To build muscle you must stimulate your muscle to make new muscle proteins, the ScienceDaily website. Traditionally, this is achieved by lifting heavy weights until your muscles hit failure, where they can't contract anymore. This stimulates the muscle to fill up on more muscle-building protein before the next workout, growing your muscle. However, ScienceDaily reports, building muscles doesn't require heavy weights --- only requires taking your muscle to failure. You can achieve this with light weights by doing a higher number of repetitions and more sets and giving your muscles time to recover.
Light Weight Training
Step 1
Pick up a weight that is 30 percent of what your maximum lift is for a particular muscle group. If the maximum weight you can lift for a biceps curl is 50 pounds, use 15 for this training.
Step 2
Lift the weight for one set of 12 repetitions at a moderate pace. Increase the speed of the next set of 12 repetitions to a fast pace.
Step 3
For the third set of 12 repetitions, slow to a steady, controlled pace. Engage the muscle through the entire set without any rest.
Step 4
Switch exercises quickly, but stay on the same muscle group. If you were doing a double-arm dumbbell biceps curl, switch to a preacher curl and repeat the same sets and reps.
Things You'll Need
- Light-weight dumbbells
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