Fitness Tip Busted - Lifting Heavy Will Make You Bulky

TLDR – Lifting heavy does not make you bulky. But lifting heavy is a key component of adding muscle.

When it comes to getting bulky, it is not the heavy weights that cause you to gain muscle mass. It is the combination of heavy weights with moderately-heavy weights to failure.

In fact, if you are really worried about adding muscles mass, training heavy in the 1-3 rep range is one of the “safest” ways you can train to still get strong and fit without the bulk.

The reason why you do not get bulky from heavy training is because these movements tax the nervous system more than the muscular system. Using more Phosphagen / Creatine metabolic pathways than glycogen.

Therefore, you are training your nervous system more than your muscles. And you nervous system is what makes you faster, stronger and quicker without added muscle mass.

This is more athletic-based training… and can really help you develop a lean physique.

On the flip side, heavier weights and less reps certainly have a role in mass building.

Mass building, also known as hypertrophy, is when we are targeting our muscles to get bigger.

The science suggests combining heavier weight and less reps, with heavy weight and moderate reps (8-12) and some high rep, eccentric focused training to promote the greatest level of muscle growth.

Just heavy weight and low reps (3-5 reps or less) isn’t enough muscular stress to trigger significant hypertrophy.

Lifting heavy will activate significant muscle mass as well- helping you burn calories and boost exercise intensity… which you have read my posts here and here and here, you know is extremely important.

As for me, I will always try to include heavy lifting no matter what my goals are. Trying to lean out? Heavy. Trying to bulk up? Heavy. Complimentary to endurance training? Need to go heavy. Adding distance to my drives? HEAVY!