The No. 1 Way to Know You’re Lifting With High Intensity, According to an Orthopedic Surgeon
How heavy is heavy enough when it comes to strength training? Lift too light and you might not reap the cognitive , bone-supporting and muscle-building benefits. And lifting too heavy makes you prone to injury.
Hitting the sweet spot requires some trial and error, says Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein, orthopedic surgeon and author of "The Complete Bone and Joint Health Plan." But it's totally possible.
"There's a lot of talk online that you have to lift heavy, and (if) you're not lifting heavy, you're not doing enough," Wittstein tells TODAY.com. She worries, though, this message makes the barrier to entry too high and will discourage people from trying any strength training at all.
Some strength training is better than none, she says, so here's how to determine the perfect amount of weight for you to lift.
Fitness Tip of the Day: Test How Many Reps You Can Do With Good Form
Wittstein says finding your ideal rep range for high-intensity weightlifting calls on you to test your strength.
Like many things in life, you won't know until you try. So, she recommends choosing a weight load and seeing how many reps you can do until you're struggling with your form.
If the number is around 15, that's a intermediate-intensity amount of weight, she says. If it's closer to five, that's high intensity.
Why It Matters
When starting with strength training, "the most important thing is that you find a range that you can work in where you don't injure yourself so that you can continue to be consistent with resistance training two or three days a week," says Wittstein.
Strength training supports bone health and density as we age, and can encourage the spine and hips to withstand heavy loads, making us less prone to fractures and falling, Wittstein previously told TODAY.com .
And of course, strength training also benefits our muscles by teaching the body how to adapt to physical stress, TODAY.com previously reported . As your muscles become accustomed to the heavy loads, you can increase the weights, which supports longevity, protect the joints, regulates blood sugar and preserves independence with age.
How to Get Started
For high-intensity strength training, start by selecting a weight you think you can handle. Opt for a weight that you can lift for four to six reps. That last rep should feel challenging, says Wittstein.
If your form falters by that fourth rep, however, that weight is may be too heavy for you. Reach for a slightly lower weight and try again. Once you nail each rep at that weight, increase the weight to keep your strength from hitting a plateau, TODAY.com previously reported .
TODAY's Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
