I used to loathe my shoulders. But not in a self hate kind of way. It was more like, “why can I have sexy shoulders, wah-wah-wahhh” — lots of bitching & whining. My shoulders were chunky-round and without definition.
Yet things changed once I tweaked two important aspects of my workouts. My quest for sexy shoulders, and for building sexy muscle in general, fell right into place…
So ya, these two rules apply to any part of your body when it comes to strength training to build muscle. You would think it’s rocket science since there’s tons of people who don’t apply the principles, but it’s really very simple, straightforward and uncomplicated.
RULE #1 ~ Lift Heavy: There comes a time when you have to move past the 5, 8 and even 10 pound weights. If you’re pushing weights for 12-15 reps and feeling little to no burn, it’s time to go heavier. Progress can’t be made my sticking to the same weights and same exact routine month after month. You need to challenge yourself and lift heavy with a focus on progressive overload.
Always keep it safe and with proper form, but that doesn’t mean strength training to build muscle is supposed to be a walk in the park. When done properly, it’s anything but that. If you’re feeling cool as a cucumber with barely any muscle burn, you’re doing it wrong. Lifting heavy with time under tension is downright uncomfortable. It sometimes take some serious mental fortitude just to finish the sets. Perhaps it’s the reason I dread split squats on Leg Day.
When it comes your body transformation, step away from those light ass weights. Do more. Lift heavier. Go harder.
I be lookin’ a little like a crackhead in these pics??
RULE #2 ~ Lift Often: I’m not talking about overtraining out of a desire to get ripped fast. That’s real damn stupid. You’ll hurt yourself that way. Lifting often means training your various muscle groups week in and week out. It means staying and consistent. It means knowing your diligence is surely changing your body, even if you don’t quite see it in the mirror yet.
If you hit biceps on a Friday but don’t hit them again until two weeks later on a Tuesday, ummm… that’s the wrong freaking way. You won’t see real results like that. A sometimey, lackadaisical approach to strength training is a waste of time.
Steady, painstaking, diligent effort. That is what’s required of you.
Although the rules are simple, the most challenging part is to actually get yo’ booty up and apply the principles to your training. Cardio may be famous for burning fat, but only strength training can give you sexy muscle definition.
If you’re not happy with the present shape of your body, then do something about it. Get up and train, dammit!
K-then. Bye bye.
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