A Proven Way To Build Strength
Are you wanting to get stronger and increase the weight you can lift?
Or are you noticing signs in life that show you need more strength?
If you're one of those people
I am going to go over a proven way to help you build strength in ANY exercise you perform
It is not easy. It takes lots of time, work, and consistency
But it is simple
The way to approach building long term strength is progressive overload
Progressive overloading is where you gradually increase the weight you use, and modify your rep schemes until you adapt to the heavier weight
It looks like this
Let's say you can squat 100 lbs for 10 reps
You can incorporate progressive overloading by squatting 110 lbs for 6-8 reps
Continue squatting with 110 lbs until you are able to perform 10-12 reps with the heavier weight
Then in a few weeks when you hit that mark, you can increase the weight again to 125 lbs and squat for 6-8 reps again until you work back up to doing 125 lbs for 10-12 reps
The best part about this is you can follow this pattern as long as you choose
Not everyone cares about lifting as much weight as they could but it is very good practice to push yourself and build strength
Being strong is not dangerous. Being weak is dangerous
* To be clear this is an example from a current client we work with. This does not mean you will follow the exact same patterns listed. You will have to determine how much weight is appropriate to add to hit your rep marks in a safe way *
General guidelines
Upper body exercises: 2.5-5 lb weight increases at a time
Lower body exercises: 5-10 lb weight increases at a time
This is what we see work in most cases for clients. Again this is a general guideline, you may need to take it slower or maybe you can make heavier increases depending on your experience and current strength
Be patient. These changes will not happen overnight, in a week, or even a couple months. Long term changes take several months to years of consistency
So remember this
If you get frustrated that it's not happening as fast as you want and quit, you are only delaying the process
If you are not consistent this process likely won't work how you want it to
Many people don't like hearing that but its the truth
Implement this into your training. Stay consistent and watch your strength and numbers grow
Let us know how this blueprint helps you
If you learned something from this blog or have questions about your personal rehab journey let us know in the comments!
Keep up the hard work
Until next time,
Garrett Kendall- ACSM CPT
68925 M-62 Suite D Edwardsburg, MI
269-258-3040
platinum.train1@gmail.com