You can’t expect different results if you always follow the same workout program. One simple way to overcome an exercise plateau is by increasing your reps in a strength-training regimen. Increasing your reps will help you build strength and improve your overall fitness. Before you get too excited and go to the gym and do 30 reps per set, follow these tips to increase your reps without injuring yourself in the process.
5 Ways to Increase Your Reps
Record Current Abilities
The only way to increase the number of reps for any exercise is recognizing your current abilities. Using the normal weight for an exercise, work on as many repetitions as possible until the arms or legs start feeling a burn or fatigue. Never push the muscles until it is shaking because it will cause more harm than good. Record the results and the current weight. Increasing the reps in any exercise is about doing more over time so that the muscle mass increases and strength inevitably follows.
Break Exercises into Sets
If you already started a fitness program, skip this step since you already know this. For fitness newbies, however, this is important. Sets make it easier to keep up with exercises because a smaller number of repetitions are performed at a time. If you’re doing 30 curls in a row, break that number down into 3 10-rep sets. Exercising in sets will make it easier to avoid muscle fatigue during the initial weight training. Perform one set and then rest for two to three minutes. Repeat until reaching the previous maximum. If you need more help creating a fitness program, check out MenScience Boot Camp.
Take a Creatine Supplement
A tri-creatine matrix like MenScience Creatine Results Booster helps saturate the muscles with creatine, which can help you bulk up and improve your strength. Creatine increases the water content of muscles, making them appear fuller and larger. It also increases the body’s stores of ATP, the energy your body uses to contract muscles. These two benefits will help you boost your strength and speed up results.
Increase the Weight
Repetitions are not the only way to improve strength training. When the body adjusts to four sets at one weight, it is better to increase the amount of weight by five pounds to continue building up muscle. Adding more weight will improve strength without adding to the amount of time spent on exercise.
Add Reps Gradually
A simple way to increase the total repetitions is by adding two to five repetitions in each set. For example, if the original set had ten repetitions, then add two more repetitions before resting between sets. The increased number of repetitions in the set will add to the total number of repetitions without creating a feeling of fatigue or causing the muscles to shake from exertion. This added effort will help you lift more in the future.
