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HOME > TRAINING > LIGHT WEIGHT, BABY! YOUR 6-WEEK PLAN TO PACK ON SIZE WITHOUT HEAVY WEIGHTS

LIGHT WEIGHT, BABY! YOUR 6-WEEK PLAN TO PACK

ON SIZE WITHOUT HEAVY WEIGHTS
Wri‫﬙‬en by Ron Harris 14 June 2019

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Light Weight, Baby!

Your 6-Week Plan to Pack on Size Without Heavy Weights
 

“Everybody wanna be a bodybuilder, don’t nobody wanna lift no heavy-ass weight!”

 –8X Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman
 
Bodybuilders Train Too Heavy!
Despite the popularity of that oft-quoted catchphrase of Ronnie’s, it’s just not accurate. The
reality is that most bodybuilders are obsessed with using the heaviest weights possible and
insist on doing so even when factors like recurring injuries and lack of muscle growth would
seem to indicate heavier loads aren’t the best course of action. Please don’t get me wrong and
misconstrue the intent of this article and training program. There is certainly a time and place for
heavy weights, and it would be nearly impossible to find any great physiques that were built
without them. Still, there are some compelling reasons why you should consider taking a break
from them for a few weeks and giving lighter loads a chance.
 
5 Reasons to Lighten the Load

 
1. Time Under Tension
Numerous studies over decades have confirmed that the mechanisms of muscle growth require
a certain amount of time under tension to stimulate the growth response. Thus, shorter bursts of
extreme power as seen in Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting are more suited to increases in
strength rather than size. Check out Olympic weightlifters in particular, and you will be perplexed
at how humans with such relatively little muscle mass can possibly move the amounts of weight
they do in the snatch and the clean and jerk. For example, Wu Jingbiao of China weighs only 123
pounds, but can clean and jerk, which is picking the bar off the floor and pressing it overhead,
376 pounds! That lift happens in almost the blink of an eye. Many bodybuilders do sets in the rep
range of three to five with ballistic form Their muscles aren’t under tension very long in sets like
range of three to five with ballistic form. Their muscles aren t under tension very long in sets like
these, but they feel they are productive because the weights are very heavy. Contrast that with a
set of 12-15 reps with a pause to contract the target muscle and a controlled negative. The
muscle in question is under load and tension for roughly four to five times as long. Ironically,
those who argue for heavy weights love to point to Ronnie Coleman’s physique as proof of its
success. But watch Ronnie’s DVDs or even clips of them on YouTube. Aside from a few “stunt
lifts” like his famous 800-pound squat and deadlift, Ronnie’s sets for upper body were always
right around 12 reps, and he would go even higher for legs. The muscles need that stress under
load to break down the slow-twitch fibers and grow larger. A few quick reps won’t cut it.
 
2. Longevity in Training
At 49 years old, I am fairly typical of many bodybuilders my age. I began lifting at 14 and used
very heavy weights throughout my 20s and 30s, almost exclusively. A brief and undetailed list of
my injuries would include several muscle tears along with chronic lower back and shoulder
injuries as well as osteoarthritis and fully worn-out cartilage in the shoulders. I’m still in the gym
just about every morning, but the damage done to my body restricts what I can and can’t do, as
well as how heavy I can go. There are certain exercises I can’t do at all anymore that were
favorites and points of pride for many years because of how exceptionally strong I was on them.
Pain is my constant companion, and I live with the reality that another injury is always right
around the corner if I do anything stupid or even let my form slip for a moment. Had I taken
breaks from very heavy weights all those years, I and so many others like me would not be in this
situation today. I know it’s hard to even imagine what you will be dealing with in 20 years if you’re
20 or even 30 years old, but try to focus on how much you enjoy training and being able to
improve your physique. Your practices and habits in the gym today are setting the stage for your
future. Should you live purely in the moment with a YOLO attitude, you won’t be having great
workouts years from now. You will be struggling to maintain your muscle mass due to injuries
and chronic pain, if you haven’t simply given up training out of frustration and disgust.
 
