Everyone wants to know how heavy lifting brings bigger gains and today I am going to talk to you about that and show you a quick workout that can pack on the muscle. Weight lifting is essential to body recomposition. If all you do is cardio to burn fat you will also burn the hard earned muscle you worked for. Some people believe in lifting “for the pump” and I am here to tell you that isn't the best way to go if you want to pack on strength and size.
Why Lifting Heavy Is Better
Intensity is one of the factors that spurs muscle growth. When you push your CNS beyond its normal capacity you force it to add size to your frame. When we do sets in the range of 4 to 6 repetitions we are doing “heavy lifting” in my opinion. The following are the reasons I think lifting heavy is the way to go.
- Faster strength increases. An increase in strength will come with a revved up metabolism as one of the side benefits. Increased strength also gives you more confidence.
- You build muscle. Heavy weights means larger muscles. Larger muscles means a more efficient energy system in your body.
- Helps the body lose fat. Because muscle is a metabolic tissue you will burn fat easier if you have more muscle on your frame.
- Connective tissue is strengthened. This means you are protected more when lifting later.
A Heavy Workout
| Exercise | Reps/Sets |
| Leg Extensions | 10 x 3 |
| Leg Press | 15 x 5 |
| Squats | 4-6 x 3
1-3 x 3 |
| Lying Leg Curls | 4-6 x 3 |
This workout begins by pre-exhausting the quads in preparation for some good squat work. When we get to the squats we begin with 3 sets in the 4 to 6 rep range and then we finish with 3 sets in the 1 to 3 rep range. This type of workout is going to exhaust you so make sure you get your food in before this training happens.
The focus in this workout is the quads and hamstrings, but you can apply this principle to any muscle group. Give it a try and share your workout in the comments.
