3 Benefits of Lifting Lighter Weight

Growing up as an athlete my idea of working out consisted of pushing it to the limit and lifting as much weight as I could. Now that I am older, and I have a much better understanding of exercise, I have found some great benefits to training my body with a more modest weight. 

No Injury or Pain

Being the most obvious reason let’s talk a little more about why. Form and technique are always sacrificed first when you lift heavier weight. Breathing is compromised and recruitment of muscle groups that are not supposed to be engaged are doing so to help you move this weight. The best example I can give you is on the bench press. When someone is lifting a too much weight, they have to arch their back and lift their hips. As long as he or she can move the weight most people see no issue with this until things start to hurt. The rule of thumb I instruct my personal Training clients on is, “If you cannot move the weight the same speed out as you can in and vice versa, the weight is too heavy”. If you have to use momentum or rock to move the weight it is too heavy. This leads me to the next benefit.

 Full contraction

 What is a full contraction? My Job as a muscle activation technique specialist is to help my client’s muscular system contract more efficiently. When your muscle can fully contract, you have more blood flow, range of motion and the ability to build a specific muscle. When you lift lighter weight, you are able push or pull that weight through the full range of motion. Let’s use the bicep curl as an example. Let’s say your starting position is with your arms down by your side with a dumbbell in each hand. And let’s say the end position is with your palm and the weight strait up and down. Well as the weight gets heavier you lose the ability to consistently bring that arm back to strait up and down. If you are stopping mid-motion or even 80% of the way to end range your missing out on 20% of the strength you could be gaining. As you fatigue once again you recruit other muscle groups and compensate by rocking or leaning to one side to move the weight.

 Full Range of Motion

 If you are getting a full contraction during the exercise chances are you are going to be able to get full range of motion. Most of us that train in a gym regularly are aware that with certain exercises we can push or pull all the way through and some exercises we cannot. During those exercises you cannot is the perfect time to lift a lighter weight instead or trying to force through the range of motion.  The perfect example for this is the row or dumbbell row. The row is intended to be a back and posterior shoulder exercise. However, when it is too much weight biceps, long head of triceps and teres major do most of the rowing. In many cases people never even get their arms back far enough to engage the proper muscles. How do you know you are working the right muscle and have possibly reached full range?  If your form is correct the first thing you will notice is the medical border of your scapula is very close to your spine. If you keep your head up (Which you do anyway with a row), you will feel the cervical muscles engage that also help with retraction. If you are not feeling the resistance only in the posterior shoulder your weight is too heavy, and chances are you are not working out through the full range of motion.

 Conclusion

 Being in the health and fitness industry for over a decade I have worked with individuals who have had difficulties achieving these 3 benefits even with light weight. In my blog “Why you may not be Gaining Muscle or Losing Weight, “I discussed in detail the reason for this. Much of the reason resides in a miscommunication between the central nervous system and the muscular system. We can only do as much as our muscular system will allow which is why many people hurt themselves exercising. In my medical exercise clinic in Tampa Fl, we specialize in improving the contractile capabilities of the muscular system by using Muscle Activation Techniques. We have helped people of all ages and backgrounds enhance the quality of their life and increase performance in and outside the gym.