If you want to shed pounds and get a toned, well-defined body, then you have to combine cardiovascular exercises with weight lifting at the gym – this is a known fact. However, one of the biggest mistakes beginners tend to do is that they exhaust themselves with heavy weights, which can cause severe injuries. On the other hand, some people do not know when it’s the right time to start lifting heavier weights. In weightlifting, the body starts to get accustomed to light weights, slowly but surely, and as the muscles grow you need to increase the amount of weight you plan to lift and to change the lifting equipment as well.

Many people fail to see any notable results at the gym, and they do not know the culprit behind their lack of progress – in most cases, this is due to improper weight lifting. Strength training is a complex process that needs extra attention, as it is not only about building strength but also about maintaining it in the long run. If you feel like you are stuck then here are four obvious signs which indicate that you need to lift heavier weights.

1. The Current Exercise Is Piece Of Cake

Strength training is not meant to be easy, it is meant to be very demanding since the whole process is based on the overload principle where your muscles become slightly damaged, then they recover and they grow bigger and stronger. If you feel that your current weight lifting exercise is piece of cake and it is not as difficult as it used to be, then perhaps it is time to switch to heavier weights.

2. You Are Stuck To The Same Weight

If you have started weight training a couple of months ago, yet you have never increased the amount of weight you lift, then this may be a problem. After all, you cannot see progress without increasing the weight, and that’s a fact – the more you lift, the stronger you will get. The bottom line is to get the most out of your gym training, so don’t stick to the initial weight. Your body changes, so adapt the weight!

3. The Progress Has Stopped

If until not too long ago, you have noticed gradual progress regarding your gym training and now it has simply stopped, then it is certainly time to increase your weights. Unless you stress your muscles, you can’t make them grow. By lifting the same amount of weight, your muscles will work at the same level – not a bit more. This is why you stop progressing.

4. You Feel Like You Can Train For Hours In A Row

Last, but not least, if you feel like you can go on forever and ever with your actual strength training exercise and you do not feel muscle fatigue, then there is a problem. Generally speaking, muscle fatigue appears after 10-15 repetitions – if you feel like you can go on and do a lot more than that, then you should certainly lift more weight because you are not lifting enough! This resistance to training is given by the low amount of weight.

To sum it up, if you have experienced one of more of the signs mentioned in this article, then perhaps it is time to pay more attention to your strength training and to increase the level of difficulty. Increase the resistance, and your muscles will grow as well!

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About the author: Jack is a passionate blogger and works as a supplier of lifting winches.