According to fitness guru Dustin Mark McNeer, light workouts can actually lead to building strength.
One of the most common mistakes made by bodybuilders and beginners alike is training too heavy, too often. Although heavy sets do help you gain strength, it shouldn’t be the only thing you’re doing in the gym. Dustin Mark McNeer is often surprised to find out his clients don’t realize they should be incorporating lighter sessions into their weekly routines.
So how do lightweight sets contribute to a well-built muscle? When you perform higher reps per exercise, you are engaging in a hypertrophy technique. Dustin Mark McNeer notes that it works well to help you build muscle, but won’t do much to help you get to your next highest weight.
Fitness programs should contribute to both strength and power. Light workouts train your muscles to move weights faster, which in turn helps you reach your maximum strength potential. Dustin Mark McNeer explains that when you are in the bottom part of the movement in your exercise, your muscles are at their weakest. Light workouts help you move big weights, making you an efficient powerhouse. Start your mindful approach with Dustin Mark McNeer’s five power training tips.
- Scheduling
When incorporating light training days into your weekly fitness routine, the goal is to give your muscles a quick power blast before resting and returning to heavy weights. They should not outnumber your heavy lifting days, but instead, complement them. If you don’t like taking a break from heavy weights, Dustin Mark McNeer suggests adding one power-focused exercise to the beginning of each workout.
- Weights
Power focused exercises should be used with light free-weights that allow you to move quickly and cleanly. The heavier the weights, the slower you will move. Dustin Mack McNeer notes that an alternative to using free-weights is incorporating bodyweight exercises. For example, explosive exercises like jump squats or pushups.
- Speed
When you are performing your light day workout, always exercise as quickly and explosively as possible while maintaining control. Dustin Mark McNeer personally likes going airborne during pushups for that extra pump. Other excellent power training tools are medicine balls, the smith machine, and elastic bands. The key is to make the exercise a fluid movement so that you don’t have to stop or slow down continually.
- Reps
Dustin Mark McNeer does not advise his clients to participate in burnout sets. The right number of reps will leave your muscles ready for the next set. When reps are performed to muscle fatigue, you start to slow down, which defeats the purpose of attaining high rep speed. Many people feel like they don’t work out hard enough unless they feel sore and tired. However, Dustin Mark McNeer notes that fresh muscles produce fast movements.
- Resting
Power days require longer rest periods in between sets so that muscles can recover. Explosive exercises need muscles to be at 100%. Dustin Mark McNeer recommends resting for 2-3 minutes during high rep exercises, even if you feel ready before that time. Since the goal is not conditioning or stamina, you won’t feel tired. However, Dustin Mark McNeer believes it is the key to energy for explosive sets.