3. Engage and Feel the Muscle
We talk about the mind-muscle connection all the time, which is really nothing more than an
esoteric term for consciously feeling the muscles contract and lengthen when we train them.
This connection is critical, because without it, it’s far too easy to unwittingly let other muscle
groups take the stress away from your intended target. For example, hordes of lifters over the
years have stimulated mainly front delts and triceps when they bench press, leading to shallow
pecs despite impressive amounts of weight being hoisted. When you use weights that are so
heavy that they limit you to anything less than six reps, it’s exceedingly difficult to truly feel the
muscle working. You’re too concerned with moving that crazy weight!
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4. History of Injury and Joint Pain
Content
Men are stubborn creatures by nature, and particularly bodybuilders. I know a local guy who has
been around 300 pounds for a couple of decades now, and who used to do reps with 500 in the
bench and 600 on the squat any old day in his younger years. He’s now had over a dozen
surgeries on his shoulders and knees yet refuses to give up heavy lifting. You can see discomfort
in every move he makes. Someone like this should be doing more reps, as his body is sending
him a steady barrage of signals that it does not like heavy weights anymore. If you have already
done serious damage to your joints and connective tissues, it would seem obvious that very
heavy loads are just a terrible idea. 
5. Better Form and ROM
Finally, you are guaranteed better form and range of motion when you lighten the load. You may
not be aware of how your form is going to shit when you are maxing out on lifts. Have someone
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The Mental Barrier to Using Lighter Weights
I could cite research that has shown lighter weights are just as effective as heavier loads at
building lean muscle tissue, such as the well-known studies conducted by Stuart Phillips and his
team at McMaster University, yet many of you would still scoff at the idea. We have been so
conditioned to believe that heavier weights always translate directly to bigger muscles that we
find it inconceivable that it may not be true. The common denominator for what we do in the
gym, no matter what our goals, is progressive resistance. We start out only being able to use
certain amounts of weights in various exercises, and over time, we grow stronger and the
weights increase. You may be able to bench press 405 pounds now, but the first time you got
under a bench you might have struggled with 95 pounds. And in a case like that, you see that you
are much larger and more muscular now that you have also grown stronger. It would seem
counterproductive to go backward and use lighter weights if the goal is to continue growing
larger. Won’t you get smaller? Quite to the contrary, switching things up will lead to new gains in
lean muscle tissue, especially if you’ve never trained with higher reps.
 
Then there’s the matter of machismo and male pride. Most of us started lifting as teenagers, and
back then it was all about how much you could bench press as a marker of who the alpha male

was. That attitude often carries over well into adulthood. Many strong men take pride in being
able to lift more than anyone else around, and rightfully so. They toiled long and hard to build
that level of power. And it is the nature of the human male to constantly compare himself to
others around him. Who among us doesn’t automatically do a split-second scan of how much
weight the other guys are using around us at the gym, and then do another split-second
calculation to determine whether or not they are stronger than us? It’s nothing to be ashamed of,
as it’s more instinct than anything else.
 
How to Accept the Value of Lighter Weights
If you still can’t wrap your head around the idea of training lighter, even for a few weeks, ask
yourself this million-dollar question Would you rather lift 1 000 pounds and not have a physique
yourself this million-dollar question. Would you rather lift 1,000 pounds and not have a physique
anyone would look twice at, or be big and muscular without lifting 1,000 pounds? You can’t
answer “both,” as that was not a third option. If you identity yourself as a bodybuilder, that means
the appearance of your physique takes precedence over its performance ability, specifically
strength in this case. If you could do something different with your training that would result in
gaining new lean muscle mass, that should be more than an adequate payoff for the
psychological anxiety over training with less than your usual weights for a while, or even for the
possibility of temporarily losing a small amount of your strength (which you will regain very soon,
once you return to your normal rep ranges after the six weeks). Really, you have nothing to lose
that you won’t get right back, and odds are very good that you’ll add new muscle mass for
perhaps the first time in years! Ready to give it a go?
 
