Gaining muscle and strength is actually quite easy when you start training. “Your muscles go through a learning process, so almost anything you do triggers growth,” said Mike Boyle, A.T.C., of Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning in Woburn, Mass. “But eventually your muscles adapt, and you have to train smarter to see results.”
You’ve no doubt experienced this wall — often called a plateau — where no matter what you do, the progress isn’t coming. If you want to keep progressing, you need to challenge your muscles in new and innovative ways. Start by purging your fitness plan of these common pitfalls.
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You don’t train your legs
For many people, and especially men, workouts are top-heavy. “They focus too much on the mirror muscles — the chest and arms,” Boyle said. A sign of true fitness is a muscular backside. “Your largest muscles are in your lower body, and training them releases hormones that build size and strength everywhere else.”
Try this: The elevated-back-foot split squat. Hold a bar across your upper back using an overhand grip. Assume a staggered stance, with your left foot forward and your right foot back and on a 6-inch step or box. Lower your body as far as you can and then push back up to the starting position. Do 10 reps, switch legs, and repeat. That’s 1 set; do 3.
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You run too much
Logging miles isn’t a total waste of time, “but it’s close,” Boyle said. This is because your body adapts quickly to repetitive movement, and that’s running in a nutshell. “Plus, running doesn’t activate your fast-twitch muscle fibers,” he said, which are great fat burners and body builders.
Try this: Intervals — short bursts of intense activity followed by active rest. Set a treadmill to an 8 percent incline and run for 30 seconds. Then rest for 1 minute. Do this 10 times. This type of training leads to gains in aerobic and anaerobic performance that are significantly greater than with steady-state cardio, according to a recent study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
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You lift too slowly
Explosive lifting leads to fast gains. Why? “It activates more fast-twitch muscle fibers, which have the greatest growth potential,” Boyle said. “So lift like you mean it.” You’ll also crank up your heart rate, increasing your calorie burn.
Try this: Do the lifting phase of each exercise as fast as possible. The actual speed of the lift doesn’t matter. “As long as the movement is explosive,” Boyle said, “your body will recruit fast-twitch fibers.” Then take at least 2 seconds to lower the weight.
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You stay in your comfort zone
Professional athletes don’t sharpen their games by working on their strengths; they also eliminate weaknesses. So should you. “Doing only the moves you’re familiar with is a cop-out,” Boyle said.
Try this: Do compound exercises (that is, moves that target multiple muscles), like deadlifts, chinups, and dips. “They’re some of the toughest ones you can do, and you can’t make serious gains without them,” Boyle said. Try the deadlift and you’ll see what Boyle means. But make it even more effective by using a few simple tweaks. Stand on two 25-pound plates and use a grip that’s twice shoulder width. Both variations will increase the range of motion of the exercise, forcing you to perform more total work.
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This story was adapted from Better Man Project and originally appeared on Rodale Wellness
