Do You Need to Be Lifting More Weight?
If you participate in weight training, you want to ensure that you are doing all you can to get all possible benefits. A University of Michigan study showed that many weight lifters simply aren’t lifting as much weight as they should be. It seems as though most people simply choose a weight below what’s needed to stimulate muscle growth and fat loss.
But why do people tend to lift a weight that’s less than what they should be lifting? There are many reasons:
- It feels strange.
- You’re afraid of hurting yourself.
- You’re afraid that if you lift more, you’ll get too big and bulky. But this isn’t true!
Now, how can you tell if you’re not lifting enough weight?
- If you can lift your weight sixteen to twenty times, then you’re probably not lifting enough weight.
- You don’t feel challenged when lifting your weight. The point to weight training is to push your muscles so that they can get stronger. If you don’t feel as though your weight is challenging at all or as challenging as it used to be, then it’s probably time to increase your weight.
- If you’re no longer seeing any progress, then it’s probably time to increase the amount of weight that you’re lifting.
- If you’ve never increased the amount of weight that you lift while weigh training, then chances are that it’s time.
If you’ve determined that you need to increase the amount of weight you’re lifting, remember this: Start out by increasing the weight by no more than 10%. This will decrease the risk of an injury. Now, with your new weight, aim for two sets of twelve repetitions. Once you can complete two or three sets of fifteen repetitions, it’s probably time to increase your weight once again.
What other tips can you think of to share with fellow weight trainers that will help them determine if they’re lifting enough weight?