13 Reasons This Post Will Make You Stronger – Guaranteed

Many people have the goal of getting stronger. There’s nothing complicated or difficult about this.

However, increasing strength does require some consistent effort on your part. And using the most efficient techniques so your efforts aren’t wasted never hurts.

13 Proven Ways To Get Stronger

Getting stronger is mostly about taking the right steps on a regular basis. If you implement the following tips, you will soon be a lot stronger than you ever believed possible!

#1. Record Your Progress

You want to be aware of your progress, even if it’s small. You also want to know if you’re not getting stronger, which indicates a change of approach is needed. That’s why it’s so important to record all of your workouts. Whether you’re lifting weights, using strength machines or doing free form exercises like pushups, write down the weights and/or number of reps you’re doing every single time.

#2. Understand The Value Of Small Increases

If you’re lifting weights, you can’t expect to add an extra 25 pounds to your max each week. If, however, you can add even 2.5 pounds, you’re still making progress. This principle holds true for every type of exercise.

“Focus on making steady, small gains and over time this will translate into noticeable gains in strength.”

#3. Follow A Workout Plan That’s Made For You

The same workout isn’t ideal for everyone. You need your own custom workout plan based on your goals, schedule and body type. If you are consulting with a trainer at the gym, he or she can help you come up with such a plan. This will ensure that you are going exercises that are consistent with your objectives.

Check out the 15 insights of muscle building for some added inspiration and insight.

#4. Don’t Overdo It With Cardio

Cardio exercises like running, working out on a treadmill or biking are great, but they should not be emphasized if your main goal is to get stronger. If you do too much cardio, this will drain you of the energy you need to lift more weights or do more reps of whatever exercises you’re doing.

For cardio specific training, I prefer high intensity interval training. HIIT promotes muscle gain and fat-loss, while taking up significantly less time out of your day compared to traditional methods of steady state cardio.

#5. Do A Balanced Workout

Don’t make the mistake of getting obsessed over a particular muscle group, such as your arms or chest. To get stronger, you want to work out every major muscle group. Some people tend to overlook the lower body, which will not only give you an imbalanced look but will detract from your overall strength in the long run. To be truly strong, you need strong legs, a strong back and a strong core.

An easy way to ensure a balanced workout, is to do one push, one pull and one compound lower extremity exercise each workout. 

For instance, this could be something like the following (reps and weights are unique to you):

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#6. Get Enough Rest

Rest is an essential part of strength training. Your muscles rebuild themselves in between workouts. That’s why working the same muscle groups two days in a row is not a good plan. Always rotate muscle groups, and take off one or two days per week from working out.

If you have trouble sleeping, here are 10 post workout foods that will help you catch some Zzz’s.

#7. Do Squats & Deadlifts

Squats and deadlifts are two of the best overall strength building exercises you can do. Squats can be done free form as well as with weights. If you want to get stronger, however, you will make faster progress with weights. You can do a variety of squats -basic front squats as well as back squats. Deadlifts are also extremely effective for building strength. With both squats and deadlifts, you should be careful to follow correct form and not overdo it. Increase the amount of weight gradually to avoid injuries.

These are the top 15 muscle building exercises.

#8. Get A Trainer

A trainer can not only help you devise a custom workout plan, he or she can help motivate you so that you stick to it. Motivation and self-discipline are two of the biggest challenges when it comes to getting stronger, and a good trainer can be very helpful in these areas. One alternative to hiring a trainer at the gym is to find an online personal trainer. This is a convenient and cost effective way to get guidance that will help you make faster progress.

#9. Eat A Healthy & Balanced Diet

The right diet is essential if you want to make gains in strength. You won’t reach your goals on a low calorie diet, as you need plenty of fuel for your workouts. Yet you also want high quality calories. Sugar and processed foods may provide you with a quick energy boost, but they won’t give you sustained energy. Eat a good balance of high quality carbs, protein, vegetables and fruits. Healthy fats, which are found in many fish as well as healthy oils are also good for promoting strength and endurance.

Actually, how and what we eat are two of the 7 deadly health mistakes most people make.

#10. Choose The Right Supplements

Certain supplements can enhance your efforts in the gym. If you have trouble getting enough protein from your regular diet, a whey protein supplement can help. You should know that there are big differences between whey protein supplements, so you should make your choice carefully. Whey protein isolate is at least 90% protein, as opposed to whey protein concentrate, which contains much less protein. Another helpful supplement for building strength is creatine. This is a natural amino acid that promotes endurance and building muscle mass.

Vega Recovery Accelerator is the first all-natural, plant-based performance enhancement system specifically developed to help athletes perform at their best – by targeting the pre and during-stage requirements of your workout – providing all of the building blocks and nutrients you need to maximize your performance. Replenishes energy and electrolytes, reduces inflammation, muscle and joint pain, supports immune system function and protein synthesis while reducing recovery time between training.

#11. Stay Well Hydrated

It’s important to stay hydrated when you’re working out regularly. You should drink plenty of water before, during and in between workouts. High quality energy drinks can be good for intense workouts, but be careful of brands that contain lots of sugar, caffeine or artificial ingredients. Water is always the best choice for hydration.

#12. Keep Your Workouts Short & Intense

While it might seem counterintuitive, less can be more when you want to get stronger. Recent research suggests that the most effective workouts are short, an hour at most, and very intense. Spending longer periods of time at the gym and doing lots of sets might make you feel like you’re working harder, but it won’t translate into greater strength. You actually make the most significant gains during the first 30-45 minutes of exercising. After that, it becomes a case of diminishing returns as you get tired, increase the chances of injury and prolong recovery time.

If you need inspiration and want to follow a proven system that utilizes the short and intense approach, I highly recommend you check out Craig Ballantyne’s Turbulence Training.

Make Changes To Your Workout Regularly

If you do the exact same workout week after week, you will tend to hit plateaus. Changing your routine will prevent your body from becoming accustomed to using the same muscles. It’s also more interesting to change things up, so it will be easier to stay motivated.