I had a great bench press session last night. You know why? Because over the last 28 years in the gym, I’ve learned how to make every single session as effective as possible…and so should you!Here are my “in the trenches” critical tips for making every workout better, so you can build muscle and strength faster.
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Check Your Ego
First, you have to check your ego at the door and understand that not every session is going to have a personal record (PR). Sometimes when you get to the gym, things don’t go according to plan because of all the unforeseen obstacles you didn’t see coming; you didn’t sleep well the night before, your nutrition was off, you’re dehydrated, or you just feel run down.Some training sessions “reveal” your strength, while other training sessions ‘build and maintain’ your strength. If you can just be smart in the workout by scaling back the volume (sets x reps) or intensity (amount of weight used) you will build a sort of insurance policy that the next time you step in the gym, you will be more ready-to-go, and stronger.
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Take Smaller Jumps
The second reason the workout was great was I have learned to take smaller jumps in the main lift when working up to heavier weights in order to build a bigger strength foundation and get more good volume in. The key is that you never want to miss a weight. Look at any elite lifter and they rarely miss their target reps for the set. This ensures you are getting the goal training effect and you don’t end the exercise with a failure. You always want to end on a win.
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Don’t Skip the Warm-up
Never underestimate the importance of a good warm-up. Gone are the days of going right from the car to “under the bar.” If this is a common practice of yours, you will eventually get injured. This is not a debate. It will happen. If you are young and think I’m full of it, then just wait.
The warm-up – including mobility drills, foam rolling, activation exercises, and flowing movement sequences – is absolutely critical to consistently getting stronger in the gym and moving better outside of the gym.
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Focus on Movement Quality and Mobility
Do not think about starting to load up a barbell until you have a good sweat going and you’ve practiced the movement you’re going to be training by rehearsing a fundamental movement.
Fundamental Movements for Barbell Lifts
Pushups for Bench Press Goblet Squat for Barbell Squat Db/Kb Swing for Deadlift
If you’re able to perform the fundamental movement during the warm-up with good form and through a full range of motion before you get under the bar, then your technique will be better once you grab a barbell or put it on your back.
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Be Ready to Make Changes
Finally, I know that every time I go into the gym, I am determining by how I feel and how I move in the warm-up what I am going to have to adjust in the workout for that day. If the workout calls for heavy deadlifts, but during the warm-up, my hips feel really tight and I can’t get into a good starting position or the movement doesn’t feel good on that day, I need to make a game time decision to pick another exercise that will train the same muscle groups or the same movement pattern, and I’m able to use better technique.
This type of instinctive training is really the key to you training smarter. If you can keep these critical tips in mind every time you train, you’ll be able to train smarter and pain-free for years to come.
I had a great bench press session last night. You know why? Because over the last 28 years in the gym, I’ve learned how to make every single session as effective as possible…and so should you!
Here are my “in the trenches” critical tips for making every workout better, so you can build muscle and strength faster.
Check Your Ego
First, you have to check your ego at the door and understand that not every session is going to have a personal record (PR). Sometimes when you get to the gym, things don’t go according to plan because of all the unforeseen obstacles you didn’t see coming; you didn’t sleep well the night before, your nutrition was off, you’re dehydrated, or you just feel run down.
Some training sessions “reveal” your strength, while other training sessions ‘build and maintain’ your strength. If you can just be smart in the workout by scaling back the volume (sets x reps) or intensity (amount of weight used) you will build a sort of insurance policy that the next time you step in the gym, you will be more ready-to-go, and stronger.
Take Smaller Jumps
The second reason the workout was great was I have learned to take smaller jumps in the main lift when working up to heavier weights in order to build a bigger strength foundation and get more good volume in. The key is that you never want to miss a weight. Look at any elite lifter and they rarely miss their target reps for the set. This ensures you are getting the goal training effect and you don’t end the exercise with a failure. You always want to end on a win.
Don't Skip the Warm-up
Never underestimate the importance of a good warm-up. Gone are the days of going right from the car to “under the bar.” If this is a common practice of yours, you will eventually get injured. This is not a debate. It will happen. If you are young and think I’m full of it, then just wait.
The warm-up – including mobility drills, foam rolling, activation exercises, and flowing movement sequences – is absolutely critical to consistently getting stronger in the gym and moving better outside of the gym.
Focus on Movement Quality and Mobility
Do not think about starting to load up a barbell until you have a good sweat going and you’ve practiced the movement you’re going to be training by rehearsing a fundamental movement.
Fundamental Movements for Barbell Lifts
Pushups for Bench Press Goblet Squat for Barbell Squat Db/Kb Swing for Deadlift
If you’re able to perform the fundamental movement during the warm-up with good form and through a full range of motion before you get under the bar, then your technique will be better once you grab a barbell or put it on your back.
Be Ready to Make Changes
Finally, I know that every time I go into the gym, I am determining by how I feel and how I move in the warm-up what I am going to have to adjust in the workout for that day. If the workout calls for heavy deadlifts, but during the warm-up, my hips feel really tight and I can’t get into a good starting position or the movement doesn’t feel good on that day, I need to make a game time decision to pick another exercise that will train the same muscle groups or the same movement pattern, and I’m able to use better technique.
This type of instinctive training is really the key to you training smarter. If you can keep these critical tips in mind every time you train, you’ll be able to train smarter and pain-free for years to come.
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