How to Gauge Your Intensity

To increase your “tone” or muscle size, you need adequate stress on the body that also increases over time. Your body is designed to adapt to its circumstances, and that includes your movements and exercises. That means if you’re only doing the same things and not pushing hard enough, your body’s changes will stop or plateau.

So how do you know that you are pushing enough?

A great indication on knowing if you are pushing hard enough is the speed of the last few reps. If they start slowing down and become a struggle, you know you are getting to that threshold.

With these reps you'll get some amount of technique breakdown, but don’t force your way through if the form completely breaks down. It’s okay if the last reps at your limit aren’t perfect, but if your form completely breaks down this increases the chance of injury.

If you are able to:

• maintain conversation,
• finish the reps without struggle, and
• keep your pace steady through your reps,

…then you need to push the intensity further if you want your body to keep adapting and growing muscle.

Save putting in maximum effort for the last few weeks of your program, so you can pace yourself and increase the intensity each week.

Happy lifting!