Life is filled with humbling moments.  Have you ever walked into a gym and seen the Incredible Hulk lifting the equivalent of a railway car above his/her head, grunting like they’re in labor?  It’s enough to send you whimpering to the nearest candy store.

Traditional wisdom says that, in starting weight training, you should find the heaviest weight you can lift, then pick a weight that is 80-90% of that number and lift for a total of 10 times, tiring out the muscles.  Sound like fun?  No?  Well, have I got a deal for you!

I’m here to tell you there’s another way to get gorgeous muscles.  A new study funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada discovered that lifting lighter weights for more repetition will result in the same definition and growth.  If you’ve decided to start a weight regimen, find a weight that feels comfortable and lift until you feel comfortably tired, or 25 times to begin.  You’ll end up with a set of guns to rival Michelle Obama.

Here’s a link to the article from The New York Times if you’d like to read it:
Lifting Lighter Weights Can Be Just as Effective as Heavy Ones.

Thanks for Reading!
Denise Gaylord
Personal Trainer & Challenge Coach
Provincetown USA