5 Benefits of Lifting Light Weight: Experts
If you’re looking for a way to start lifting weights for a full-body workout but you’re not sure where to begin, or you think you need to spend hours in the gym and lift heavy weights to see results, think again. According to experts, lifting lighter weights can provide numerous benefits. Unlike heavy lifting, which involves selecting the heaviest weight possible to increase muscle size, “light lifting is a type of resistance training that improves strength and preserves lean body mass,” says personal trainer and co-author of Lift Light, Get Lean: 28-Day Weight Training Plan for Safe and Easy Weight Loss, Brook Benten. “You’ll lift lighter weights for a number of repetitions, then take a break. This increases muscle endurance, which is what helps you perform daily tasks such as carrying grocery bags or doing yard work more easily.”
Of course, what is considered “light” is subjective. “The weight you use should be light enough so that you can perform about 12 to 15 reps before your muscle becomes exhausted,” says Benten. “Typically, that’s between five to eight pounds for most women, though it’s fine to start lighter.” Plus, lifting lighter weights can be done anywhere, indoors or outdoors, and you only need a basic set of dumbbells to get started.
It’s critical to focus on technique just as it is with heavy lifting. “The key is that if you’re using good form and lifting to the point of fatigue, you will likely feel stronger after just a few weeks,” says Keli Roberts, American College of Sports Medicine certified exercise physiologist and certified personal trainer. “Doing light lifting several times a week should be your goal, and don’t skip a warmup, which is increasingly important as we get older.”
Here are some benefits of lifting light weights:
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