Stop focussing on the weight when you’re not a powerlifter.
Intensity is not the only success metric.
Time and time again I see guys focussing on the numbers.
How much they lift.
How much the weigh.
But never how they lift it or how they look.
Progressive overload is the #1 principle of progress. But progressive Overload can one applied in various ways.
-More weight
-More reps
-More Sets
-More time under tension
All of these will increase your total workload which will in turn increase higher volume which in turn will increase your muscle mass and or increase your strength. These can grow separately because of the different muscle fibers being addressed with different methods of training.
Which one should I focus on?
The #1 you should focus on before you even start to worry about your total amount of volume is the form of how you perform whatever exercise. For instance: You can squat 315 for reps like a shitting dog but do it just one too many times and you’ll be shitting from a wheelchair.
Yes, I am exaggerating to get a point across. The point is that lifting with shitty form for too long will fuck up your life too soon.
Your ego won’t play with your kids, wipe your ass, fuck your wife or earn you an income.
You do and you letting your ego get in the way is a one way ticket to fucking up.
So how do I focus on form?
You focus on form by stop focussing on everything else.
Sounds easy but it makes sense.
You take the lowest possible weight you can get. Which can either be the barbell or a dumbell or neither and you use your bodyweight. And you perform the movement you have decided to practice.
With squat you focus on the stance being at least shoulder width apart with feet screwed into the floor. With screwed into the floor I mean 45 degrees out but you focussing on turning them outward while remaining on the floor. It will feel like splitting the floor.
This way your knees will follow the direction of your toes naturally.
Then you focus on breaking at the hips and knees simultaneously when squatting.
Then you focussing on core stability. Having your abs tight and lats engaged by keeping your shoulders down and chin tucked in instead of your head pointing up like a fish gasping for air.
You perform this process slowly and thoughtfully until it becomes as easy as brushing your teeth.
You’ll feel in your body when you’re training too heavy because something in the chain will be off denying you the ability of performing the exercise correctly.
Now if you rather be able to say you can bench, squat and or deadlift x amount while not even competing, just getting the likes on the gram and a short term dopamine hit be my guest.
But I and the people I train are in it for the long run and choose the path of longevity over the path of popularity.