The last article on Keys to Consistent Strength Gains Part 1 stressed the importance of training thresholds, which I also refer to as precision points. When you use training thresholds, you will train hard enough, but not too hard, and you will work out using a level of training stress that is precisely right. This is a big key to consistent strength gains.
Your Body’s Goal for Gaining Strength
In this article, a second key to consistent strength gains will be emphasized. The second key is to train in agreement with the goals that your body has for gaining strength. Your body will only gain strength if it believes that gaining strength will provide a benefit. What benefit is your body looking for? It wants to make it easier for you to lift a weight that is hard to lift. This benefit it the most basic goal that your body has for gaining strength.
Workouts That Never Get Easier
Most weight training strategies sabotage the main goal that the body has for gaining strength by training in contradiction to the body’s desire to make it easier to lift a weight. For example, if a lifter can lift 200 pounds in the deadlift, and their body gains strength to make it easier to lift 200 pounds, but the lifter immediately increases the weight to 205 pounds, the lift immediately becomes harder again. When the lift immediately becomes harder, the body does not accomplish its goal of making the weight easier to lift. Of course this presents a huge problem. We all know that in order to grow progressively stronger, the amount of weight that is lifted must increase from time to time. Is it possible to allow weights to become easier to lift, but still add weight? The answer is yes, if you learn how to use an adaptation period correctly.
Use An Adaptation Period
An adaptation period makes all the difference in the world. If you are stuck at a certain strength level and can’t seem to gain any more, the correct use of an adaptation period will help you start gaining again. What is an adaptation period? It is simply a period of time that you keep using the same amount of weight for the same amount of reps. Let me clarify that you can pyramid your weight or you use a variety of weights within each workout if it is your preference to do so. The key is to use an adaptation period where you keep using the same variety of weights in every workout (if you are using a variety of weights). For example, if you are doing five sets of squats consisting of 135 lbs. for 10 reps, 155 lbs. for 8 reps, 185 pounds for 5 reps, 205 lbs. for 5 reps, and 225 pounds for 5 reps, keep repeating this same variation of weight and reps in every workout for the entire adaptation period. The same workout will start to get easier; especially if you use the training thresholds that were discussed in the last article.
An adaptation period will generally vary from one to three weeks for a beginning lifter, two to five weeks for an intermediate lifter, and six to twelve weeks for an advanced lifter who has been lifting for a couple years or more. Many lifters are under the impression that you cannot gain strength by doing the same workout over and over. This belief is erroneous, incorrect, and flat out wrong. You can absolutely gain strength by doing the same workout over and over for weeks, or even months; especially if your level of training stress is based on the training thresholds that were discussed in the last article on Keys to Consistent Strength Gains Part 1.
Gain by Repeating the Same Workout
While it is true that you can’t gain off the exact same workout forever, it is also true that you can gain strength off the same workout for a time, so take advantage of that time by using it as an adaptation period where training never gets harder. You simply let the same workouts get easier so that your body can accomplish its goal of making a weight easier for you to lift. At the end of an adaptation period, you add a little weight and start again with a new adaptation period.
Two Major Keys
If you learn how to use thresholds to create workouts that are hard enough, but not too hard, and you use an adaptation period that is long enough to give your body time to make the same workouts become easier, you will be using two major keys that will help you to gain strength on a consistent basis.
In the next article, I will be discussing another goal that your body has for gaining strength, and how you can train in a way that allows you to take advantage of that goal. Until then, best of training to you.