Lifting weights in a certain way (doing 4 sets of 8 reps) gives the same muscle and strength benefits as another method (7 sets of 4 reps) in young men who are new to training, but it takes almost half the time per workout.

When men lift weights, doing more reps with lighter weights (like 12 reps max) gives less strength improvement than doing fewer reps with heavier weights (like 4 or 8 reps max), even if the total workout effort is the same.

When beginners lift weights for 10 weeks, doing fewer reps with heavier weights (like 4 or 8 reps max) builds more strength than doing more reps with lighter weights (12 reps max), even if the total work is the same.

Lifting very heavy weights (4 reps max) might lead to more injuries and takes more effort, while lifting lighter weights (8 reps max) gives similar muscle and strength gains with less chance of getting hurt and saves time for beginners.

Whether you do chest and back exercises together or separately, lifting weights for 8 weeks will make you stronger on the bench press and lat pulldown.

Even after doing a ton of squats and leg presses, guys can still lift the same heavy weight the next day — their strength doesn’t drop.