In honor of Men’s Health Month, I want to talk about how to make the great men in our lives even stronger.  Many men do not know how to develop a personalized strength training program for themselves, and are not getting the most out of their current plan.  Don’t worry ladies, today’s tips can be applied to you too and are as much for your personal benefit!

For all the strength-training beginners out there, understand that your strength-training regimen does NOT have to be intimidating. For the seasoned individuals who have performed strength training for years, use today’s tips as a guide to change to things up and keep your workouts interesting.

If you have just begun a program, or recently changed your lifting, but felt the transformation has been too slow, I encourage you to take a moment, read this quote, and apply it to your experience: “It takes 4 weeks for you to notice a change in your body. It takes 8 weeks for your friends to notice. It takes 12 weeks for the rest of the world to notice. But it takes ONE day to decide that you are ENOUGH. Keep Going!”

Most of us have no idea how to tailor a plan for our goals. Sometimes we create a plan that it is too difficult and then get discouraged and quit. Here are a few tips to help you design a personalized program that will prevent you from quitting in the future:

  1. Set SMART goals. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time based. Setting SMART goals will enable you to assess strength gains, losses or maintenance. Keep in mind that the process of gaining muscle and losing fat takes time. Set a realistic time frame for achieving goals, because faster gains is not always better. Be patient!
  2. Be a realist. Use weights and resistance that is appropriate for you. In other words, no need to compete with the gent on the machine next to you. If you progress too fast or use too much weight, you are at a higher risk of getting injured. To prevent injury, most importantly, do not allow your form to be compromised in order to lift heavier. Be smart and maintain good form throughout the entire lift.
  3. Change it up. Every workout is an opportunity to make yourself better than you were yesterday! When your workout no longer challenges you, your progress will likely slow. If you find yourself starting a workout lacking motivation, interest or energy, maybe it is time to change it up. Keep your workout lively, interesting and challenging! When you are engaged in your workout, you will see greater gains.
  4. Choose the right combination. Determining the amount of repetitions is directly related to your goals. High repetitions, 8-15 reps performed with lower weight, focus on strength development. Low repetitions, 4-8 reps performed with heavier weight, promotes faster growth or size increase. In the long run, think about doing a combination of these two types of lifting to provide variety and physique improvements. Note to our women readers: if you avoid lifting heavier weights for fear of getting “too bulky,” you should know that this is is very unlikely due to your low testosterone levels.  This fear ought not to hinder you from improving yourself.
  5. Push & Pull. When designing a plan, think about your muscles performing a pushing or pulling motion. You can also think of your body as having a front and a back side. Ultimately, you want to work both sides. For instance, on a day you are performing arm exercises, perform bicep curls followed by triceps extensions. This action would promote a pushing and pulling motion and strengthen both the front and back of your arms. Click here for a detailed list of exercises based on your muscle groups.
Think about your goals and how strength exercises can help you get there. Use the tips above to develop a new plan or tweak your current plan. If you are still unsure of how to be successful, and personally apply these tips, give us a call! Our Lead Dietitian, Krista Neugebauer, is also a personal trainer and would love to help you design the perfect plan.