light weight
After warming up, you can start training
Jay from Exercise Program recommends the following warm-up set:
Warm-up scheme from the exercise routine
After you’ve warmed up with lighter weights, you can start tackling heavier weights, which will be your muscle-building sets
Powerblock dumbbells are fully adjustable, and each dumbbell includes light AND heavy settings, making it a great way to improve at home
Check out my other article for tips on how to build muscle as a hardcore exerciser!
Two ways to go from light to heavy in your workout
I discussed why you should lift light weight in the form of warm-up sets
Compound exercises (also called “big lifts”) activate several muscle groups at the same time
They are mass builders and you are advised to lift heavy in these exercises (70-80% of 1 rep max for 6-12 reps)
Isolation exercises (also called “small lifts”), on the other hand, activate single muscle groups
They are used to add volume to certain muscles and you are advised to lift lighter on these exercises (60-70% max for 10-15 reps)
Which type of exercise you choose to do first will depend on your goal
The chart below will help you decide whether to lift heavy composite lifts or lighter insulation first
You may be interested in my other article on what dumbbell weights are considered light and heavy
Heavy Composite Lifts First Lifter Insulation Lifts More Energy for “Big Lifts” More energy for “small lifts” Increases total mass Defines specific muscles Develops general strength Develops extra muscles Advantages of lifting heavy compounds or lifting lighter insulation
As you can see, whether you choose to lift a heavy compound first or a lighter isolation lift depends on your training goal
However, no matter what, you should still lift light weight warm-up sets beforehand
So technically, you should always lift light weights first and then move on to heavier weights
Why lift heavy weights to gain lean muscle
So why lift heavy weights to build muscle?
Heavy weights are required to build muscle because they put mechanical stress on the muscles being trained
As I mentioned before, the best way to lift heavy weights is to start with light weights first and gradually increase the weight over time
This process is called progressive overload, and it is very important to strengthen the muscles
To understand why progressive overload is important, consider the stimulus recovery-adaptation model below
As you can see – it is important to gradually introduce demanding stimuli in order for your muscles to grow
In the absence of progressive overload, muscle growth grows very quickly
And if you want to gain a significant amount of muscle, this is not good!
If you are interested, you may also be interested in my other article on how progressive overload works with dumbbells
Do bodybuilders primarily lift heavy or light weights?
Now let’s take a look at how elite bodybuilders build their muscles
Here are Arnie’s thoughts on lifting heavy or light first
In agreement with this post, Arnie advocates light warm-up sets before jumping into heavy lifts
Simply put, you must always find ways to introduce new stimuli to your muscles
Therefore, in any case, be careful to lift heavy compound weights before light isolation weights
But occasionally lifting light isolation weights first can also be beneficial
If you are interested, you can go to my other article on home dumbbell bodybuilding exercises!
Today I explained whether you should lift heavy or light weights first
In general, you should always lift light before moving to heavy weights in your training program
Also, before lifting heavy weights in training, you should lift light weights (in the form of warm-up sets)
After your warm-up sets, it may be helpful to perform heavy compound lifts first, or light isolation lifts first
DO YOU prefer to lift heavy or light weights first?
Alternatively, download the FREE Caliber Muscle Blueprint to see exactly how I transformed my lean body into rock hard!
Thanks for reading guys!