Should you avoid lifting heavy weights every week?

[phantom]

I have heard that frequently lifting heavy weights can cause joint problems and arthritis. Would it be better to lift heavy weights every other week and lift light weights on the other weeks? Thanks in advance.

[SevenStar]

Like anything else, doing it improperly can cause problems. Same thing with improper qigong training, improper stance training, etc.

[DuLayLoMo]

What you called heavy is actually relative to person and person. I will omit the psychological factors of feeling of heavy and actually focus on the objective measure of "heavy". If you test your one rep max (1RM) in a given compound movement such as the bench press, this would be consider 100% and heavy heavy.

Furthermore, any load within 80%-100% of your bench press is consider heavy. You will not be able to do high reps with 80%-100% because the load is truy heavy.

Back to the question of injuries and lifting heavy weights. If you understand the correct ideas of cycling and periodization of intensity and volume, then lifting heavy wouldn't cause needless injuries. Lifting "heavy" in its proper cycle and progression to your own goals and program is quite safe if done methodogically and I wouldn't lift heavy daily, eg doing 1RM daily. Common sense tell me that only a person who does not understand how to cycling intensity and volume will be subject to unproductive work, moderate and serious long term injuries, overtraining, and psychological boredom.

[Former castleva]

I´ll second SevenStar.
Second:

Like anything else, doing it improperly can cause problems. Same thing with improper qigong training, improper stance training, etc
-SevenStar-