How to Get the Strength & Power to Lift More Weights

Weight training can be an addictive past time. For many outsiders, there seems to be little entertainment involved in the numbers and statistics involved with lifting heavy lumps of metal. Weightlifting enthusiasts, though, understand that there is something bordering on obsession as you seek to put on a little bit more muscle or add a few more pounds to your personal best. Increasing your strength and power and lifting more weight is something anyone can do, provided you lift sensibly and are prepared to work hard.

Step 1

Lift heavier. The best way of increasing your strength and power on a lift is to lift heavier weights. Instead of focusing on increasing repetitions, try to increase the weight you are lifting whenever you feel comfortable with your current personal best.

Step 2

Lift less. If you are looking to increase your figures in a particular lift, you need to reduce your repetitions. Do too many repetitions and too many sets in a workout and you will be too tired to produce the kind of maximum effort you need to lift more than you have done before.

Step 3

Lift correctly. Proper form will enable you to lift more weight and will help you avoid injuries, so learn the correct technique. In addition, lift explosively, lifting the weight as fast as you can, before lowering the weight in slow, controlled fashion for maximum benefit.

Step 4

Add variety. While the best way to improve your deadlift is to do deadlifts, at some point you might reach a plateau where you cannot improve further doing the same thing as your body becomes accustomed to the movement. Add unilateral movements such as split squats to improve the strength in your secondary muscles, before returning to your normal routine.

Tip

Get an experienced coach or workout partner to help you at the gym. Motivation is important when it comes to strength training, as is correct form. You can injure yourself badly if you try and lift more than you are used to with incorrect form.

Warning

Listen to your body. You need to get sufficient rest for your muscles to repair themselves, as the exertion of weight lifting causes microtears in the muscle fiber that then repair themselves, strengthening your muscles. If you lift again before they are fully recovered, your performance can suffer; worse, you can injure yourself.