How are your workouts going? Are you achieving the goals you envisioned for yourself? I get many e-mails from women who are discouraged by their lack of progress in the gym. When I question them about their routine, I quickly learn that they are not changing their workouts to keep up with their goals.
As you know, we have to continually challenge our bodies if we are going to see results. But what does that mean? I hope that by the end of this article, you’ll have a better idea of how to build weightlifting routines that meet your body’s goals.
Let’s get down to the basics: all weightlifting routines will give you results in three areas: strength, muscle building and endurance. You can modify your routine to maximize your gains in a particular area.
Muscle Building
Don’t be afraid, ladies, building muscle doesn’t mean that you are going to look like the men of MuscleMag! If your goal is to develop the toned, defined look of an Oxygen cover model, your routine should focus on building muscle size.
In muscle-building routines, we aim to reach failure within eight to twelve repetitions (reps) with a moderately heavy weight. Clearly, by doing the same exercise at the same weight, you’ll eventually find that you easily complete your eight to twelve reps without reaching failure. That’s when you increase the weight you are lifting for that particular exercise.
But, what happens when you have increased the weight and are reaching failure sooner than eight reps?
Strength Training
Instead of decreasing the weight you are lifting to continue hitting failure at eight reps, you can focus on strength training. Once you increase your strength, you can return to a challenging muscle-building routine.
In strength-training routines, we aim to reach failure within 2-6 reps with a heavier weight. Doing this helps to condition the muscles, joints and central nervous system to move heavy weight.
It is important that you feel comfortable (meaning you are performing each rep of your exercise with proper form) with the weight you are lifting before you move back into a muscle-building routine. The commonly suggested time period is around eight weeks.
Endurance Training
Endurance training can serve many purposes, but we’ll discuss only two here. In endurance training, we aim to reach failure within 15-20 reps with a light weight. Doing this increases the stamina of your muscles so they can perform for longer periods of time. For instance, if you are training for a long distance run, you want to increase your muscle endurance while minimizing weight gain (whether fat or muscle) that would slow you down.
You can also follow an endurance routine if you want to minimize an increase in muscle size in a particular area. For example, my friend Wendy has no problem gaining muscle mass in her legs (if only that was my problem!). To minimize muscular growth in her legs in order to balance her body, she performs many reps of her leg exercises with low weights. This creates proportion throughout her silhouette.
It’s important to plan and record your workouts so you can see where you are, where you’re going and how you’re going to get there! Remember, you should feel comfortable and maintain good form while you are performing each rep to avoid injury. Don’t overdo it!
Have a great week!
P.S. Do you like this newsletter? Share it with a friend or family member.
DISCLAIMER: You should always consult with a doctor when designing an exercise program to ensure it is safe for you.
As you know, we have to continually challenge our bodies if we are going to see results. But what does that mean? I hope that by the end of this article, you’ll have a better idea of how to build weightlifting routines that meet your body’s goals.
Let’s get down to the basics: all weightlifting routines will give you results in three areas: strength, muscle building and endurance. You can modify your routine to maximize your gains in a particular area.
Muscle Building
Don’t be afraid, ladies, building muscle doesn’t mean that you are going to look like the men of MuscleMag! If your goal is to develop the toned, defined look of an Oxygen cover model, your routine should focus on building muscle size.
In muscle-building routines, we aim to reach failure within eight to twelve repetitions (reps) with a moderately heavy weight. Clearly, by doing the same exercise at the same weight, you’ll eventually find that you easily complete your eight to twelve reps without reaching failure. That’s when you increase the weight you are lifting for that particular exercise.
But, what happens when you have increased the weight and are reaching failure sooner than eight reps?
Strength Training
Instead of decreasing the weight you are lifting to continue hitting failure at eight reps, you can focus on strength training. Once you increase your strength, you can return to a challenging muscle-building routine.
In strength-training routines, we aim to reach failure within 2-6 reps with a heavier weight. Doing this helps to condition the muscles, joints and central nervous system to move heavy weight.
It is important that you feel comfortable (meaning you are performing each rep of your exercise with proper form) with the weight you are lifting before you move back into a muscle-building routine. The commonly suggested time period is around eight weeks.
Endurance Training
Endurance training can serve many purposes, but we’ll discuss only two here. In endurance training, we aim to reach failure within 15-20 reps with a light weight. Doing this increases the stamina of your muscles so they can perform for longer periods of time. For instance, if you are training for a long distance run, you want to increase your muscle endurance while minimizing weight gain (whether fat or muscle) that would slow you down.
You can also follow an endurance routine if you want to minimize an increase in muscle size in a particular area. For example, my friend Wendy has no problem gaining muscle mass in her legs (if only that was my problem!). To minimize muscular growth in her legs in order to balance her body, she performs many reps of her leg exercises with low weights. This creates proportion throughout her silhouette.
It’s important to plan and record your workouts so you can see where you are, where you’re going and how you’re going to get there! Remember, you should feel comfortable and maintain good form while you are performing each rep to avoid injury. Don’t overdo it!
Have a great week!
P.S. Do you like this newsletter? Share it with a friend or family member.
DISCLAIMER: You should always consult with a doctor when designing an exercise program to ensure it is safe for you.
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