Sunday Story…More Strength

You must lift correctly…we’ve covered that. If you don’t know how, aren’t sure, or just want to ensure it’s right…get one of us to look. But once your compound lifts are dialed in, it’s time to increase the intensity!

There is an old saying…If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you. It really is that simple. In terms of strength training, that means you must lift heavy. Now, heavy is relative. My heavy and yours are two different things. My heavy today is different from my heavy on a different day. The bottom line is this: you need to challenge yourself when you are strength training.

This principle is called “progressive overloading.” In other words, we add weight a little at a time. This does NOT mean we are constantly trying to get to our 1 rep max lift. What this does mean it we are always trying to improve. Maybe today the improvement is to squat lower. And the next session I am trying to go slower in some portion of the lift or more reps with the same weight. All these examples will increase the weight you are lifting over time. And we are concerned with a very long timeline…it is measured in decades not weeks.

Small changes done consistently reap huge rewards. Those of us shooting for the “centenarian decathlon” know we must show up regularly and put in hard work and that means putting weight on the bar!

You’ve learned to do it right…that means you’ve earned the right to challenge yourself.

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com    

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