Should Fitness Buffs Use Heavy or Moderate Load Weights?

If you like to hit the gym and have lots of other things going on you want to maximize your time. This blog is about business, government, academics, and science but it is catered to busy professionals and executives (especially digital nomads and creative class.). There will likely be more articles as they relate to other things of interest such as finance, investing, etc... but from a more scientific stand point. Thus it is a resource for those who want to expand their knowledge and awareness into other beneficial arenas (I have a fitness trainer license so this is relevant to me and other high performance individuals. Not saying I'm high performance...I'm just saying I like to strive toward something greater.).

You may also find that much of the literature promoted as science isn't really science at all! Serious athletes and those who like to get the most out of their workouts focus more on the scientific literature than the fad ads that promise quick results without actually putting in much effort. Maximizing effort is different than fad dieting. 

One question you should ask is, "Do you want strength or muscle size?" This you may have different focus of your exercise. If you answer one over the other you can adjust your workout a little to ensure you get the best results. Keep in mind that doing one or the other too long without change creates slow improvements/gains (I'm not a body builder but I am into fitness, martial arts, and many other sports so my goals are more well rounded. Warning. Max load single reps can sometimes lead to injury so be mindful of form throughout. )

According to a study in Journal of Sports Science & Medicine heavier loads with lower repetitions leads to increased strength while moderate loads with more repetitions leads to bigger muscle size (Schoenfeld, et. al. 2016). Finding a way to combine these approaches might lead to increases in overall strength and size. 

Fitness isn't the same for everyone so you should consider trying out one strategy for a few months and then switch to another alterative to see if that works out better.

One might consider trying to 1.) augment heavier low repetition loads with moderate high repetition loads while training  (i.e. arm, leg, etc.) or 2.) warm up on a moderate high repetition load on the 1st set, move to a heavier low repetition load on the 2nd set, and back to a heavier low repetition load on the 3rd set.

Schoenfeld, B. J., Contreras, B., Vigotsky, A. D., & Peterson, M. (2016). Differential Effects of Heavy Versus Moderate Loads on Measures of Strength and Hypertrophy in Resistance-Trained Men. Journal of sports science & medicine, 15(4), 715–722. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5131226/