Can you lift less weight to build more muscle? I am going to answer that question for you.
As you get older you do not need to lift as heavy of weights to build muscle. If your goal is to be a powerlifter and build a lot of strength then yes you need to lift heavier weights. This will take a toll on your body, and it is harder to recover from those workouts, especially as you get older.
When I was in my 20’s and 30’s I would ego-lift sometimes, and because of that my joints took a beating. I want to tell you that YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. If something does feel right in an exercise you are doing, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it.
From my experience, I created something called TriCon Training. Triple contraction training, something most people don’t do is the isometric contraction. That is something that we focus on when doing my TriCon Training. Isometric contractions are great for strength building, for injuries, and time under tension.
All this being said, TriCon Training is great for older men. It will help you build muscle without putting more damage on your joints. This will help you build muscle utilizing lighter weights.
I am going to give you a full body workout that you can use with lighter weights. Let’s get started with the workout.
A TriCon Set is 9 reps with 3 different rep cadences. The first 3 reps are explosive reps. This is designed to activate your central nervous system and get those muscles firing. The next 3 reps are the Isometric reps, it will be 3 isometric holds at the midrange of the rep. The last 3 are full range of motion, slow controlled reps.
Exercise #1… GOBLET SQUAT. Keep the weight as close to your body as possible during this exercise. Keep a wide stance, rotate your toes outward slightly, and hinge at the hips.
Exercise #2… CHEST SUPPORTED BACK ROW. When you are working your back, you always want to lead with your elbows. Your elbows are drivers, especially when you are doing the explosive reps. Really focus on squeezing your lats and mid back together during the isometric hold reps.
Exercise #3… DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS. When you are doing the isometric holds, hold the weight out to the side. You want to get a good stretch, but don’t hold it too deep because that can hurt your shoulders.
Exercise #4… SEATED OVERHEAD SHOULDER PRESS. I like you to support your lower back when you can in these exercises. Keep the dumbbells wide in the isometric hold to put more stress on the shoulder muscle, not the joints.
Exercise #5… DUMBBELL BICEP CURLS. Keep your shoulders back and chest out, do not round your shoulders. Keep your elbows right against your sides when doing the isometric holds.
Exercise #6… CLOSE GRIP DUMBBELL PRESS. Don’t stretch your chest at the bottom of the lift. Rotate your elbows in, you want to focus on bending at the elbow. Doing this will focus on putting stress and working your triceps.
Alright guys, that wraps up this video tutorial with how to lift lighter weight to gain more muscle. Make sure to utilize TriCon training in your workouts to build muscle and protect your joints.
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