2. Know when it's time to increase the weight.
If you're more experienced with dumbbells, kettlebells, or a barbell, the question is when and how to add more weight. Take a look at the speed of the lift and how you feel after you complete your sets, Sulaver suggests. Those are both good indications of whether you should be going heavier.
"If your last couple reps are slow and ?ber strenuous, leaving you sweaty and short of breath, then you're using the right weight," he says. "If you're performing the last couple reps easily at normal speed, you could probably go heavier."
3. Figure out how much weight to add.
When we say that it's time to up the numbers, we're not talking humongous increases. However if you want to see gains and create that lean yet strong physique, you can't push the same weight week in and week out and expect not to plateau.
Sulaver recommends adding weight every week.
"But in baby steps—sometimes it's only 2.5 percent heavier than the prior week," he says. There's a balance between pushing yourself and listening to your body's limits that you'll be able to find as you start lifting more.
More From Greatist: Lift Weights to...Build Endurance?
The Bottom Line
There comes a point where light weights and high reps just become a waste of your time, Sulaver explains.
"The only thing you get good at when you're lifting two to three pounds for hundreds of reps is lifting two to three pounds for hundreds of reps," he says. "If you want to be good at that, then it's a smart thing to do." But if you're looking for more of a challenge (and change in your body), follow the tips above.
Related Articles:
- Should You Use Free Weights or Machines?
- The Basics of Weight Lifting
- 7 Reasons Women Should Lift Weights
- 20 Motivational Fitness Quotes
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