Build Muscle Without Myth: 3 Body Building Beliefs To Avoid

In this study, light super-slow lifting at 55-60 percent of the participants one rep max (1RM) increased both muscle density and maximal strength just as much as heavy normal-speed training performed at 80-90 percent of 1RM. In this study, both heavy weight training with 8-10 reps and light weight training with 18-20 reps stimulated the genes necessary for active muscle growth. Another study reported that training with higher reps and lighter weights (25-35 reps) indeed results in the same gains in muscle girth and density as heavier weights with 8-12 reps. Even in seasoned weightlifters, researchers found the same muscle growth occurs when comparing 20-25 reps light weight compared to 8-12 reps with a heavy weight. In this study, high reps and light weight (24 reps with 30 percent) were shown to increase post-workout protein synthesis, a sign of active muscle growth, for 24 hours after exercise, and to a far greater degree than low reps and heavy weights using 5 reps and 90 percent. In yet another study, light weight training, not performed to muscle failure or muscular fatigue, was found to promote and activate protein synthesis just as much as heavy weights. Ultimately, if you want to quickly add muscle girth and density , lifting heavy weights or heavy objects (sandbags, kettlebells) is the way to go. But you can build the same amounts of girth and density with light weight and high reps. And, to make matters a bit more interesting, this study and this study show that ...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news