Your 6-Week Training Program
Rather than performing only traditional sets with higher reps, we’re going to utilize some
excellent intensity techniques as well. These are all designed to deliver the maximum pump for
the target muscle group. These will include drop sets, rest-pause, varying rep tempo, and sevens.
It’s only fair to warn you that if you have been training exclusively with straight sets in the low to
average rep ranges, the muscle soreness you will experience in the first seven to 10 days will be
significant. After this period, your muscles should adjust somewhat to the new forms of stress
and soreness should diminish. Rather than give you an exact body part split for these six weeks,
I will list workouts to follow for each body part for weeks 1-3 and 4-6. You can arrange your
muscle groups and training week any way you like as long as you follow the prescribed routine
for that body part.
 
Weeks 1-3
 
Chest
 
Dumbbell Incline Press
Warm-up:          1 x 15
Sets:                 4 x 20, 15, 15, 12 (increasing weight)
Machine Bench Press
Sets:                4 x 10 + 10
(Do 10 reps slowly and pausing to contract on each rep, then 10 reps faster with no pausing)
Pec Flye Machine
Sets:                7 x 12
(Use the same weight and rest only 30 seconds between sets. The first 3-4 sets should feel easy,
by sets 5 and 6, the burn should be setting in and by the final set, it should take all your effort to
get 12 reps)
Dip Machine
Sets:                3 x 15 (lean forward to involve more pecs)
 
Back
 
Lat Pulldown – 2 angles with standard grip
Sets:                                        4 x 12 + 12
(Perform the first 12 reps sitting upright and pulling to the clavicles. Then, lean back at 45
degrees and pull at an angle to your mid-chest)
Barbell Row
Warm-up:                                  1 x 15
Sets:                                        4 x 20, 20, 15, 15 (increasing weight)
Close-Grip Lat Pulldown
Sets:                                        12 + 12
(Use grip attachment normally used for seated cable rows. Do 12 reps, then drop the weight and
do 12 more)
Seated Cable Row
Sets:                                        3 x 30 total
(Select a weight you can get 15 reps with. Once you fail at 15, rest for 10 seconds and continue.
Repeat this process until 30 total reps have been completed. That’s one set)
Dumbbell Shrugs                  4 x 25
 
Shoulders
 
Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Sets:                            4 x 15 + 15 + 15
(These are double drop sets, meaning start with 15 reps, grab a lighter pair of dumbbells and do
15 more, then go down one to one more lighter pair for a final 15 reps, totaling 45 reps for each
of these sets)
Machine Overhead Press
Sets:                            3 x 15 slowly and with pause
                                    3 x 15 faster, no pause
Rear Delt Machine – alternating arms
Sets:                            3 x 30, 10 at a time
(Do 10 reps with your left arm, then 10 arms with your right, and repeat this two more times with
no resting at any point until you have done a total of 30 reps on each side. Do three of these sets
for a total of 90 reps each side. The weight should not feel heavy at all for the first round of 10)
Wide-Grip Barbell Upright Row
Sets:                            4 x 20
 
Biceps
 
EZ Bar 21’s
EZ-Bar 21’s                             
Sets:                            4 x 21
(7 reps in the bottom one-third of the rep, 7 reps in the mid-range of the rep, and a final 7 in the
top one-third range of motion)
Dumbbell Hammer Curl
Sets:                            3 x 10 + 10
(10 reps with both arms together, then alternate reps for left and right arms until you have
completed 10 more for each arm)
Seated Machine Curl
Sets:                            4 x 20, 20, 15, 15 (increasing weight)
 
