Bigger weights = Bigger Butt challenge

Idk if the 2nd link worked, im on my ipod but here is the article



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"Consistent practice combined with good nutrition and practicing good form and working to fatigue — no matter what the load — is what makes up the majority of results," says Stuart Phillips, a professor of kinesiology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

It's that "no matter what the load" part that has people up in bulging, veiny arms. "Load" is how heavy the weight is, and "heavy = huge" has been preached since Schwarzenegger wore short pants.

"At the risk of inviting death threats," Phillips told me, "I think a lot of the variables in a resistance training program — rest, sets, loads and other variables — are largely redundant in their capacity to bring about strength and (bigger muscles)." More important to Phillips is that you, "Get to the weight room, consistently practice, work to fatigue — this is 80 percent of the job."

And Phillips has some science to back up his claims.

The study

Phillips and his team studied 18 college-age men for 10 weeks. Published in April in the Journal of Applied Physiology, the research examined the results on three weight-lifting routines:

Three sets at 30 percent of maximum (with 100 percent being the maximum amount of weight they could lift for one repetition).

One set of 80 percent of maximum.

Three sets of 80 percent of maximum.

The study focused on leg-extension exercises, and participants were allocated to two of the three routines (a different routine for each leg). The findings fly in the face of current recommendations and state that the lighter-weight routine had the same muscle growth results as the three sets of heavy weights routine. It also showed that the number of sets is important, because lifting three sets to fatigue at the lighter load made muscles bigger than did a single set of much heavier weight.

How is this possible? Traditional thinking is that only heavy lifting works the larger, "fast-twitch" muscle fibers that are more responsive to gaining size, and that lighter weights only engage the smaller "slow-twitch" fibers that are for muscular endurance.

But Phillips says traditional thinking isn't on target. His main reason: fatigue. Even with lighter weights, when you do enough reps to tire the muscle — so that no further lifts can be made while maintaining good form — then both fast- and slow-twitch muscle fibers are recruited and muscles grow in size.

Size vs. strength

But though your muscle grows and you do get stronger with the lower-weight routine, your muscles won't be as strong as those of people doing the heavier-lifting routine, the study showed.

Ten weeks into these routines, when strength was measured by seeing how much a test subject could lift for one rep, those lifting light weights to fatigue were 20 percent stronger, but those lifting heavier weights were almost 40 percent stronger. Those doing the single-set routine were about 30 percent stronger.


No small potatoes.

Phillips suggests the difference lies in neural adaptations that enable these greater strength capabilities, perhaps coupled with extra confidence from having practiced with heavier weights.

And the proof was in subsequent isometric testing — where test subjects tested their strength against a fixed resistance, so without any movement. The results were just a few percentage points apart.

Phillips sees isometrics as a truer measure of strength gains because none of the participants was practiced at it.

The most important disclaimer to make in all of this is to reveal that these participants, while recreationally active, did not engage in regular weight lifting over the last year. They were "untrained" subjects.

"We'll have to do another study with trained subjects or I'll never hear the end of it," Phillips said. However, as people do become trained, even with intense efforts, strength and size results slow down dramatically.

Not everyone's sold

"When you're just starting off, almost everything should work," said William Kraemer, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut and editor of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Kraemer says there is a lot of literature to support the model of lighter weights for improving endurance, heavier for gaining size, and heaviest for strength. He also promised new studies coming soon to back this up further.

Kraemer also disagrees with Phillips that it's possible for lighter lifting — even to fatigue — to stimulate all of the muscle. "It's because of the basic size principle. The more weight you lift, the more motor units are recruited. You're also better training connective tissues: bones and ligaments."

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SincerelyWTF wrote: Ughhhh I didn't see your post in time adn I def did buy those 10 lb weights. I can't find adjustable ankle weights on Amazon... do you have a link? or do they not exist?

I know this post is older, but my 5lb ankle weights from Wal-Mart are adjustable, and I'm sure the 10lb ones are, too. They have little bags of sand that you can take out if you're not ready for that weight yet, and build up to it. However, I've found that with ankle weights, you'll wanna just buy the heaviest ones you can and work up to it. I used 2lb weights for the longest time, then when I finally bought the 5lbs, I was only doing them a week before I was out buying a second set of 5lbs and strapping two onto one leg (stupid Wal-Mart only had the 5lbs at the time I first went, otherwise I would have bought the 10 to start with! >.<) Yes, I got AMAZING results with the 2lbs somehow, but if I'd been using 10lbs the entire time, I know my results would have been even better.

Now that I *FINALLY* have a gym membership, I've really been pushing myself to the limit to build my butt! I'm using high weights for reps of 8-10, and doing 3 sets. It's making a huge difference. I'm back to 40" again, and by New Year's should be pushing past that point again finally. :) I'm pretty confident that this will also give me the leg results that I really need. I'm so sick of having sticks for legs, and this cellulite is killing me. The butt seems to be growing the fastest, but hopefully my hips and thighs will catch up.

I really need to work on my hamstrings, too. For some reason, I have naturally large quadriceps, and no hamstrings. Which makes my butt look bigger, but gives my legs an awkward appearance. When I worked out at home with ankle weights, my legs never built up any, just my butt and hips. So for anyone wanting to workout at home, unless you have huge dumbbells you can work your way up with, you won't be able to build up your legs with just ankle weights and light dumbbells. =_=

I do 4 sets of 12 repetitions using weights when I squat. Every week I go up 2.5-5lbs because it becomes too easy. This week I haven't gone to the gym yet but I am sure by this time next month I will be lifting at least 120lbs.
My butt doesn't seem to be any bigger, just harder.

Anyone still trying this and getting success?