I get this question every so often - which is better for building muscle and strength…high load or low load?
It really depends on your goal, and individuality. When it comes to fitness individuality has a lot to do with it. What works for your neighbor won’t work for you and vice versa. The best advice is to find what works for you. Some people, for example, are not bred to take on heavy loads weeks on end - aka in powerlifting or olympic weightlifting.
What you can do to find what works best for you is to dedicate some time where you design a simple program for the next 4 weeks and reassess how you feel at the end of those 4 weeks. You may find that certain protocols work better on you:
Option 1
Evert Tuesday for the next 4 weeks
- Squat 3 set x 6 reps @80% of max effort
- Overhead press
- Lateral raises
- Cable machines
Reassess after the 4 weeks. You can take a pivot week or deload week after those 4 weeks and repeat it for another round of 4 weeks. Repeat that process and dedicated a way to test whether or not you got stronger.
Option 2
Evert Tuesday for the next 4 weeks
- Squat 3 set x 3-5 reps @87-90% of max effort
- Overhead press
- Lateral raises
- Cable machines
Reassess after the 4 weeks. You can take a pivot week or deload week after those 4 weeks and repeat it for another round of 4 weeks. Repeat that process and dedicated a way to test whether or not you got stronger.
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You may find that you respond very well to higher weight and low reps and you actually feel stronger, noticed your bodyweight go up, and you see some progress in how you feel. On the other hand you may notice that you feel extraordinary to a lower weight moderate/high volume and you may feel stronger on that.
There is no one set way to doing a program. It just comes down to being consistent in your approach and managing your tiredness and fatigue level. Once you can find the sweet spot, you’re golden.
The great thing is you can apply this mindset to any other exercise – not just squats. For more articles like these consider subscribing to the page below.
Be well,
Yelena