Triceps
 
Rope Pushdown
Sets:                            4 x 15 + 15
(Spread ropes apart on first 15 reps, hold ropes together for second 15 reps)
Close-Grip Bench Press on Smith machine
Sets:                            4 x 10 + 10-12
(Do 10 reps with a weight that feels like you could get 2-3 more reps than that. Rack the weight,
count 10 seconds, then go again for 10-12 reps)
One-Arm Overhead Dumbbell Extension
Sets:                            30 each arm
(Select a weight you can get 15 reps with. Once you fail at 15, rest for 10 seconds and continue.
Repeat this process until 30 total reps have been completed. That’s one set.)
Bench Dip                    7 x 10
(Rest only 30 seconds between sets. If you are unable to get 10 reps for less than 5 sets with
feet elevated, you can do these with your legs straight out in front of you and feet on the ground)
 
Quadriceps
 
Leg Extension             4 x 25
Hack Squat                  4 x 15 + 15
(Perform 15 reps slowly with a slight pause at both the top and bottom of the rep, then 15 faster
with no pausing at any point – the weight should not feel heavy for the first 15 reps or there is no
way you will get the last 15!)
Leg Press                     4 x 20
(Rest only 30 seconds between sets)
Walking Lunge
Sets:                              3 rounds of 20 steps, each leg
 
Hamstrings
 
Lying Leg Curl
Sets:                                        4 x 12 + 12
(12 reps with full range of motion, then 12 more from the full stretch to halfway up)
Barbell Stiff-Leg Deadlift
Sets:                                        4 x 20
Seated Leg Curl          
Sets:                                        4 x 15 with extra contractions
(On each rep, come down to a full contraction, then let it back up one-third of the way and
squeeze back down again before releasing into the stretch position. That’s one rep)
Leg Press – feet wide and high on platform
Sets:                                        4 x 25
 
Calves
 
Standing Calf Raise
Sets:                                        4 x 10 + 10 + 10
(Double drop sets)
Seated Calf Raise                   4 x 50, 30, 20, 15 (increasing weight)
 
Weeks 4-6
 
Chest
 
Flat Bench Press Machine
Sets:                                      3 x 20, 20, 15, 15 (increasing weight)
                                              2 x 12 +12 (drop sets)
Incline Press on Smith Machine
Sets:                                      4 x 12 + 12
(Perform 12 reps, rack the weight and count to 10, then do 12 more)
Cable Crossover                  4 x 21
(7 reps in just the final one-third ROM to full contraction, 7 reps in just the first one-third ROM
emphasizing the stretch, then 7 full ROM reps)
Push-Ups
Sets:                                       5 x 20
(Rest only 30 seconds between sets)
 
Back
 
Lat Pulldown 4 x 12 + 12
Lat Pulldown                          4 x 12 + 12
(First 12 are full ROM reps, second 12 are from full stretch just to top of head)
Machine Seated Row – neutral grip
Sets:                                        4 x 10 + 10
(First 10 reps are done normal speed but with no pausing, last 10 reps are done slower and with
a squeeze to contract the lats on each rep)
One-Arm Dumbbell Row
Sets:                                        3 x 30
(Do 10 reps with your left arm, then 10 arms with your right, and repeat this two more times with
no resting at any point until you have done a total of 30 reps on each side. Do three of these sets
for a total of 90 reps each side. The weight should not feel heavy at all for the first round of 10)
Seated Cable Row – use lat pulldown attachment and overhand grip
Sets:                                        3 x 20 + 20 (drop sets)
Barbell Shrug                         4 x 15 + 10-12
(Do 15 reps, set bar down and count to 10, pick it up and get 10-12 more)
 
Shoulders
 
Seated Dumbbell Press                      
Sets:                                        5 x 25, 20, 15, 15, 12 (increasing weight)
Seated to Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Sets:                                        4 x 12 + 12
(Do 12 reps seated, with or without back support, then stand and do 12 more)
Bent Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raises, supported to freestanding
Sets:                                        4 x 12 + 12
(Do the first 12 reps facedown on an incline bench, then immediately take the same dumbbells
and do another 12 reps standing and bent over)
One-Arm Cable Lateral Raises
Sets:                                        3 x 30
(Same format as previous 30-rep sets)
Machine Overhead Press
Sets:                                        5 x 10-12
(Rest only 30 seconds between sets, weight should not start feeling heavy until set number 3)
                       
