Small Weight Big Muscles

Scientists have discovered that in order to have big muscles, it is not necessary to lift heavy barbells and that lifting small weights also does the job.

They suggests that lifting light weights is as efficient for building body mass, as breaking your back into lifting heavier ones as long as you reach muscle fatigue.

Researcher Stuart Phillips, associate professor of kinesiology at McMaster University, stated that “rather than grunting and straining to lift heavy weights, you can grab something much lighter but you have to lift it until you can't lift it anymore.

“We're convinced that growing muscle means stimulating your muscle to make new muscle proteins, a process in the body that over time accumulates into bigger muscles.”

The study involved 15 men with an average age of 21 that had to lift light weights and heavy weights with varying repetitions, LiveScience reports.

Lead study researcher Nicholas Burd, a doctoral student at McMaster University said that 80 to 90 percent of the participants managed to lift the heavy weights from five to ten times before getting tired but only 30 percent of them could lift the light weights at least 24 times before fatigue set in.

Phillips said that they are very excited to see where this new perspective will lead and stressed that this study may have some value for people that like gym, but its real importance is given by the implications it has for those who have compromised skeletal muscle mass, like cancer patients or the elderly, and for those who are recovering from trauma, surgery or stoke.

This research, published online August 9th in the journal Public Library of Science (PloS), says that even if light weightlifting may give the same general results concerning muscle mass, it does not provide the same endorphins boost as lifting heavy weights.