I’ve spent about 30 years of my life as a dedicated gym rat.
All too often, I see folks who are obviously new come in and man…they go straight for the big wheels, sacrificing form and risking injury.
I’m more of a champion of the humble training wheels.
These little 2.5 lb weights don’t seem like much…but when you put one on each side of a bar, it adds 5 lbs.
Which still doesn’t seem like much, until you add five lbs twice a month.
Over the course of a month, that boosts a single rep 135 lb bench press to 145.
Over the course of six months that sees you jump from 135 to 195. Still just a single rep for that personal best.
Over the course of a year, that puts you up to to 255 for a single rep…but now you can pop that 195 for 10 reps with relative ease.
These are substantial gains. These are actually quite achievable with patience and dedication.
Instead of looking at huge goals with a daunting finish line, try shifting your expectations to do just a little bit at a time…five pounds more every two weeks. A single rep every time you bump up five pounds. Ten pounds more every month.
Keep your eye on those training wheels. Before you know it, you’ll exceed those goals that used to feel really big to you. You’ll do it with less stress and feel more confidence as you progress.
*Originally posted on Facebook on April 19th, 2021