A common question that may arise among those who go to the gym and are looking for bigger muscles is which strategy brings more results: doing more training repetitions or increasing the load.
Experts interviewed by the British newspaper DailyMail explain that all weight training will lead to an increase in muscle mass. However, they respond that, if the focus is on hypertrophy – muscle growth – it is better to focus on increasing the load rather than performing more repetitions.
“If your goal is to maximize muscle size and strength, the preferred approach is to lift heavier weights for lower reps, as this promotes hypertrophy and significant muscle growth,” said Amanda Place, personal trainer and founder of training company Sculptrition, from UK.
Ali Malik, personal trainer and founder of boutique gym Fitness Labs, also British, explained to Stylist magazine that this is a “fundamental principle of strength training and exercise science”:
“It involves gradually increasing the demands placed on muscles, typically by lifting heavier weights or increasing resistance over time.”
Malik also adds other benefits of intensifying training:
“Progressive overload also requires greater joint stability and muscle activation, which can help protect against joint injuries and improve overall joint health.”
According to information from the University of New Mexico cited in the article, hypertrophy is the result of a process in which the body repairs small tears caused in muscle cells by the tension of lifting heavy weights.
When this happens, he adds new tissue over the old, which gradually visibly increases the amount and makes it more resistant and stronger.
However, experts warn that this must be done respecting the limits that your body can handle at that moment. It’s okay to feel some degree of discomfort, but intense and sharp pain can be a sign that the load is excessive and causing damage to the body.
As a result, serious injuries can occur, especially in strengthening exercises that overload the spine, points out Malik. Therefore, it is very important to be monitored by a professional who can guide this growth in the loads used.
Other benefits
Furthermore, experts interviewed by DailyMail clarify that, although increasing weight is a better strategy for hypertrophy, performing more repetitions of a workout also leads to specific health benefits.
“Working in a higher rep range helps improve your muscles’ ability to perform over an extended period of time. Performing more reps with shorter rest intervals can also elevate your heart rate and improve cardiovascular fitness,” Malik said.
The ideal point, they say, is a combination of both. Thus, it is possible to achieve the cardiovascular benefits of high-repetition training and, at the same time, increase muscle mass.
