Heavy lifting could do more harm than good

I saw a guy in the gym the other day who was lifting so heavy that he almost dropped the weight on himself, even with a spotter. Should I be trying to lift that heavy, or should I stick to weights that I can handle safely? I don't want to stay small my whole life. -- Chang Mo Park

Under no circumstances should you ever lift weights that you cannot handle safely. The guy you saw was either trying to max out, or he was a total idiot. Lifting really heavy in the low rep range -- one to four reps -- does not stimulate as much muscle growth as lifting medium weight with six to ten reps. So, if your goal is gaining size, then you should definitely stick to a lighter weight that you don't need to be spotted on after the first rep. Trying to lift heavy weights is usually beneficial only to power lifters. Otherwise, the risk of injury far outweighs the potential neuromuscular benefits.

Also, you should never depend on a spotter to help you complete your workout. A spotter is there for motivation and safety -- nothing more. If you find that you can't do any sets without a spotter helping you lift the weight after the first or second rep, the solution is simple: take off some of the weight. Not only does excessive weight make the spotter's job impossibly difficult -- and no one wants to be spotting the moron who drops 275 lbs. on his neck because he can't possibly handle the load -- but it makes having proper form nearly impossible. Keeping control through the full range of motion is not an option if you are concentrating on keeping from collapsing under the weight. Your stabilizer muscles will be useless if the weight is not perfectly balanced, and so will a spotter.

That being said, remember that the most important aspect of your workout is not quantity, but quality. Keep the weight lighter and under control, and only depend on a spotter for your heaviest sets -- but be reasonable, and make sure you can handle the weight for a few reps with good form before the spotter has to assist you. If you follow this advice, your workouts will be safe and productive.



Summer is coming, and I want to look good for the fly chickens on the beach. How can I get cut for the summer without starving myself? -- Glenny from the block, Catholic University

The main principle behind fat loss is creating a slight caloric deficit throughout your day. In other words, you must burn more calories than you consume. But, before I continue I must stress the point that you should not be extreme and cut your daily caloric intake in half. This will be detrimental to your fat loss goals, as your body will enter survival mode thus making it harder to lose fat. Also, drastic changes to your diet are extremely unhealthy. It creates nutritional deficits, and your body becomes starved of vitamins.

So, the simple way to start losing fat is to just cut some carbs out of one meal per day, and start doing cardio. The best time to cut carbohydrates is at night, as your metabolism naturally slows down a little bit as your body prepares to go to sleep. Add cardio to your workouts -- nothing excessive, perhaps thirty minutes, three times a week.

When you are measuring your progress, a common mistake is to look at the numbers on a scale. You should really be measuring your progress in the mirror. Bodyweight can fluctuate based on how much water you are retaining, or how much food is in your stomach. Looking in the mirror will give you an instant impression of how close you are to reaching your fat loss goals. As you progress, and results start to lag a little bit, cut carbs a little bit more. Again, I must stress that I am not saying to starve yourself. Instead of eating a huge bowl of pasta at dinner, just eat half a bowl. The change in calories will add up, and you will start to see that spare tire getting smaller as your work harder. If you have any further questions about diet, e-mail me at fitness@tuftsdaily.com and I will refer you to the Tufts Nutrition School for some more detailed advice.