31/07/2024
The real reason why you’re not seeing gains.
Often we fall into the rut of a regular workout on repeat, multiple times a week, week after week. And we wonder why we may have seen some changes in the first weeks of a new program but then nothing changed. It’s demotivating and frankly, boring doing the same thing without any gain.
The reality is, if your workout is even a basic full body workout of 2-3 sets per exercise it probably was enough to keep the changes coming. However, the key here is the progressive resistance.
This can be created in many forms but, to keep it basic, it should be either:
Increasing weights on the same exercises from week to week
OR
Changing rep ranges (lower reps with more weight or maintaining weight while increasing reps) on the same exercises to stress the muscles under different conditions. (See the example in the image)
Lifting heavier or changing repetitions while always ensuring that the last rep of the last set is absolute failure will stress the muscle and induce strength gains and hypertrophy.
Research shows that even small increases like .5kg can make a difference in strength and muscle mass from one week to the next.
So next time you’re frustrated with your gains (or lack of), consider tracking your weights for your routine and each time you complete the same workout ensure small changes in weight or reps. Always remember to push hard on the last set for a finish which leaves nothing on the tank.
