3 Keys To Success in the Weight Room

For many of us, figuring out what to do in the weight room can feel as challenging as learning a new language. The good news is that you do not need a degree in Exercise Physiology to increase muscle mass, muscular strength or endurance through strength training. Let’s dive into the 3 most basic principles of strength training and how you can apply them to your current (or future) routine. Keep in mind, there are many different routines, programs, and exercises that can work, however, all successful strength training routines will have these three components in common…Specificity, Progression and Variation.

1- Specificity

Be more specific with your goals, so you can be more specific with your workout. The science behind this principle is that only the specific muscles that are trained will adapt and become stronger in response. While we cannot choose which areas of the body to target for fat loss, we can target areas of the body to gain muscle and strength. When hitting the weight room, make sure you have a clear definition of your goals. Once your goals are defined, your mode of exercise should line up with those goals. Too many people stick with exercises they are good at rather than select exercises that target the areas that need more attention.

Apply it

If your goal is endurance focused, stick to higher repetitions, ranging from 12 to 15 reps. If your goal is strength focused and adding more muscle, increase your the weight you are lifting and keep repetitions lower, ranging from 3 to 10 reps. When it comes to exercise selection, keep it simple. If you want to become better at squats, you need to squat more often. If your goal is to get better at pull-ups, your program should include more upper body exercises, specifically row movements that simulate a pull-up motion.

2-Progression

Progression or “Progressive overload” is the gradual increase of stress applied to the body over time. If you have ever had the feeling during a workout where you think to yourself, “Wow, I could not have done that two months ago,” congratulations! You have experienced the effects of progressive overload. This could be the single most important factor for making strength gains. The same principle applies to endurance activities like running. For example, if you plan to run a marathon, you would not try to run 10 miles on day 1 of training. You may start with a three mile run and every week add 1 mile to your run. By week 8, 10 miles will be more manageable for your body. That slow and steady build up applies the same way to strength training—the gradual increase in “work done” over time. If you are consistently reaching for 5lb dumbbells, you are not progressively overloading your body. The science behind this principle is that the body gets very good at adapting to stress. If we continuously add the same amount of stress, the body will adapt only to a point and we will fail to see any additional changes.

Apply it

Here are some great ways to apply progression to your strength-training program each week. To keep it simple, we need to do slightly more work over time:

• Increase the weight/pounds (Start with small increments for example a 2.5lb – 5lb increase each week is enough to illicit strength gains).
• Use the same amount of weight but increase the repetitions. (Start with 8 repetitions and increase 2 reps each week).
• Increase the number of sets. (Start with 3 sets of 10 repetitions and next week move up to 4 sets of 10 repetitions).
• Increase the frequency of training days. (If you are currently lifting weights 1x per week, increase to 2x per week).

3- Variation

If you have ever tried a new exercise class and could not get out of bed the next day because of an intense level of soreness, you have experienced the impact variation can have on your muscles! When we introduce our body to new activities or exercises, we work the muscle in ways it is not used to. This new “stress” on the muscle can lead to great strength gains. Adding variety to your routine also prevents you from feeling bored in the gym.

Variation does not mean we need to switch our exercises every visit to the gym. The opposite is true. In order to apply progressive overload, we must work with the same exercise over a period of time so that we can continue to overload that movement each week. Many successful strength coaches will use 4- weeks as the period of time before a new routine or exercises are switched.

Apply it

Adding variety does not mean we need to come up with entirely new exercises. We can simply apply minor variations to common exercises that you are comfortable with. Here are some suggestions for adding variety:

• Change your the hand position (something as simple as changing the width of your hands on a pushup will change which muscles are activated, creating a very different experience).

  

• Change position of the weight (Below are two squat varieties, one with the weight down in a “suitcase position” and the other with the weight in the “racked position” at the shoulders).

 

 

 

 

• Change the speed at which you move the weight (slow down the tempo by counting to 5 seconds on the down and the up of the exercise)

Even if your exercise library is limited, anyone can apply these principles and start seeing improvements. As a starting point, remember to start with whatever weight you can do with perfect form. While it is beneficial to exercise with friends, keep in mind your training experience may be different and honor your current fitness level. If you do not already, start tracking your strength training workouts and start comparing them from week to week. Honestly evaluate if your exercise selection aligns with your goals and if you are pushing yourself with small incremental effort each week.

How do you apply these 3 keys to success to your workout routine? Share in the comments below!