Balancing The Intensity Of Your Weight Training

When weight training, people tend to get advise that they should maximize that weight training, saying it was necessary to build up muscle mass and improve one’s overall physical health. Some people might find training in this manner to be rather uncomfortable to do, and often can find it discouraging to maximize hitting the weights.

Common advice concerning weight training usually says that using a weight should be limited only to a set number of repetitions. People who do weight training should not choose a weight that they would be unable to lift for that number of repetitions. However, for many of those in the world of exercise science, that sort of training is a bad idea, and only leads to muscle failure – defeating the purpose of the training. For some, taking it as far as possible is a good idea and a welcome challenge. However, for others, it might be something more akin to a torturous, unwanted activity.

It is possible to build muscle mass if one decides to “train for failure” and not maximize the weights? Well, assuming that the muscles are being stimulated to a degree of some difficulty and not merely repeating motions that it can do with no trouble at all, then the answer is yes. In other words, while you don’t necessarily need to go as far as you possibly can – and perhaps risk damaging your muscles – you should still try to find weights that are going to challenge you. Otherwise, the weight training really will be useless.

However, just because maximizing training is a bad idea doesn’t mean that it is always good that you train “for failure.” Such an approach does nothing to boost the muscles in any manner, and without any sort of challenge, the muscles will not improve – failing to fulfill one of the likely goals of weight training. According to some experts, it might also be contributing to overtraining and overuse-related injuries.

A safer, probably better, approach would be to combine the strength routine to include both. In other words, while implementing a range of sets, reps, and exercises into the program, those in training should also vary how often they train without stretching the capabilities of their muscles. So those who are uncomfortable with the idea of going to the limits every gym session can reduce that and be less intense, while those who enjoy the challenge can enjoy the luxury of having lighter sessions when they’re not up to their usual level.

Harvey Ong is currently employed as a writer-researcher for an online multimedia company. He specializes in pen and paper gaming, video games, and consumer-oriented software reviews. He also has done research in the medical field, with particular interest in natural toxins and poisons, for research purposes.