Total Request Offday: The Lifting Plan

Today's question comes from Liam, an advanced 1-year old who enjoys falling asleep to his father's reading of this very blog. Liam asks (through his father, Joe):

I am questioning an aspect of your weight lifting. You often note that you are lifting heavier and heavier weight, are you trying to look like the Incredible Hulk? Why are you not lifting less weight for more reps? Or are you? I am really not that interested in your answer but my son Liam is dying to know. (I read him your blog as a bedtime story most nights.)

Well, Liam, Devon has told me all about this before. But I didn't remember what he said...shocker, I don't always listen when he talks...so I asked him during friend lifting. Devon has spoken. I will do my best to do his excellent explanation justice here.

I specifically asked Devon what the benefit was to doing heavier weights, less reps vs. lighter weights, more reps. Also, I asked him if I would bulk up eventually and look like the incredible hulk (which would be awesome, but perhaps not attractive to the opposite sex, countering a current goal of mine of high priority).

SHORT ANSWER: lifting heavier weights for short reps will NOT make me bulk up and is what is best for my current weight loss goals.

NOT-AS-SHORT ANSWER: There are a couple different points here.

1) According to Devon, women do not 'bulk up' like the incredible hulk. Men don't either solely by lifting heavy weights. He didn't actually explain to me how that *does* happen. But he claims it does *not* happen by this strategy of lifting.
2) According to Devon, lifting heavy weights for short reps and lighter weights for more reps do the same thing: build muscle. I need to build muscle to reach my goals of weight loss and overall fitness. I then asked Devon why he chose heavier weights over lighter.
3) According to Devon, it *used* to be generally accepted that lifting heavy weights bulks up and lighter weights tones. This is no longer the case. Where both build muscle, Devon believes that lifting heavier weights does it more efficiently.

So, Liam, I hope this answers your question and thanks for being a very advanced über fan of the Erin Blog! Keep those insightful questions coming!!!!!