Just How Heavy Do We Need to Lift?

[Andrewgen_Receptors]

@sgg

But doesn’t the current science demonstrate that you can get bigger stronger and leaner while still lifting lighter?

No, not really. Read below by our resident guru.

@Christian_Thibaudeau

So, what’s the main stimulus for growth? If we were to use an equation, it would look something like this:

(Muscle fiber recruitment + Mechanical loading of these fibers) X number of reps = hypertrophy stimulus

The number of muscle fibers you recruit is dependent on the amount of force required relative to your maximum force production potential during a rep. You can increase the amount of force required relative to your maximum a few different ways:

1. Use heavier weights. Heavier weights = greater percentage of your maximum.
2. Create fatigue. Do more reps or use supersets, which decreases your relative maximum from rep to rep because the muscle is tired.
3. Accelerate as much as possible when lifting the weight (force = mass x acceleration). But you’ll see why this is good for strength and power but not optimal for hypertrophy.

Mechanical loading refers to imposing a mechanical stress on the muscle fibers. That means you must create as much muscle tension as possible to stretch the muscle fibers while tension is still there.

Tension is related to the amount of force the muscle needs to produce. The more force required, the higher the tension will be.