What Does "Heavy Lifting" Really Mean?

Heavy lifting has some unique benefits, but it can mean different things for different people. We break down the factors you need to consider when lifting heavy to help you smash your fitness goals.

Key Takeaways

• Heavy lifting has various potential health benefits, including enhancing muscle development, muscular endurance, and muscle growth.
• It usually involves pushing yourself close to failure every set.
• What counts as heavy is subjective and is often measured relative to your one-rep max.

See More: 15 Best At-Home Booty Exercises for Women (No Weights Required!)

Tackling Heavier Weights

Carriejune, founder of Minibeast, says:

"Lifting heavy weights is a great way to build strength. The important thing is choosing the right weight for you and the specific muscle group you're working, based on your perceived exertion."

Spend enough time in the gym, and you'll probably hear people discussing "heavy lifting." If you aren't familiar, it might sound like some kind of objective, universal standard. You might start comparing yourself to other lifters, wondering if you're somehow failing to meet this strength training standard.

The good news is that lifting heavy weights is subjective. It's entirely dependent on you as an individual. What counts as heavy enough for you might be way too light for someone else, and too heavy for yet another person.

In other words, heavy lifting is when you're lifting weights that feel sufficiently challenging.

That does make figuring out what counts as heavy lifting a little trickier. We'll cover the factors you need to consider when determining if you're lifting heavy enough, and discuss why you should be lifting heavy in the first place.

What Counts as Lifting Heavy Weights?

In the workplace, agencies like OSHA set various concrete standards for heavy lifting. You might have safety guidelines in your own workplace. Some classify anything over 50 pounds as heavy. Others note that lighter weights can still count as heavy if they're lifted frequently or in awkward positions.

These numbers are intended as guidelines to protect your safety. But they aren't necessarily applicable to the gym.

When it comes to strength training, things are very different. After all, here the whole point is lifting weights. In theory, you're using quality equipment and practicing proper form to target and develop certain muscle groups. You want to challenge those muscles, because that challenge is what forces them to adapt and grow in strength and size.

As such, the definition of heavy in the gym is entirely subjective. That's true between individuals and between different muscles. For example, your lower body muscles, like your glutes, can probably handle way more weight than upper body muscles like your triceps.

In the gym, heavy is measured relative to your one-rep maximum, or 1RM. That's the amount of weight you can lift for a single rep, with proper form, of course.

Generally, heavy lifting is defined as lifting at least 80% of your one-rep max. If you consider your 1RM to be maximum strength, heavy lifting is lifting at 80% or more of your maximum strength.

How Much Weight Should You Lift?

Now, you might not know how much weight you can lift. You shouldn't just randomly grab the heaviest weight from the rack and give it a shot. That's a recipe for injury.

Instead, start low. For example, women are often recommended to start with 5-15 lbs dumbbells for upper body work, and 10-20 lbs for lower body work. These are good starting points from which you can build.

As you adapt to a particular weight, you should move up. This is called progressive overload, and it's the keystone of resistance exercise. You might aim to add 5-10% of your current weight each time you progress.

It's important to progress gradually, always maintaining proper form, in order to reduce the risk of injury. Good form also makes sure you're targeting the muscles you want to target, too.

For that reason, you might increase the weight every 2-3 weeks. As you progress, that timeframe might get longer. Remember, consistency is key for results.

How to Determine If You're Lifting Heavy Enough

A good way to determine whether you're lifting heavy enough is the number of reps you manage.

Weight training experts often recommend aiming for 8-12 reps in the gym. But that recommendation is tailored for building muscle mass. If you try lifting 80% of your 1RM for 12 reps, you might well be disappointed.

That's not your fault. When you're lifting heavy, you're often aiming for a rep range of 6 or less.

Again, though, things are subjective. More important than the specific number of reps is how you feel while doing them. In other words, how many reps can you do with a particular weight until you reach failure, or are unable to do another rep with good form?

When lifting heavy, you generally want to be close to failure. Your final few reps should be tricky. In fact, you should ideally end your set being 1-3 reps away from failure.

You don't necessarily want to push to failure every single set. You might slip on form and risk injury.

But you also don't want your set to be a breeze. If you can regularly lift 2-3 extra reps with relative ease, it's probably time to progress to a heavier weight.

Keeping track of all this is key. Start logging your workouts, including the weight you're lifting and how many reps you manage, as soon as you can. That lets you track your progress, which is crucial both for motivation and knowing when it's time to move upward.

Bonus: 10 Best Adjustable Dumbbells to Elevate Your Home Workouts

The Potential Benefits of Lifting Heavy Weights

By this point, you might be wondering what the point is of lifting heavy at all. Why not stick to the usual 8-12 reps?

Well, heavy lifting has some interesting potential benefits.

For one thing, heavy lifting can help you increase muscle strength without significantly affecting muscle size. If you want to get stronger without packing on extra bulk, lifting heavy might be the way to go.

To be clear, heavy lifting can still help you build muscle mass. It can improve muscle strength, endurance, and definition. And it can even enhance your metabolic rate and calorie burn.

That's not all. Research shows that lifting heavy weights can support bone density. That's particularly valuable as you age, and for certain groups, like postmenopausal women.

Research even suggests that weightlifting can support brain health and enhance cognitive function.

Where to Get High-Quality Heavy Weights

If you want to lift heavy, you need to get heavy weights. And if you want to be lifting heavy for a while, you'll want high-quality weights that will withstand what you throw at them.

That might be a dumbbell. Minibeast's Rubber Hex Dumbbells are stackable and go up to a hefty 130 lbs, with 5-lb increments for gradual progressive overload. For something even heavier, grab a set of CNC Stainless Dumbbells, which go up to 150 lbs. Or, you can go with the best adjustable dumbbells, ideally a pair that will go up to 100 lbs.

It could also be a barbell. They're the standard for heavy compound lifts, like bench press, squats, deadlifts, and so on. You'll need a training barbell plus weight plates: CNC Stainless gives you that clean metal look, while Olympic Bumper Plates are standard in gyms across the world.

Happy heavy lifting!

Conclusion

Heavy lifting is a form of resistance training where you lift heavier weights for low reps, pushing yourself near failure. If a weight is 80% of your one-rep max, or pushes you to failure within a few reps of your target, it's likely heavy enough.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 20 lbs Considered Heavy Lifting?

That depends on your fitness level and the muscle group you're working. For beginners working smaller muscle groups, like your shoulders, 20 lbs might feel plenty heavy.

How Much Is Considered Heavy Lifting?

Lifting is generally considered heavy when it pushes you close to failure. For example, you might aim to lift 80% of your one-rep max.

Is It Better to Lift Heavy or Light?

Lifting heavy and light each have particular benefits. If you want to build muscle and enhance strength, you'll probably want to go heavy. For general fitness and endurance, light might work just fine.

Keep Reading: 7 Vitamins That May Help With Weight Loss

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