Those who are used to lifting heavy are probably the ones who are struggling the most working out at home. How does anything bodyweight compare to picking 250 lbs up off the floor? As someone who is used to squatting well over 200 lbs regularly and obviously can’t right now given the situation, it’s been hard to adapt a workout routine to the same intensity. If you’re struggling without the 45’s, try these tips to fire up your workout:
Higher reps – probably goes without saying, but if you’re used to the 5×5, try a 4×15 or even a 3×25. Remember that volume is sets x reps x weight, and to properly progressive overload, you want to increase this each week. Focus on the rep factor versus the weight factor to heighten volume.
Tempos – different tempos activate different muscle fibers. Try counting to 4 on both the concentric and eccentric motion and feel the time under tension do its magic.
Isometric holds – hold the movement at the highest point of tension for an extra 3 counts (e.g. holding the bottom of a squat for 3 counts) to create extra demand on the muscles.
Unilateral movements – unilateral movements by nature use less load, so switching up training to focus on one side at a time will keep the intensity high. If you’ve ever done single leg hip thrusts, you KNOW they’re significantly harder than bilateral.
To get more ideas email Shannon Roark.