Maximize Your Workout! Lifting Weight Tips

Posted by amy in News

Once you’ve done your 3 sets of 10 bicep curls for weeks on end, you might want to change things up but not know what to do.  Good news!  You don’t necessarily have to find a new move or up the weight just yet.

1- You can pause at the top of your lift for 2 seconds.

Putting the emphasis on a different section of the move creates a new obstacle in the resistance training.

2- You can do the moves faster or slower.

This activates different sections of the muscle and also makes you focus on the task.  You will see improvements on both strength and your endurance in a particular move.

3- You can do the moves while standing on an unstable surface.

This causes your core to have to activate to allow you to stay balanced while doing the exercise.  Any time you add an obstacle to your training you are increasing the intensity and demand on that muscle group. Adding an unstable surface will also ensure that you are squeezing your butt and abs, which will also benefit from the workout.

4- You can close your eyes or at least turn away from the mirror.

This will throw off your balance and force you to focus.  Sounds silly until you try it — its hard!

5- You can switch the order of your moves.

Your body adjusts to a routine and become more efficient in that routine.  Switching the order of your exercises forces your body to have to ‘think.’

Doing any of these throughout the coming weeks or months will help to keep your workout from going stale and your mind from zoning out.  These tiny changes will also help to activate every part of the muscle you are working, as well as working the core to keep you balanced.  There are multiple ways to change up your workout but these are, as promised, 2 second changes that will help to improve your weight-lifting results!

Fit Links:
Fitness Tweaks You Need to Make – That’s Fit
Weight-Training Routines: Change is Good – Gain-Weight-Muscle-Fast.com
Workout Rut? Variety Boosts Results – Gaiam.com

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