Load: Weight / Resistance
The first thing that needs to be universally understood about load is that it needs to work with and be respectful of all the other variables we’ve covered so far (# of Reps, # of Sets, Tempo, Rest). In order to ensure that you’re moving towards your goals in the most effective (and not to mention safest) way possible, the load you use must be directly influenced by the other variables and vice versa.
The load that is used, must be appropriate for your goals and the exercises that you’re doing. For example, it doesn’t really make sense in too many scenarios for you to try and lift your 1RM for an isolation exercise like a bicep curl. It also wouldn’t make too much sense for you to Squat a weight that you could rep out all day long without ever breaking a sweat. As always, context matters and is pretty important when it comes to exercise and load selection.
Common Mistake: Neglecting the other variables for Load
A very common mistake that I often see when it comes to training however, is that most gym-goers let the load hog all of the spotlight. Which isn’t their fault, because they might not be aware of all the other variables. Lucky for you, now you’re equipped to not only do better, but potentially help others understand the value of thinking beyond just the amount of weight they’re able to lift.
Previously in the tempo video, I mentioned how introducing slow eccentrics to a new client completely blew their mind. I’ll give you a specific example so you can better understand just how powerful letting your other variables influence load can be.
I was working with a new client who already had a few years of resistance training under his belt. He already looked pretty good, but he wasn’t quite where he wanted to be yet. It was during our first or session together where we came up to an exercise that he was super confident about because as he so confidently told me “I easily use 40lbs for this when I work out on my own”. As an experiment I had him use half of that instead. For the exact same exercise, all I did was slow down the tempo, and next thing you know he couldn’t finish his set and we had to drop the weight another 5lbs. This is a perfect example where I would urge you to take away the lessons I passed on to my client that day: It’s not just about the weight you can lift, but about HOW you lift it
Tension = The language our bodies understand
Realistically, your body doesn’t know the difference between 5lbs or 50lbs. The language your body understands is tension. The weights we use in the gym are just one of the ways in which we deliver that tension to your muscles and your nervous system. Once you understand that, not only does your approach to training in the gym become infinitely more intelligent, but your options for training at home or at a park or while travelling multiply at that point. Now you’re no longer restricted by only expecting a positive outcome to be correlated with heavy weights, but how you control your body and your creativity with what’s available to you.
One of the reasons Load tends to get all the attention though, is probably because that’s where you get instant feedback that is easily tangible for most people. If you could only lift 10lbs before and now you can lift 15lbs, you know right away that you’ve gotten stronger. So why would you not want to push to keep that momentum going. The problem with this approach though, is eventually you’ll reach a point of diminishing returns. You can only make the weight heavier up to a certain point before you’ll eventually plateau and more often than not it can be remedied by taking some attention away from the load and giving it back to the other variables we can play around with.
In the next section we’ll go over some examples of how lowering the weight can actually benefit your training and help you get stronger.
Asad Sayal
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Join personal trainer Asad Sayal, as he looks at essential factors to consider when designing your workout. From reps to rest periods, Asad explores how taking these variables into account, and using them in unison with each other can help you reach your goals quicker, avoid plateauing and progress your fitness journey.
Asad answers this not-so-straightforward question by defining what exactly a rep is, introducing rep ranges and how you can use this method to optimize and progress in your workouts. He also touches on the relationship between reps and load.
Did you know that the order in which you perform your sets is critical to your performance? Asad explores how to organize your sets in a certain sequence, in terms of intensity and difficulty, to get the best results and avoid injury.
Asad reviews the various types of sets that exist and which you should use depending on your workout type and goals. He discusses straight sets, supersets, tri-sets and circuits.
Setting a tempo for your workout is one of the most overlooked variables. Asad defines what setting a tempo for your workout really entails, and how you can use it to make the exercises you already know, feel completely new.
Did you know you can change how an exercise feels and what it does to your body just by varying the tempo? Discover how altering the tempo can produce a different kind of result and can bring about potential weaknesses and imbalances.
Rest and recovery are commonly misunderstood and misused. Asad explores common mistakes in regards to rest periods and different considerations that need to be made to ensure you are getting the biggest return on your effort.
Asad reviews general guidelines you can implement into your training, to ensure you are getting optimal rest. He discusses how the amount of rest is dependent on what your goal is at that time, and how you're performing the exercise.
Asad defines load and how it directly relates to the other variables covered thus far: reps, sets, tempo and rest. He highlights the value of thinking beyond just the amount of weight you lift in any given exercise.
Have you ever been stuck on a certain weight and can’t seem to go heavier? Does this mean you’ve reached the ceiling to your strength? Asad explores how you can combine variables, like tempo and reps, to avoid plateauing and increase the weight in your exercises.
To sum up this series, Asad recaps all the variables you should consider when designing a training program. He defines progressive overload and emphasizes the importance of the variables covered in this series and how to use them in synchrony with one another.