I’ve been lifting on and off for about 15 years. The last 3 years have been especially consistent. I think I now finally understand some of what is required to get the most out of it with the most efficient approach.
Let’s dive in!
1. Consistency Beats Intensity
Most people don’t stick it out long enough.
Progress and growth takes time. This is a sad byproduct of our immediacy mindset – made worse by the magic of things like two day shipping, on-demand entertainment, and an Internet full of any information accessible on a lark.
Get on an achievable schedule, even if modest to start , and stick to it!
Atomic Habits nails this concept and it is KEY. Progress in weightlifting is like most things, there are no overnight successes.
Get on the conveyor and don’t get off. Missing should become anathema to you.
2. Manageable Sessions per Week (Quantity, Duration, Nutrition)
You can’t be consistent if it isn’t manageable.
For most people balancing a life filled with family and work, 1-3 times a week is probably all you can reasonably commit to and that’s ok.
- 1 day a week, absolute minimum and missing a day is much worse
- 2 days a week, better and you’ll be able to rotate in different exercises and see better results
- 3 days a week, much more ideal and the progress will be noticeable.
What is a manageable session?
When I think session, I’m thinking 30-60min and 2-6 different exercises. You can be very efficient in a 30min workout if you are always moving and switching between exercises. Rest between exercises has advantages but sometimes the reality of life means you’re better to go really hard for 30min.
I like alternating between two exercises that don’t compete too closely. You can do a set of one, and then a set of the other. Do benchpress and shoulder shrugs or squats and barbell rows. Two or three pairs of exercises is potent.
Accountability
The majority of people work out solo. If you can do that and be consistent, way to go.
I find it crucial to be paired up with someone to keep each other accountable. Yes, they can spot you and help assess technique but more importantly they can be the reason you don’t bail out because you aren’t feeling it.
You need rest and nutrition to support muscle growth.
Pursue good sleep and don’t be afraid about days or even a week or so between doing a specific exercise.
One of the most challenging aspects for me is getting enough protein in a day to support muscle growth and maintain it. Depending on who you ask you need between 0.6g and 1.2g of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. So if you weigh 200 lb and are aiming for 1g of protein you’d need 200g of protein a day.
Using a scoop of whey protein (typically 20-30g of protein) can help achieve that goal.
| Egg (one) | 6g |
| Meat (1oz) | 7g |
| Peanut Butter (2tbsp) | 7g |
| Milk (8oz) | 8g |
| Cottage Cheese (1/2 cup) | 14g |
3. Push Yourself
Besides consistency, I think the reason most people bail out is they don’t see results.
Why?
Usually it is because they aren’t really pushing themselves. What the industry calls “progressive overload”.
You should always have a thirst to either add more weight or more reps than the last time you did that set. As an army infantry buddy would say, you have to learn to enjoy the suck. With each difficult rep you know that you are making progress. The difficulty will equate to progress.
Post-workout soreness is usually only when you haven’t been doing an exercise regularly. Over time your body adapts and the post workout aching muscles shouldn’t be intense. If you’re facing pain for the day or two post-workout and it never gets better then there may be some other problem with technique or injury.
Keep track on an app or a simple sheet of paper. You should be able to see the date you did the exercise, the weight, the reps, and the sets.
Bench Press
2/15/2020 - (120) 8 (155) 8, 8, 8That would be how I would note that I did bench press at a warm up weight of 120lb for 1 set of 8 reps and then did 3 sets of 8 reps at 155 lb.
Every time you need to aim to push the numbers. Some weeks you’ll have to drop if you were sick or fell off the wagon for a week. The key is to hop back on wherever you are and get chasing again.
Experiment with going up in weight load or repetitions, which leads me to…
4. Variety is Needed to Maintain Growth and Avoid Boredom
There are some amusing videos out there on shocking the muscles. Below is Arnold explaining it. The general idea is to mix up the exercises and not get into a routine that your body has adapted it.
One of the main reasons I try to vary what I am doing and when is just to keep it interesting. As Atomic Habits posits, boredom is one of the biggest impediments to success.
Hitting the core exercises regularly is great – ones like bench, press, squat, and deadlift. But mixing in different accessory exercises can help you be more well rounded, not get in an adapted-rut, and maintain interest for your brain.
5. Don’t Lose Sight of Your “Why”
There are so many good reasons people lift weights. It really is an excellent and life-encouraging pursuit. Amidst the tracking of progress don’t lose sight of and track your base reasons.
To jumpstart, here are some excellent reasons to lift:
- Healthfulness / Be a good steward of the body you’ve been given
- Safety – both from injury and possibly aggression of others
- Physique – in its proper place being content with how you look can be good. And can mean a lot to a spouse or even attracting one.
- Credibility – people will take you more seriously if it looks like you are serious about taking care of yourself.
- It brings energy and increases mental clarity.
Hopefully you’re convinced, feel armed to get chasing gains, now go and get after it!
Bonus
Athlean X – one of my favorite YouTube Channels on fitness.
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