I can only imagine how fired up some people got when they read the title of this blog post. So before you get your panties in a bunch and start trolling all over the place, read all the way through.
Yes, I absolutely think that lifting heavy is for everyone.
Obviously there are special case scenarios that need to be taken into consideration. BUT for most of the clients that I’ve worked with over my last 5 years as a coach, they all “lift heavy” anywhere from 1-3x per week.
Why? Because heavy is relative.
Whats perceived as heavy for a top level athlete is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT then what your 80-year old grandma perceives as heavy. (Or maybe not if you have a badass grandma. I digress.)
Using the concept of relative intensity and rate of perceived exertion, you can appropriately scale loads to the athletes needs. (Peep at a previous blog post I did on RPE training if you have zero clue how to apply it.)
So, that doesn’t mean that both athletes need to be going for a 1 rep max deadlift. But, it does mean that both athletes need to know how to properly pick up an object in front of them, build proper movement patterns and progressively build the strength so they’re not throwing their back out trying to pick up a chair.
The most effective way to build strength is to progressively lift heavier loads with good mechanics. Only incorporating lighter loads (Less than 60% of your 1RM) for 25+ repetitions DOES NOT give your body the same stimulus as doing 5-25 repetitions anywhere from 70-85% of your 1 rep max.
When you are lifting weights, you are progressively reciting more muscle fibers. That simply means that
The science simply does not support it. To build strength and muscle, your body needs to be progressively and appropriately stressed under load.