You know that mixed training with heavy and light weights is beneficial for muscle growth
Because today I’m going to explain whether you should lift heavy or light weights first
Both an exercise program and exercise session should begin with light weights before moving on to heavier weights
Lifting with light loads will prepare your muscles for intense physical exertion from heavy weightlifting
This allows you to safely lift heavier weights
I too was confused by this dilemma when I first started strength training
Therefore, today I want to share my research and personal experience (I was able to gain 40 kilos of muscle myself) regarding the issue of training sequence
Should you lift heavy or light weights first?Definition of heavy and light weightsGo from light to heavy in a workout programGo from light to heavy in every workoutTwo ways to lift from light to heavy weights in a workoutWhy you should Need to lift heavy weights to get lean muscles Do bodybuilders put on heavy or light weights first? Conclusion
Should you lift heavy or light weights first?
In the context of muscle building, lifting heavy weights is recommended to promote muscle growth
Lifting light weights, on the other hand, is suitable for warm-ups and smaller exercises such as the bicep curl
So should you lift heavy weights first or last?
As I mentioned earlier, you should always lift light to heavy (as a general rule)
In other words, should you start a 12-month training program by going all out on heavy lifts?
Or should you start with light weights and progress to heavy weights over the months?
In other words, should you start a workout session by doing your heavy exercises first?
Or should you start with lighter lifts and then progress to the heavier weights over the course of a workout?
The good news for you is that you should generally move from light to heavy weights in both contexts
Definition of heavy and light weights
A weight that is heavy for one person may be light for another
So what is considered a heavy and light weight in weightlifting?
A heavy weight is one that is 60 to 100% of your maximum lifting capacity for the exercise, known as the 1-rep max
A light weight, on the other hand, is one that is 0 to 60% of your maximum lifting capacity for the exercise
Therefore, it is highly recommended to determine your 1-rep max for each exercise
To estimate your 1-rep max, simply look up your exercise and details in the Strength Level database
It then estimates the maximum weight you can lift at one time for a given exercise
From here you can take 60-100% of your 1-rep max for a heavy weight, or 0-60% for a light weight
This can be calculated by multiplying your 1 rep max by 060 to 100 for a heavy weight, or 000 to 060 for a light weight
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 an exercise program
If someone wants to build that muscle, you (eventually) want to lift heavy weights
Instead, you should start lifting lighter weights before lifting heavy weights
By starting with a lower weight, you can safely get used to the exercises
And once you’ve adapted to the training moves and your muscles have developed a base of initial strength, you can move on to heavier weights
So how much weight should you lift as a beginner, relative to your own body weight?
These are relatively light weights for someone who exercises regularly
And this allows you to lift heavier weights as you progress through your training program
If you train with dumbbells, a good pair of adjustable dumbbells like these Powerblock Elites will allow you to transition from light to heavy lifting effortlessly
Go from light to heavy in every workout
You should also lift light weights before heavy weights during each workout
In general, you should lift light weights to warm up your muscles
A warm-up set involves performing the move for a given exercise, but with light weights
Once you’ve warmed up, you can begin your training sets
Jay from A Workout Routine recommends the following warm-up set structure:
Warm Up Chart of A Workout Routine
Once you’ve warmed up with light weights, you can start tackling the heavy 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 progress at home
Check out my other article for tips on how to build muscle as a hardgainer!
Two ways to lift from light to heavy weights during a workout
I’ve discussed why you should lift light weights in the form of warm up sets
Compound exercises (also called the “big lifts”) activate multiple muscle groups at once
They are the mass builders and it is recommended to lift heavy on these exercises (70-80% of 1-rep max at 6-12 reps)
Isolation exercises (also called the “little lifts”), on the other hand, activate some muscle groups
They are used to add volume to specific muscles, and lighter lifting is recommended on these exercises (60-70% of 1-rep max at 10-15 reps)
Which type of exercise you choose first depends on your goal
The table below will help you decide whether to do heavy compound lifts or lighter isolation lifts first
You may also be interested in my other article to find out which dumbbell weights are considered light and heavy
Heavy Compound Lifts FirstLighter Isolation Lifts FirstMore energy for “big lifts”More energy for “small lifts”Increases total massDefines specific musclesDevelops general strengthDevelops lagging musclesBenefits of heavy compound lifting first or lighter isolation lifting
As you can see, it depends on your training goal whether you choose to lift heavy compound or lighter insulation first
But either way, you should still lift lightweight warm-ups beforehand
So technically you should always lift light weights first and then move on to heavier weights
Why You Should Lift Heavy Weights To Gain Lean Muscle
So why lift heavy weights to build muscle?
Heavy weights are necessary to build muscle because they introduce mechanical tension into the muscle being trained
As I mentioned earlier, 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 essential to build muscle
Check out the stimulus-recovery-adaptation model below to understand why progressive overload is important
As you can see, it is important to introduce increasingly heavier stimuli to make your muscles grow
Without progressive overload, your muscle gains would flatten out very quickly
And that’s not good if you want to gain a significant amount of muscle!
If you’re interested, you might also be interested in my other article to learn how progressive overload works with dumbbells
Do bodybuilders lift heavy or light weights first?
Now let’s see how the elite build muscle – the bodybuilders
Here are Arnie’s views on lifting heavy or light weights first
In keeping with this post, Arnie advocates light warm-up sets before jumping into your heavy compound lifts
Simply put, you should always find ways to give your muscles a new boost
Therefore, by all means, focus on lifting heavy compound weights before light isolation weights
But occasionally it can also be helpful to lift light insulation weights first
If you are interested, you can go to my other article for a bodybuilding workout with dumbbells at home!
Today I explained whether you should lift heavy or light weights first
In general, you should always lift lightly before moving on to heavy weights in an exercise program
In addition, you should also lift light weights (in the form of warm-up sets) before lifting heavy weights during a workout
After your warm-up sets, it may be helpful to do heavy compound lifts or light isolation lifts first
Do YOU prefer to lift heavy weights or light weights first?
Or download the FREE Kalibre Muscle Blueprint to discover EXACTLY how I transformed my lean body as a hardgainer!
Thanks for reading guys!