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5 min read<\/p>\n5 min read<\/p>\n
NO ONE PLANS<\/strong> to be weaker in 20 years. But the ways most people train in the weight room don’t set themselves up for long term success, leaning on unsustainable practices that prioritize short-term gains. This is also why trainers talk increasingly about how to lift smarter for longer, focusing both on building lean mass today and retaining functional, real-world strength for decades to come. <\/p>\n Unfortunately, \u201calmost everything you\u2019ve been told about training for longevity is wrong,\u201d says MH fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., explaining that it\u2019s not just about training for muscle growth and doing a bunch of zone two cardio. \u201cIf you want to be strong for life\u2014and maybe even be stronger later on than you are now\u2014then you want to think across your entire strengthspan, and that requires more than [conventional] lifting.\u201d <\/p>\n Samuel talks from personal experience. A couple of years ago, he went all in on getting as strong and shredded as possible. \u201cAnd it felt really good until I got on the basketball court and I just wasn\u2019t able to do the things that I wanted to do,\u201d he says, explaining that being well-rounded is the key to staying strong and mobile forever. <\/p>\n Instead, think about training to address all aspects of your \u201cStrengthspan\u201d: absolute strength, aerobic strength, explosive strength, aesthetic strength, and functional strength. They’re all important\u2014and they’re all going to be addressed in the new MH Maximum Strengthspan program<\/a>. <\/p>\n In the meantime, start by avoiding these four training mistakes.<\/p>\n Don’t Only Lift Heavy<\/p>\n GUYS OFTEN JUDGE <\/strong>their progress by their ability to lift heavy things. \u201cBut when you\u2019re lifting maximally heavy weights, you\u2019re lifting slowly,\u201d says Samuel. \u201cDoing that [exclusively] compromises your body\u2019s ability to move fast and explosively.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s a classic \u201cmove it or lose it\u201d situation. If you only lift heavy loads, you\u2019ll neglect other key skills in your performance toolbox (speed, explosiveness, agility, endurance, etc.) and become a one-trick athlete. And even if you’re not trying to be an athlete, you’ll miss out on essential physical aspects that will help you move (and live) better, longer. <\/p>\n DO THIS INSTEADMove Fast at Least Once a Week<\/p>\n IF YOUR GOAL<\/strong> is strength or hypertrophy (building muscle), it\u2019s important to lift heavy weights, but not to the exclusion of other skills such as those mentioned above. Indeed, it\u2019s critical that you carve out time to perform explosive exercises such as the kettlebell swing, box jump, broad jump, or even sprint intervals. <\/p>\n \u201cYou want to choose at least one [exercise] to do at least once a week in which you move fast and powerfully,\u201d says Samuel. \u201cThat\u2019s crucial to making sure you don\u2019t just lift heavy and wind up slow.\u201d<\/p>\n Don’t Fear Low-Rep Training<\/p>\n STICKING TO THE <\/strong>classic strategy of three to four sets of eight to 10 reps can get you relatively strong. But if you\u2019re not occasionally performing two, three, or five rep sets, you\u2019re short-changing your ability to lift heavy loads\u2014and that can have repercussions beyond the weight room.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re stuck under a car, who do you want to pick it up to save you\u2014the guy who can deadlift 1,000 pounds once, or the guy who can deadlift 400 pounds eight times?\u201d Samuel asks, adding that exposing yourself to challenging weights also pays larger fitness dividends. Indeed, it will enhance your performance in nearly everything else you do.<\/p>\n DO THIS INSTEADTrain With Low Reps at Least Once Every Other Week<\/p>\n DON’T GET US <\/strong>wrong. If your goal is to build muscle, most of your sets and reps should be in the hypertrophy range mentioned above. \u201cBut at least once every other week, lead off a workout with something in the lower rep range,\u201d says Samuel. You\u2019ll be glad you did when your shirtsleeves feel tighter and you notice a significant jump in strength. Don’t Only Train in One Direction<\/p>\n
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