Use This Quick Trick to Improve Your Workout Sets

One of the many ways that working out with weights is beneficial to our bodies is that using them consistently overloads our muscles and the result is they become stronger and bigger.  The key to continued gains in size and strength is to progressively increase the weight we use or the time under tension of our muscles, referred to as TUT. 

When we first start working out, we make gains more quickly as we are shocking our bodies with exercises they have probably never done.  However, our bodies are incredible machines and they adapt very quickly.  The exercises that worked just a short time before will often be less effective as we become bigger and stronger.  The way to continue to make gains is to change the exercises we are doing and use heavier weights.  If it was possible to continue to add weight to our workouts, there would be people lifting 1000s of pounds, which is clearly not the case.  There is obviously an upper limit to how much we can lift.  Even adding 1 pound a month to any exercise would eventually mean that the weight would be too much.

So, what is the solution?  It is to change the length of the sets that you are doing AND change the exercises.  Doing sets of 10-12 repetitions for a few weeks and then dropping down to 5-6 repetitions and then up to 18, 20 or even more with much lighter weights will shock your body, no matter how long you have been exercising.

The Mental Edge That Counting Backwards Gives You

It can be mentally taxing to do higher repetition sets, however, one trick you can use is to count backwards in your sets down to zero.  When you are doing high repetition sets, your muscles begin to fatigue, which is what you want, but at the same time, your mind may have a hard time concentrating because the set is so long.  Your brain associates the high count of reps with hard work and you may fatigue sooner.  If instead you count backwards, your mind sees a definite end goal to the set as the number is getting smaller as you approach your goal.

In a large set of 20 repetitions, counting down to zero, rather than up to 20 is psychologically easier.  The number is getter smaller and closer!  Your mind will have an easier time pushing you to complete the set because you are so close.

It is a small change, but it can be very effective, particularly if you have been working out for a while or are at the end of your workout.

Try it and see.