The Heavy Lift - Are You Lifting Heavy Enough for Progress?
Are you putting in the effort at the gym but not seeing the gains you desire? The secret may lie in progressive overload – the key to muscle growth and strength development. But how do you know if you're lifting heavy enough to trigger progress? Let's explore the signs that indicate you're on the right track and making the most out of your strength training routine.
Understanding Progressive Overload:
I previously shared a blog post all about progressive overload -- revisit it for details -- but in summary, progressive overload is the gradual increase of stress placed on the body during exercise over time. This principle is fundamental to building muscle and strength, as it stimulates the body to adapt and grow in response to increased demands. Lifting heavier weights is a primary way to achieve progressive overload, but how heavy is heavy enough?
Signs You're Lifting Heavy Enough:
Muscle Fatigue and Failure: One clear sign that you're lifting heavy enough is experiencing muscle fatigue and reaching failure during your sets. Failure refers to your inability to continue doing reps with proper form. Progressive overload often requires pushing your muscles to their limits, challenging them beyond their accustomed capacity. If your last few reps feel like a struggle, you're likely in the right intensity zone.
Breathing and Heart Rate: Pay attention to your breathing and heart rate during and after your heavy lifting sets. If you find it challenging to maintain steady breath and notice an increase in your heart rate, it's a good indication that you're pushing your body to work harder, promoting greater muscle engagement.
Form Integrity: While lifting heavy is crucial, maintaining proper form is equally important to prevent injuries. You should not lift so heavy that you are compromising your safety by compensating with improper form.
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS): The day or two after a heavy lifting session, if you experience DOMS – that satisfying, yet slightly painful feeling in your muscles – it's a sign that you've subjected your muscles to a level of stress they aren't accustomed to, promoting the repair and growth processes. DOMS isn't necessary to indicate an effective workout, and may ebb and flow over time, but you're likely to be sore from time to time when lifting heavy enough.
Consistent Progress: Keep track of your performance over time. If you consistently lift heavier weights or perform more reps, you're achieving progressive overload. This can be tracked through a workout journal or using fitness apps to monitor your progress. You'll need enough repetition in your routine to track progress over time. Group fitness classes or at-home videos alone aren't going to give you enough repetitions of foundational lifts. You should consider adding in a few strength training days each week that allow you to repeat the same lifts for several weeks consistently.
In conclusion, lifting heavy enough to achieve progressive overload involves pushing your limits and challenging your muscles beyond their comfort zone. Remember to prioritize safety by maintaining proper form and gradually increasing the intensity of your workouts. By paying attention to the signs detailed above, you can gauge whether you're lifting heavy enough to stimulate the muscle growth and strength gains you desire.
One final note to the ladies -- lifting won't make you bulky. That's a super common fear among women regarding weight lifting, but it's a myth. It takes YEARS of consistent effort to get "bulky" (muscle growth)... even people who TRY to get bulky have a hard time doing it. Lifting helps you gain lean muscle mass, which makes your body leaner, gives your body definition, and helps you burn body fat.
If you want a strength training routine customized for you, check out my options for in-person personal training and virtual fitness coaching.
Who's ready to go lift the heavy things?!?
