I'm on a mailing list that sends out fitness & nutrition tips every day. I thought this morning's one would be of interest to everyone here:

Less may be more when it comes to building strength.

If you're not feeling up to heaving heavy weights, take heart. Recent research suggests that doing fewer reps with less weight can help build muscle just as well as more reps with heavier weights. Aim for several strength-training sessions per week that combine to total at least 30 minutes.

RealAge Benefit: Lifting weights for 10 minutes just 3 times per week can make your RealAge as much as 1.7 years younger.


The email also quotes a reference (http://www.asep.org/jeponline/issue/Doc/Oct2004/WinettV2.doc). The paper looks a bit technical for me, but I think it's making the point that previous research endorsing higher-volume workouts is based on flawed statistical analysis as opposed to direct measurements. Or at least I think that's what it says.

I'm not sure I've understood it, but I thought people here might be interested in the link. Apologies if it's been posted before.

Lol, these studies are just a joke in most cases. They follow rank beginners for 4-12 weeks and then make generalized conclusions about how one should train (note I have not referenced the specific study mentioned, I am speaking in general).

Training, much like the human body is much more complex than that and there is no ONE way to train all of the time which will produce the best results.

Very true. With new lifters, it has been shown that any weight lifting will build muscle. Any. But, that changes as a person gets more experienced. It is still better to educate a person on the proper method(s) of working out in the beginning, so that they have a good base of knowledge to work from.