There is a misconception that tor maximum muscle growth, only heavy weights can do the trick. The truth is, a pair of 10-pound dumbbells or an empty barbell can still help you achieve the body type you want. The technique is by making the light weights feel heavy. The position of your body and the ways you move your limbs can bring out the effectiveness of the light weights.
Unlock Knees and Elbows
By doing this, the muscle tensions are kept without having the joints support the load for a moment. Locking the elbows and knees is an old-school technique that can wear you out faster than if every rep is taken as a single motion. Despite the lack of load, this can lead to better muscle growth.
Hold it Right
An empty barbell can feel much heavier depending on the way you hold it. Get an excellent bicep workout by doing a reverse curl or overhand grip. Quickly perform a wide grip next, and then followed by a narrow grip. To end the set, do the normal grip curls, with hands shoulder-width apart.
As you fatigue, this practice will develop your mechanical advantage. If you notice, the beginning is at your weakest position, where your palms are down doing the reverse curl, and then slowly you transition to stronger positions. The biceps could feel the pressure, but they aren’t too exhausted and that you are still able to maintain the intensity.
Similarly, the barbell can be turned into a lever. Stick one end into a wall corner and then load the other side with a 15-pound plate. Perform one-arm presses and rows and you will feel that it can actually tire you out. Press at an angle to make the motions easier for the shoulders; and to make it tougher, grip the bar lower.
Move Fast
The general rule is that movements are performed explosively if the goal is to move up to the next level. The strongest and biggest muscles are also developed that way. When you don’t have heavy plates or dumbbells however, speed up your repetitions more. You will have the opportunity to do rapid bench presses, which helps defeat the sticking points. You can do up to 10 sets of 5 repetitions.
A speedy lifting can sometimes be more effective than Olympic lifts. Light and fast high pulls are a good and safe substitute for upright rows. Furthermore, you can use dumbbells when training with O lifts. It can be less than 35 pounds and still be effective if you do seated dumbbell cleans and one-armed snatches.
Switch Angles
The way most guys do dumbbell rows is using the close technique, or with the elbow against the side of the body. This is fine; however, if you can only use a light pair, you can still challenge yourself by doing lateral rows. Do this by moving the elbow out by 90 degrees. When you pull it up, it should be a little far away from the body.
Take it Slow
Fast is the way to go most times, but there are exercises where slow reps are also beneficial. Moving slowly means muscle tension is maintained and they eventually become exhausted when doing a longer set. Muscles grow larger after they become deeply fatigued, which makes it easier for them to handle more workload during the next gym visit.
An example of what you can do is a 1.5 rep, where you let the weight go all the way down, and then pull it up, stopping halfway. Same with a squat. Squat down fully, push yourself up to a quarter squat, and down again.
Complex Exercises
These are movement combinations that flow into each other. Use one weight to work the entire body, which you can do with or without moving spots. Each exercise should prepare you for the next one, and this will allow you to perform the movement right away. For example, do a hang clean, followed immediately by a squat, and then press the bar overhead. After which, you can do an overhead lunge. This is something you can do in a crowded gym.
Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned gym goer, it is important to find the right gym that can address your needs and wants in terms of facilities, equipment, or classes. If you want a place where there are tons of class options and state of the art equipment, you can check out New York Sports Club.