It is a myth that one must lift more weight to bulk up. If you're regular and patient with lighter weights, you can achieve similar results. It all comes down to two factors: the number of reps, and the way you perform them in order to achieve muscle fatigue.
How to Bulk Up. Bulking up is accomplished by lifting heavier weights for a lower amount of repetitions per set. “Overload” must be achieved to bulk up. This means working the muscles more than they are accustomed to and increasing the work load (weight, sets or reps) as a person gets stronger.
So, in general, low reps with heavy weight tends to increase muscle mass, while high reps with light weight increases muscle endurance. This doesn't mean that you have to rely on one method exclusively. Alternating between the two may be the best approach for long-term success. Here's why.
One method is to figure out your 1-rep max for each exercise (the most you can lift for a single rep) and then work at 70 to 80 percent of that weight, the recommended range for hypertrophy training.
While heavy lifting won't make you bulky, it will promote healthy bone density, which is especially important for women as they age, speed up your metabolism, and help burn more fat. Because muscle is such a powerful calorie burner, increasing your muscle mass is one science-backed key to getting lean.
» Cut–bulk phases are typically best kept in the 10–20% body fat range (add 8% for women). » Bulking phases are best capped at 20% because past this point, the risk to health increases and I'd advise not bulking if you estimate yourself to be 16% body fat or above.
“Super-long sets are great for muscular endurance,” explains Heather Farmer, an Olympic weightlifting national competitor and fitness coach in New York City. “But using heavy weights builds up your muscle tissue, giving you shape and the lean, strong look you're after.
30kg dumbbells can be heavy enough to build muscle, depending on factors such as your current weightlifting proficiency and body composition. To build muscle, doing low repetitions with heavy weights, such as 30kg dumbbells, is an effective method.
One, you could be lifting heavy and doing too few reps in the gym. Second, there may be a big gap between your workout days. Third, you might not be consuming enough calories. Before you move on to lifting heavier weights, make sure you are doing between 3 and 12 reps.
One possible reason your muscle is not growing could be that your training is more geared toward improving your strength vs hypertrophy (i.e. muscle growth). You want to fully activate your whole muscle to maximize growth. The last 5 or so reps performed in a set is where this happens.
Lighter Weight Actually Works the Muscle
Lifting lighter means your muscles do all the work, which is after all why you're in the gym. Using poundage beyond what your body can lift, means you are relying on momentum, not exclusively your muscles, to get the bar up.
If your primary goal is to improve core strength, by all means employ an exercise ball all day long. But if getting lean is the objective, hitting big muscles with big weights is the way to go. You'll get the most bang for your buck this way, and your metabolism will respond.
Reps for muscle growth
In order to get bigger and stronger, you must ensure your muscles work harder than they are used to. Generally, between 6-12 reps for 3-6 sets will help to build overall muscle size.
Therefore, in a 12-week bulking program, beginners could aim to gain 10-20lbs in total (1-2lbs per week), whereas intermediate and advanced lifters might be between 6-12lbs in total (. 5-1lb per week).
Muscle can only grow so fast, and a proper bulk takes both time and consistency (the opposite of fast). However, factors like eating more calories than you burn, increasing protein/carb intake, training with more volume, and monitoring your rate of weight gain can maximize your muscle-building during a bulk.
A good guideline is to lift heavy enough that the last 2-3 reps on each set feel challenging to complete but not so hard that you can't do them with proper form. After the last rep, you should feel close to maxed out with enough energy left to do however many sets you have left.
You could feel “punch drunk” after working out, your arms and other muscles might ache more than usual, and your body may even feel generally weaker. A low protein diet can also hinder your weight-loss goals, because more muscle means a higher metabolism, which means it takes more calories to maintain the same weight.
Lifting a load every five minutes (12 per hour) that is below 15 kg is considered safe, whereas lifting a load every minute (60 per hour) that is above 45 kg enters the purple zone, which means it is an unacceptable level of risk and operations may present a serious risk of injury, requiring immediate improvements.
Generally, 20-25kg is considered heavy by the majority. There are therefore numerous factors to evaluate when determining whether the load a person lifts at work is 'safe'.
Yes, absolutely. Most people think that they need to gain way more muscle than they really do to make a noticeable visual difference. Particularly if you stay lean, even just 5lbs of muscle can be seen, especially if it's in the “right places” like the shoulders, forearms, chest, lats, etc.
Your testosterone levels rise after exercise, especially intense, heavy strength training. This increase in level may last just 15 minutes or up to an hour.
You should aim to have around 40% protein, 30% carbs and 30% fats during a day. Carbohydrates are most effective on training days, where they provide energy. Pre-workout, aim for slow-release carbs like sweet potato and brown rice. Afterwards, faster releasing carbs are a good idea to quickly replace glycogen.