Getting shredded isn’t about just going to the gym and throwing around heavy weights. You need to be smart about how you train. Here are five important tips to making sure you’re making the most of every workout to ensure you hit your fat-burning goals in the new year.
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Edgar Artiga
Go moderately heavy.
For lifting sets, choose a weight that’s 65 to 75 percet of your estimated one-rep max (1RM) for each exercise.
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Edgar Artiga / M+F Magazine
Keep progressing.
When the rep count for a particular exercise increases from one week to the next (e.g., from 10 reps in week 1 to 12 reps in week 2 for squats), keep the weight the same, rather than decreasing it. When reps decrease (e.g., 12 reps in week 2 to 5 reps in week 3 for dumbbell shoulder presses), increase the weight.
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Edgar Artiga
Don’t train to failure.
Leave 3 to 5 reps “in the tank” on all sets in the hypertrophy training (HT) workouts. “We’re not looking for annihilation of the muscles, just the appropriate stimulation,” Shiffler says. To keep strength levels high during the workout, shoot for around two minutes of rest between sets.
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Edgar Artiga / M+F Magazine
Scale metcons if needed.
The metabolic conditioning (MC) portion of workouts should be fast-paced and done “for time” (completing the prescribed exercises and sets in as little time as possible). If you find yourself taking extended rest periods during MC workouts, scale the movement to make it easier (e.g., do band-assisted pullups instead of regular pullups) or lighten the weight.
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Edgar Artiga / M+F Magazine
Mind your volume.
For hypertrophy, you really only need about 120 total reps per week per muscle group to stimulate growth. “But you may need to go as high as 210 reps as you advance,” says Shiffler. “If it feels a little easy, that’s OK, and actually preferable. If, on the other hand, you’re crushed, lower the volume a little.”
