4 Ways to Get Stronger Without Lifting Heavier
Let me preface this by saying if your number one goal is to build muscle, improve your physique, or lose body fat, you should be following a progressive strength training program with the primary emphasis being on lifting heavier weights week to week. However, we may have limitations in the gym caused by injury, we may be stuck in a program plateau or simply not have the proper gym equipment available to continue to lift heavyweights.
Fear not.
There are ways you can still become stronger without the primary emphasis coming from increasing weights on a weekly basis.
1. Increase your volume
This can come from increasing the number of sets you do, the number of reps you do or simply adding in more time that you’re in the gym on a weekly basis. If you want to focus on building a particular muscle group, consider adding in more time spent training that particular muscle.
2. Modify your tempo
Focusing on pausing and holding reps will increase the time under tension of the muscle thus putting more stress on the muscle itself. Some of my favorite ways to do this include adding in 1 ¼ rep and using slower eccentrics during different exercises.
3. Improve your mind/body connection
This one is completely underrated in my opinion but so important. When we actually think about the muscle we’re training, we’re able to activate it more efficiently. This makes sense. I like to encourage my clients to connect their breath with the movement pattern to help them stay present and encourage them to strengthen the mind/body connection.
4. Change up the sets
If you constantly work within a 3-4 set range, try switching it up to maybe 5x5. Supersets are also a great way to add in more movements while decreasing training time and increasing your metabolic conditioning. You can also consider doing drop sets or adding in rest/pause sets.
The best advice I can offer to anyone looking to improve their strength in the gym is to keep an open mind to your fitness journey and understand that there are plenty of ways you can get results. Listen to your body and don’t be afraid to switch up your programming.