Biceps
 
Incline Dumbbell Curls to Standing Curls
Sets:                                        4 x 12 + 12
(12 reps of incline curls, both arms at the same time, then stand up and do 12 more reps, again
with both arms. Do not supinate the curls – always keep palms facing forward)
Preacher Reverse Curls to Preacher Curls
Sets:                                        4 x 10 + 10
(10 reps of reverse curls, then flip hands over and continue for 10 more reps of standard
preacher curls)
One-Arm Machine curls
Sets:                                        3 x 10 + 10 (drop set)
 
Triceps
 
Reverse Cable Pushdown to Cable Pushdown
Sets:                                        4 x 15 + 15
(15 reps with a reverse grip, flip hands over and do 15 more. A short straight bar attachment
works best here)
Seated Dip Machine
Sets:                                        4 x 10 + 10
(10 reps only in the final one-third ROM to emphasize the contraction, followed by 10 reps in the
full ROM)
Overhead Cable Extension
Sets:                                        4 x 15-20
Two-Arm Dumbbell Kickbacks
Sets:                                        3 x 20 each arm
(Take minimal rest here. If you can do all 6 sets, 3 for the right and 3 for the left, without resting,
do so)
 
Quadriceps
 
Leg Extensions                                   
Warm-up:                                  1 x 20
Sets:                                         4 x 12 + 12
(Do 12 reps, count to 10 while you rest, then do 12 more)

Squats                                      5 x 20, 20, 20, 15, 15 (increasing weight)

Single-Leg Press
Sets:                                          4 x 20, each leg
Hack Squats   
Sets:                                          3 x 15
Superset with
Sissy Squat                              3 x 15
 
Hamstrings
 
Single Leg Curl
Single-Leg Curl
Sets:                                        5 x 20, 20, 15, 15, 12, each leg
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
Sets:                                        4 x 30, 25, 20, 15, 15 (increasing weight)
Lying Leg Curl                       4 x 12 + 12 (drop set)
Sumo Squat on Smith Machine
Sets:                                        4 x 20
 
Calves
 
Seated Calf Raise
Sets:                                        4 x 15 + 15
(Do 15 reps, rest for 10 seconds, do 15 more)
Calf Raise on Leg Press
Sets:                                        3 x 15 + 15
(15 reps with standard foot placement at shoulder width, 15 more reps with feet together)
 
Lighten Up and Grow!
I am very confident you will make noticeable gains in the six weeks you follow this program. The
gains will be even better for those of you who have never or only rarely utilized higher reps and
shorter rest intervals between sets. You can go back to heavier weights once this is over, of
course. You may find the results were so satisfying that you will either want to revisit the
program again in a few months, or at the very least, incorporate some of these techniques and
rep schemes into your workouts to add variety and provide your muscles with a different type of
stimulus. Hopefully you will learn as I did that higher reps and lighter weights can be keys to
muscle growth just like the heavier iron!
 
References:
Mitchell CJ, Churchward-Venne TA, et al. Resistance exercise load does not determine training-
mediated hypertrophic gains in young men. Journal of Applied Physiology, 2012;
DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00307.2012
 
McMaster University. "Pumping iron: Lighter weights just as effective as heavier weights to gain
muscle, build strength." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 12 July 2016.
 
Ron Harris got his start in the bodybuilding industry during the eight years he worked in Los
Angeles as Associate Producer for ESPN’s “American Muscle Magazine” show in the 1990s.
Since 1992 he has published nearly 5,000 articles in bodybuilding and fitness magazines, making
him the most prolific bodybuilding writer ever. Ron has been training since the age of 14 and
competing as a bodybuilder since 1989. He lives with his wife and two children in the Boston
area. Facebook Instagram
 

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