The "right light" program: by cycling lighter weights into your training routine, you gain greater muscular endurance and shape

too often, women are told to lift light weights or else they will get too big. We've debunked that myth in the past with the help of findings from my laboratory. While you want to make sure that you lift weights heavy enough to give you muscle fatigue, there is still a place for light weight in everyone's workouts. The trick is to balance periods of heavy training with periods of light training. We'll show you how to effectively incorporate a schedule of light training into your training calendar.

Light Benefits

Using light weight can be a very effective tool for sculpting that lean and tapered look. Light lifting complements your heavy weight cycles and allows you to vary your training. It also helps you build the muscle endurance you need for other sports and activities, especially during these warmer months. So how can you lose?

In actuality, there are quite a few ways you can lose with light training--weight that's way too light, not enough variation, too few sets and too-long rest periods between sets are just a few things that could hinder, not help, your training regimen. But armed with the proper game plan, you can do light right.

Typical weight training cycles start out lighter and progressively get heavier over the course of several weeks. Then, the cycle starts over in a similar pattern. Yet a recent study showed that the best way to build muscular endurance was to work backward from the typical lifting cycle. In other words, instead of starting your cycle with

light weight and working up to heavier weight over time, you start relatively heavier and slowly decrease the weight and increase the repetitions over 15 weeks. This method works amazingly well.

Program Light

The 15-week program outlined here follows this principle to give you the muscular endurance and toning that you need for a finely sculpted body. It's a great contrast to heavier weight phases. You should first do a 12-16-week cycle using heavy weights and follow it up with the "right light" program for the ultimate body benefits. Or, start with the light cycle and follow it with a heavier cycle. This staggered method can be followed throughout the year. Just be sure to give yourself at least one week of rest after each cycle.

The "right light" program is a total-body workout with basic exercises that most beginners can grasp. The keys to the program are intensity and strict form. Even though you are using light weight, you shouldn't take it easy. You must select a weight that fatigues you close to the rep range you are using for that phase. It's also critical that you maintain strict exercise technique when you become fatigued toward the end of each set. This may actually get more difficult in the later stages of the program, as you will experience a higher heart rate and more "muscle burn" due to the buildup of more metabolic products from the high reps. But you need to fight through the burn and maintain the strictest form. This is what turns a half-hearted light workout into a super-intense, high-rep body blast that delivers muscular endurance, shape and a lot of fat burning.

right light program
(sample week)*

                           Weeks      Weeks      Weeks
                            1-5       6-10       11-15
WORKOUT 1                 Sets/Reps  Sets/Reps  Sets/Reps

1. Squat                    3/15       3/20       3/25
2. Incline Bench Press      3/15       3/20       3/25
3. Seated Row               3/15       3/20       3/25
4. Crunch                   3/15       3/20       3/25
5. Dumbbell Press           3/15       3/20       3/25
6. Standing Calf Raise      3/15       3/20       3/25
7. Biceps Curl              3/15       3/20       3/25
8. Stiff-Legged Deadlift    3/15       3/20       3/25
9. Triceps Pressdown        3/15       3/20       3/25

                           Weeks      Weeks      Weeks
                            1-5       6-10       11-15
WORKOUT 2                 Sets/Reps  Sets/Reps  Sets/Reps

1. Lunge                    3/15       3/20       3/25
2. Flye                     3/15       3/20       3/25
3. Lat Pulldown             3/15       3/20       3/25
4. Hanging Knee Raise       3/15       3/20       3/25
5. Lateral Raise            3/15       3/20       3/25
6. Seated Calf Raise        3/15       3/20       3/25
7. Hammer Curl              3/15       3/20       3/25
8. Lying Leg Curl           3/15       3/20       3/25
9. Seated French Press      3/15       3/20       3/25

Decrease weight as you increase reps. Use one- to two-minute rest
periods between sets and exercises. Start with longer rest periods, and,
as you start to tolerate the program, move to shorter rest periods
between sets and exercises.
*You are to work out three days per week. Do Workout 1 on the first
day, then take 1-2 days off and do Workout 2. Take 1-2 days off and do
Workout 1 again. Follow the workout schedule in this order.

REFERENCES

Anderson, T., Keamey, J.T. Effects of three resistance training programs on muscular strength and absolute and relative endurance. Research Quarterly in Exercise and Sport 53(1):1-7, 1982.

Fleck, S.J., Kraemer, W.J. Designing Resistance Training Programs, 2nd Ed. Champaign, IL; Human Kinetics Publishers, 1997.

Rhea, M.R., et al. A comparison of linear and daily undulating periodized programs with equated volume and intensity for local muscular endurance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 17(1):82-87, 2003.

William J. Kraemer is director of research and a professor in the department of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, and editor in chief of the National Strength and Conditioning Association's scientific publication, the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

BY WILLIAM J. KRAEMER, PHD, CSCS

COPYRIGHT 2003 Weider Publications
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