For the past two years, I’ve been training with lighter weights, usually starting each exercise for a muscle with a set of 20-plus reps.
That fatigues the slow-twitch fibers. After a short 20-second rest, I use the same weight and crank out another 10 to 12, which quickly shifts the muscle to fast-twitch-fiber activation…
Another set or two follows, but with the same moderate weight. If you’ve read my new web page, you know that I had nothing but a 50-pound PowerBlock dumbbell set to work with…
That means I could use no more than 50 pounds in each hand—even for leg work. Yet I managed to sculpt my physique into bodybuilder-esque shape at age 62—as the after photo on the ebook at the end of this newsletter shows…
I know what you’re thinking: Come on, man. You can’t really build muscle with lighter weights and higher reps.
Well, new research says you can…
In fact, the higher-rep sets build muscle as well as or better than heavy low-rep sets—and without the injury potential—or later-in-life aches, pains, and possible joint surgery.
Check out this graphic from a recent study in the European Journal of Sports Science (Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., a scientist we highly respect, is one of the researchers)…
Notice that 40 percent of a one-rep-max weight got the same or better hypertrophy results compared with an 80 percent 1RM weight.
In other words, if you can curl 100 pounds for one rep, doing 40 pounds for 20-plus reps gets you the same mass gains as using 80 pounds for six reps.
Also notice that 20 pounds for 70 reps is just too light to trigger much growth, so there is a threshold…
All sets were to muscular failure, which is important to train as many muscle-fibers as possible in each set.
And as an aside, dumbbells are better than a barbell, as explained by the bi-lateral-deficit factor in the new ebook…
The take-home mass-building message is that lighter-load, higher-rep training is incredibly effective, while sparing joints—if you do things correctly. That means choosing the right exercises…
As I repeat a few times in the new Old Man, Young Muscle ebook, which outlines my findings and workouts—and this is important…
Your muscles don’t know weight, only effort against resistance.
Plus, the ideal exercises in the new ebook have proper line of force, correct resistance curve, and are biomechanically correct—for example, dumbbell decline bench presses…
That means more mass stimulation without joint annihilation.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
Steve Holman
Former Editor in Chief, Iron Man Magazine
www.X-Rep.com
New Release…
For a limited time, you can get the brand-new Old Man, Young Muscle at 25% off (introductory price)
PLUS you’ll get the Muscle-On, Belly-Gone “Diet” ebook F-R-E-E
That’s a two-days-a-week, shred-your-physique eating plan that can recharge your anabolic environment, build more muscle, and melt body fat (see Steve’s photo on the cover).
Check it all out HERE