2022-10-31
People like to say that numbers don't matter. That all you need to do is show up and do the program and you'll see results. The rumor is that you can get the same benefits from light weight as you can from heavy weight. That makes sense, right?
News flash: this is a lie. The weight you lift is the only thing that matters. The number on the barbell matters.
If you want to lose or gain weight, weight matters. If you want to run faster or jump higher, weight matters. If you want to stay healthy or feel better, weight matters. The weights you lift are important no matter your goal.
The internet is littered with gym hunks full of bad advice. They say light lifting gave them their rock-hard abs and bulging biceps. But how can light weights lead to those results? It can't. And it doesn't make any sense. Results don't work that way. You need heavy weights if you want to create change. The body is adaptable. But only if you give it a reason to change. Otherwise, it stays the same.
People who fear heavy weight will tell you to lift light. And they're usually the same people who don't make progress. They avoid heavy weights because they worry about getting hurt. But they're the ones who get hurt. Would you listen to a financial advisor in debt? Would you listen to a fat nutritionist? Would you take advice from a weak, injured coach telling you not to lift heavy? No. And you shouldn't.
There's a lot of bad advice out there. But there are people you should listen to. They're the ones who study and train themselves. They are doing the work in the arena. “Only those who risk going too far," T.S. Eliot said, "can possibly find out how far one can go.” Listen to the people taking risks. Ignore the couch potato coach.
People will tell you that heavy weights don't matter; that they're unsafe, unnecessary, or uncalled for. This is a lie. Similar to what Eliot said, the only people worth listening to are the ones who push themselves far. No matter what the internet says, you can't get better lifting light weights.
tags: training
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