If you want to get stronger, routine is the enemy

NEW YORK – When Dr Bryan Mann talks about weightlifting, he often tells the story of Milo of Croton, a Greek wrestler who lived 2,500 years ago.

Legend has it that Milo started his yearly training by buying a newborn calf. Every day, he hoisted the calf onto his shoulders and carried it up the stadium steps. As the calf grew, Milo became stronger, until he was carrying around a full-sized ox.

While most people cannot carry livestock around their cul-de-sac, the formula for getting stronger has not changed, said Dr Mann, a clinical associate professor of kinesiology at Texas A&M University. The core of every strength training programme is a concept called progressive overload, in which you gradually increase either the weight, repetitions, difficulty, intensity, or some combination of these.

Strength training, especially as you age, improves cardiovascular health, blood pressure and bone density, and reduces the risk of lower back pain. But none of that happens without progressive overload.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a 10-year-old on a soccer team, a 30-year-old interested in general fitness, or a 70-year-old trying to reduce the risk of falling – some type of overload is needed,” said Dr Avery Faigenbaum, a professor of health and exercise science at the College of New Jersey.

Overload does not mean you have to clean and jerk 90kg, however. It does not even require lifting heavier weights. You can challenge your muscles by doing a more difficult movement – lunges instead of squats – or doing it faster.

Overload does not require weights, but they help

Lifting the same dumbbells the same number of times for weeks on end will lead to a workout plateau where you stop building more muscle mass. Muscles grow when challenged, causing microscopic tears in the fibres that the body repairs with stronger muscles.

That said, if you are creative, you can get stronger with a pair of dumbbells or even no weights at all, said Ms Elizabeth Wipff, a strength training coach who specialises in working with women over age 50.

“You can progress from chair squats, without holding onto anything, to squats holding onto a heavy object,” she added, such as a backpack filled with books.

Or start by doing push-ups against a wall or a counter, and gradually make the movement more difficult by placing your hands lower so you are supporting more of your bodyweight.

Studies suggest you can build strength with exercise bands, though Ms Wipff does not recommend them because it is hard to precisely increase the weight, and the elastic wears out over time.

How to use progressive overload in your workout routine

If you already have a strength routine and have been lifting the same weight for months, the simplest change is to add a little more weight.

Not sure how hard you should be working? For beginners, Prof Mann said, stop about two repetitions from failure – or what feels like a 7.5 out of 10 – to maintain good form. And pick a weight that you can lift for about 10 repetitions.

If you do not feel like adding more weight, try a more difficult variation, like switching from a chin-up to a pull-up. The exact movements or weights are not as important as the slow increase in difficulty.

Lastly, base your workout on how you feel that day, Prof Mann said, not on past performance. If you are feeling worn out or stressed, it is okay to dial back the weight.

For those looking to build muscle, here is a simple 12-week workout cycle to try with dumbbells or a barbell.

Pick your exercises and weights

Start by lifting twice a week and increase to three or four times a week if your body feels strong and you want more rapid progress. Write down your weights and reps as you progress.

Pick three movements, such as lunges, squats, bench presses or shoulder presses. You can do the exercises all on one day, or split them among different days. Build in rest days for your muscles to recover.

Weeks 1 to 4: Three sets of 12 to 15 reps

For the first two weeks, use a weight that feels easy and work on your form. If you are unsure of the correct form or worried about injury, book a session with a trainer for guidance.

For the second two weeks, add a small amount of weight, about 5 per cent, to each lift. This may be too easy if you started out with a relatively light weight, so increase more than that if you want a greater challenge.

Weeks 5 to 8: Three sets of eight to 12 reps

Start with a weight that is 5 to 10 per cent more than what you ended with the previous week. You will notice you can add more weight for exercises that use the biggest muscles in your body, such as a squat, as opposed to movement that uses a smaller muscle, like a bicep curl.

Increase the weight by 5 to 10 per cent every week, as long as you can maintain good form.

Weeks 9 to 12: Three sets of five to eight reps

This is when it should start to get tough. You have been building your muscles for eight weeks, so it is time to challenge yourself. Find a weight where your last repetition feels difficult.

Increase the weight by 2.5 to 5 per cent every week, maintaining good form.

Rest week

Next, take a week off, either by lifting very light weights, or taking a complete break from weightlifting. Then you can start the programme over again, either with new exercises or the same ones – but with heavier weights. NYTIMES