Whenever I meet new clients, their main goal is to build lean muscle. Most of them start out thinking that they need to lift heavy weights to do this. What many people don’t know is that you can get great results using light weights.
But how do you do that?
The phrase intense workout initially brings to mind the use of very heavy weights. Progressive loading is essential for muscle growth.
However, we can increase the intensity of exercises in other ways, including range of motion and tempo.
In this article, we’ll cover how to get great results with light weights and how you can make the most of range of motion and tempo in your workouts. Ready? Here are some tips:
Pay attention to your exercise tempo
Tempo (the regularity of movements) is a more important variable than simply increasing the “weight,” since indiscriminately increasing the load can affect your range of motion and compromise proper exercise form, and in extreme cases can lead to unwanted injuries.
Exercise tempo can be prescribed as 1010, 2020, 3010, and so on. The first number refers to the phase moving with the weight, and the second refers to the transition phase from concentric to eccentric.
The third number refers to the phase moving against the weight, and the fourth number is also a transition phase leading back to the first number.
Pay attention to proper posture during your workout
If you think proper posture doesn’t affect your results, I have bad news for you. It has a direct impact! And this is one of the key points to getting results with light weights.
Good posture means quality of life and physical health. This should be taken into account not only when performing daily tasks or in the way we sit, but also when performing exercises during a workout.
Maintaining proper posture during training can not only prevent injuries, but also improve your muscle-building results. Therefore, it should be a central aspect of training that you need to keep in mind.
Performing controlled movements, keeping your spine in a neutral (upright) position, aligning your joints, and engaging your core are small strategies for moving mindfully.
In this regard, guidance from qualified professionals (such as physical therapists or personal trainers) is essential to accurately assess these postural gaps and apply more effective, personalized methods during your workout.
Remember that good posture goes far beyond aesthetics. Having good posture is very important for your overall health.
What is the tempo of the exercises prescribed in your workout?
Don’t know the tempo of your exercises? You should know it and have that information on hand…
Remember that strength training is more than simply pulling or pushing weights at random!
According to various studies, contraction times close to 60 seconds, with repetitions lasting between 4 and 6 seconds—that is, the time in seconds—are ideal for designing muscle-building workouts. However, we have plenty of ways to vary these training stimuli.
Movement tempo is a more important variable than simply increasing the “weight,” since indiscriminately increasing the load can affect your range of motion and compromise proper exercise form, and in extreme cases can lead to unwanted injuries.
Exercise tempo can be prescribed as 1010, 2020, 3010, and so on.
For example: 4020. The number 4 represents the seconds for the eccentric phase, the number 0 represents the transition between these phases, and the number 2 represents the seconds in the concentric phase. The fourth number is also a transition phase leading back to the first number.
Didn’t understand? I’ll explain it in very simple terms: a 3030 tempo, for example, on the leg press.
It takes you three seconds to push the platform up… and without pausing, you immediately bring it back down, taking another three seconds to lower the platform toward your body… and without pausing, start the process again until you complete the prescribed repetitions.
The importance of range of motion when using light weights
If you don’t have any joint limitations, you can and SHOULD use your full range of motion! So what is range of motion?
It is the maximum movement performed by a joint within its anatomical limits that does not pose a risk of injury! And why use a full range of motion?
Because this increases motor unit recruitment and makes more efficient use of your muscles… not to mention that this approach increases workout intensity and, as we know, intense workouts produce better results for building muscle and losing fat!
It is scientifically proven that shortened movements can generate force, but they are not as effective when the goal is muscle growth!
Conclusion
You don’t need very heavy weights to build muscle. That’s a myth, and it’s time to bust it! By using your full range of motion and controlling your tempo, you can achieve great results.
You should always focus on performing full movements during your workouts, because poor exercise form combined with heavy weights can lead to serious injuries during training. And that’s not what you want, right?
So always keep in mind that the weights are not the main thing you should focus on during your workout.
Think of your workout as a whole. Use a full range of motion, control the tempo of every rep, and pay close attention to your posture while exercising.
This will definitely help you see greater results in less time!
What did you think of these tips? Now it’s time to put them all into practice in your workout. To get more content about training and nutrition, keep following our blog. See you next time! #VEMPROTREINO
