How to Gain Strength

The human body is designed to adapt to changing circumstances, this is a feature that has been fine tuned by millions of years of evolution. This is also true of physical lifting demands; your body will adapt to increasing weight demand by creating more muscle tissue. Creating physical strength requires a progressive overload of your muscles. Progressive overload does not mean lifting weights that are too heavy, rather weights that will use your muscles full weightlifting capacity.

Things You'll Need

• Weight-lifting facility
• Comfortable clothing
• Weightlifting journal

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Instructions

• 1

  Create a weightlifting routine that encompasses all major muscle groups. This routine should be four to five 45-minute workouts per week. Ensure that each major muscle is not being exercised more than twice a week. Ensure the inclusion of main compound lifts such as the box squat, bench press, compound row and dead lift. Add other targeted exercises to your routine to ensure inclusion of all muscles.

• 2

  Test your weightlifting capacity on your first day. Start low and work your way up to find a weight load for each exercise that will allow for a maximum of six to eight repetitions using proper form. Record this weight.

• 3

  Continue the routine using the maximum weight for each exercise that will allow six to eight repetitions. You will get stronger and will need to add more weight to keep this repetition range. Adjust as needed and record your progress.