A reader just lately despatched me an incredible query:
“I’m all the time questioning if I’m pushing onerous sufficient throughout power coaching. My targets are to construct power and muscle—and never be a fragile previous woman.”
This type of query is extra widespread than you would possibly assume! It’s one thing virtually everybody wonders in some unspecified time in the future: “How onerous ought to I be working after I raise?”
Let’s break it down.
✅ 1. Do your muscular tissues really feel used throughout and after your exercise?
You don’t must destroy your self to make progress, however you ought to really feel like your muscular tissues did some significant work.
That may present up as:
- Feeling stress and “work” in your muscular tissues as you raise
- Feeling the load begin to unintentionally decelerate as you fatigue in the midst of your set
- A lightweight muscle “pump” post-workout
- Slight muscle soreness the subsequent day (however nothing brutal)
- Feeling such as you challenged your self by the top of every set
For those who end your exercise and really feel like you possibly can do the entire thing once more instantly… that is likely to be an indication it’s time to extend reps, weight, or units.
✅ 2. What sort of soreness do you get (if any)?
Opposite to standard perception, soreness isn’t the one signal of progress, but it surely can provide us clues.
Right here’s what I search for:
- Delicate soreness for 1–2 days? Nice! You’re possible getting sufficient work in.
- Excessive soreness that lasts 4–5 days or extra? That’s an excessive amount of. Dial it again.
- By no means sore in any respect? It is likely to be time to push issues a bit extra deliberately, or swap up workout routines.
Once more, soreness is a sign, not a scorecard. It’s not one thing to chase NO MATTER WHAT, but it surely’s one other piece of the puzzle in understanding what’s working and never working for you. 😃
✅ 3. Are you seeing development over time?
Power coaching is about difficult your physique after which regularly growing that problem over time.
- Are you lifting heavier weights than you have been 4–6 weeks in the past?
- Are you doing extra reps or extra units with the identical weight?
- Are your actions feeling extra steady, assured, or managed?
If the reply is sure, you’re getting stronger. And that’s precisely what we would like.
If not, it is likely to be time to shift right into a extra structured plan, like a periodized program that regularly will increase quantity (units and reps) or depth (quantity of weight lifted) over 6–12 weeks.
Notice: as we age, we’ll naturally lose some quantity of muscle and power. That is completely regular! Nonetheless, we may also help scale back that loss with sensible power coaching.
Despite the fact that you could be lifting much less in your 70s than you have been in your 30s, you may nonetheless progress WITHIN a exercise program to regularly improve the problem. The precept of progressive overload nonetheless applies, you simply modify your start line to no matter your physique is able to proper now. 💪
🧪 Need to take a look at your power in a secure means?
One other solution to verify should you’re working onerous sufficient?
Attempt what I name a litmus set.
Right here’s the way it works:
- Decide an train you’ve been doing constantly—one thing like body weight squats, push-ups, dumbbell rows, or a machine press.
- Do a stable warm-up. Get your physique transferring and your joints feeling good.
- Then go all out: Do as many high quality reps as you may with good type. Cease when you already know you may’t full one other clear rep.
That is best (and most secure) with:
- Machines (you’re already “noticed”)
- Body weight actions (you may simply cease with out danger)
Much less supreme:
- Free weight actions like barbell again squats or heavy bench press (until you’ve received a spotter and loads of expertise)
What are we in search of?
Evaluate your litmus set to your common working units.
Instance:
- For those who normally do 3 units of 10 reps and your litmus set will get you 12–13 reps, you’re proper in that candy spot inside a number of reps of failure.
- For those who hit 20+ reps, alternatively, you’re leaving 10+ reps within the tank throughout your regular exercises. Meaning it’s time to extend weight or reps to maintain progressing.
Most muscle-building occurs whenever you’re inside 1–4 reps of failure on a working set. However should you don’t know what failure feels like, it’s straightforward to cease brief.
A litmus set helps recalibrate your effort and builds confidence you can push tougher (safely) when it is sensible to.
💡 The Backside Line
You don’t must crush your self to get stronger. However you do need your exercises to be purposeful and difficult sufficient to require your physique to adapt.
Search for:
- Muscle stress (in the course of the set)
- Muscle fatigue (after your exercise)
- Delicate soreness (particularly in the beginning of a brand new exercise program)
- Progress over time (reps, weight, approach)
- …and the occasional litmus set for readability
And should you’re not seeing these? Let’s tweak your method and make it easier to discover that candy spot.
And bear in mind! For those who’re asking this query, which means you might be already understanding which is AMAZING!
You’ve received this.
– Coach Matt P.S. Need assistance discovering the subsequent step to progress in your exercises? Shoot me an e-mail and I’ll see how I may also help! 💪
