For individuals looking to build some brawn, pumping up your muscles may be possible without the heavy lifting, according to new research.
A study conducted at McMaster University has found it’s possible for individuals to reach a similar level of muscle building using weights that are lighter.
But while they may be reducing the weight, that doesn’t necessarily mean the same for the workload.
According to the findings, published in the Public Library of Science, individuals may use lighter weights, but the key is to pump up until reaching muscle fatigue.
“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,” says Stuart Phillips, associate professor of kinesiology at McMaster University in a release.
“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 small study included 15 men who performed four sets of unilateral leg extension exercises. They used light weights representing a percentage of what the subjects could lift. Heavier weights were set to 90 per cent of a person’s best lift, while light weights were set at 30 per cent of what they were able to lift.
Phillips says the 80 per cent to 90 per cent range is usually something people can lift between five and 10 times before fatigue starts to set in.
The findings could have practical significance for gym enthusiasts, but more importantly for those individuals with compromised skeletal muscle mass, including seniors, cancer patients or those who are recovering from trauma, surgery or even stroke.