Have you been working out for a while but you've reached a strength plateau? Sometimes it's being stuck between two weights- stronger than the 15 pound dumbbells but then the 20 pounder's are just too heavy? Or just can't seem to add weight to your squat week after week, it’s time to build up your strength.
Simple things, such as focusing on the lowering (or eccentric) phase of a movement and squeezing your muscles for a couple of seconds, can make all the difference.
Training for strength isn't the same as training for size. Each goal requires a different approach. You can gear your lifting towards your particular goal by changing the pace (aka tempo) of each exercise. By slowing, pausing or adding speed to different parts of the exercise you can overload the muscles without lifting a heavier weight. Warning- it may feel much heavier after you check out some of these strength building techniques.
Luckily, you don't have to have an exercise science degree to get the most out of your exercise tempo. Simply implement these strategies into your routine:
Use Eccentric Training
When it comes to muscle strength, lifting speed can make all the difference. If your goal is to get stronger, keep the intensity low. Focus on the negative portion of a lift, whether you're squatting or doing bicep curls. This strategy is known as eccentric training.
By using a slow, controlled motion, your muscles your work harder and grow faster. This approach causes micro-tears in the muscle fibers, leading to hypertrophy and strength gains.
Let's say you're doing barbell curls. Instead of rushing through the motions, lower the bar slowly and focus on the biceps. If you do it right, you should feel your muscles burning. Try using a 4-1-1 tempo here, 4 seconds eccentric to lower the weight, a slight 1 second pause and then a quick 1 second squeeze back to the top.
Learn more about how to apply this strategy in your routine.
Experiment with Pause Reps
Another strategy you can use to gain power and strength is to hold the contraction at the bottom of each rep. This training technique is commonly referred to as pause reps, and has long been used by athletes and bodybuilders looking to get stronger.
For instance, if you're doing a bench press, squeeze your muscles and pause for three to five seconds before the barbell touches your chest. The whole point is to keep everything tight when switching from the eccentric (lowering) to the concentric (lifting) phase of an exercise. Try a 2-3-1 tempo here, 2 seconds eccentric to lower the weight with control, 3 seconds isometric pause-hold and then 1 second quick squeeze back to the top.
Add Drop Sets to Your Routine
This technique involves gradually decreasing the load until you reach failure. There is more than one way to do drop sets. It all comes down to your goals.
Try starting with a heavier weight and perform up to 8 - 12 repetitions. Next with a little rest as possible, lower the weight by about 15 - 20 percent and do another set 8 - 12 repetitions. Continue dropping weight by 15 - 20 percent until you can't complete at least 8 repetitions and then rest. Typically 2 - 4 weight drops (or "drop sets") will lead you to muscle failure and you'll need some rest. If you're up for it you can do this 2 - 3 times to get even more of the strength building benefits.
Let's use the DB Bicep Curl as an example, although this technique can apply to almost any exercise. If you started with 30 pound dumbbells, as an example - pick the right weight for you and make sure you use proper form; You would perform as many reps as possible up to 12 before switching to the 25 pound weights and again performing as many reps as possible up to 12 and dropping to the 20 pound weights and repeating. Decrease the load gradually during a set without taking any breaks when switching from heavier to lighter weights.
As you see, it’s no need to give your workout a complete makeover so you can get stronger. Try these strategies – they’ve stood the test of time and are guaranteed to work!
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