How To Use Low-Load Training To Boost Your Health

Give yourself some options in the gym

If you want to get strong and build muscle, you have to resistance train in some capacity. You can’t get around it. But do you have to train with heavy weights? Not according to emerging research.

Studies are showing that low load resistance training, involving weights less than 50% of an individual’s one-repetition maximum (1RM), can be equally effective in promoting muscle growth and strength gains. This method has benefits for both healthy people and those at risk of chronic diseases.

Some people may doubt whether lifting lighter weights is practical for building muscles and strength, but there is a lot of evidence supporting its effectiveness.

The differences in how cells respond to lifting lighter versus heavier weights need more study to fully understand their practical importance.

For the best results from lifting lighter weights, you need to put in a lot of effort and training until you are close to not being able to lift the weight anymore, known as failure. This means your RPE is still high, you are just using more reps than heavy lifting. It’s suggested to do this type of training 2–3 times a week, with 3–4 sets of each exercise, and using weights that are no lighter than 30% of your maximum strength.

You can also combine lifting lighter weights with lifting heavier ones, depending on your personal goals. This flexibility can make it easier for people to stick with their exercise routine.

Low low-load training can be implemented with any or no equipment. Here are some low load variations of common exercises.

• Repeated sit and standing from a chair instead of squats
• stepping up an down a step instead of lunges
• picking a weight off of a box or low table instead of deadlifts (essentially rakc pulls)
• Wall or knee pushups instead of full pushups from your toes

Bands are a great way to introduce resistance training at a low load as well. They are inexpensive, are easy to travel with, and allow for a variety of exercises.

What about cardiovascular training?

You will find similar research in cardiovascular training.

Polarized training — spending most of your aerobic training in low-intensity — is a popular training method used by most elite endurance athletes. The mileage remains high, with about 80% of the total training volume occurring at the lower intensity. So, the body is still challenged, but not in the same way.

Just as low-load resistance training ban be effective for building muscle and strength, low-intensity running is effective for building a strong aerobic foundation.

How low is the running intensity? It is typically in zone 2. Iñigo San Millán, is an exercise physiologist who works with elite cyclists. He describes zone 2 training as the level when you can hold a conversation and it feels a little strained.

That may seem like an imprecise way to measure exercise intensity but subjective measures are often effective.

A common metric used in studies assessing exercise intensity is Metabolic equivalents or METs. It is a metric for how hard our bodies work during different activities, representing the amount of oxygen our bodies use when we do things like walking, running, or even sitting.

Exercise intensity is how tough or easy an activity feels. The higher the intensity, the harder your body is working. When we say an activity has a certain number of METs, it helps us understand how much effort it takes.

For example, sitting or lying down is like having a low MET value, maybe around 1. This means it doesn’t make your body work very hard. On the other hand, running might have a higher MET value, like 6 or more, because it gets your heart pumping and your muscles working extra.

In research, moderate-intensity exercise ranges from 4–6 METS. Examples include brisk walking, resistance training, and light cycling. Vigorous intensity is greater than 6 METs. Examples include high-intensity interval training, running, and swimming.

You won’t be able to calculate METs through a wearable. Instead of attempting to calculate your exact amount, you can use charts to get rough estimates. This site has some good examples. You can track your heart rate to estimate your intensity (moderate vs. vigorous range) and compare that to METs as well.

Regardless of the method you use to measure exercise intensity for resistance training and aerobic training stay consistent and vary your intensities.