Many fitness lovers have been in a situation where they do everything to build more muscles and after months of hard training, they still look weak. The truth is, you don’t have to lift heavier weights to build more muscle mass. It is crucial to know what are your fitness abilities first and then decide what is the ideal weight for you and how many repetitions you need to do to have the expected results.
There are several ways to test your fitness ability. After you do your first tests it would be much easier to determine the training program that works best for you. Tests need to be done in the beginning and after certain equal intervals to follow your achievements.
Aerobic Test
The simplest way to test your aerobic level is to measure your bpm (Heart Beat Per minute). If you are fit, your heartbeat will be around 70 bpm. To measure your bpm put your point finger on your neck or on your wrist and measure your beats for fifteen seconds. Multiply the number by four. The number you get is your bpm.
Stair Test
To do this test you will need a platform with 18 inches height. Climb on and descend from the platform with an average of 30 reps a minute. After doing this for five minutes and resting for one minute measure your bpm. Multiply your bpm by 5.5. Higher this number is, more fit you are.
A 12-Minute Run
Warm up first. Run in a circle for 12 minutes. The number of circles you run for twelve minutes is your measurement. You can also measure it by the length you run. Longer length you run in 12 minutes, better your fitness results are.
Must Read: Five Reasons to Stay Warm After Your Workout
Muscle Strength
Test your muscle strength with the number of reps you make for each muscle group. For example, the number of push-ups you make is the muscle strength of your arms and core. The number of squats you make is the measurement for your muscle strength of your legs.
Agility
To measure your agility set 8-10 cones on the floor forming a zigzag. Run towards each of the cones as fast as you can without touching them. Measure the time you need to run through the cones 5 times.
Speed
For a precise measurement of your speed, run a sprint of 160 feet. Measure the time you need to get from A to B.
See Also: 5 Barbell Exercises to Build Muscle, Power and Strength
Balance
Stand straight on one leg. Lift the other leg your foot touching the knee of the other leg and close your eyes. Put your arms down by your hips. Stand still as long as you can without moving your arms and legs. Measure your time.
Flexibility
To measure your flexibility sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you. Put a box by your feet and draw a line on the box where your hands reach. Hold your legs straight. The more your hands can reach more flexible you are. Look at the photo for a better image.
Bearing in mind the results from your first tests, you will know how much you have improved. And, you must wonder what is the ideal technique of repetitions for building muscles.
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Well, the truth is, if you are a beginner you should lift weights with 8-12 repetitions. However, if you are a more experienced bodybuilder you should bear in mind that 6-12 repetitions are ideal for building muscles. Lifting under 6 reps is for building strength and more than 12 reps are for improving your endurance.
Therefore, the first thing you need to know is that if you want more muscles then you should start with 8-12 reps. Second important thing is time of effort training. This is measured by the time you need to do a whole set. For instance, if you need 40 seconds to do 10 reps of any exercise, then your time of effort training is 40 seconds.
What Is The Most Common Mistake Beginners Do?
Those with a low percentage of body muscles mass try to lift too much weight while they are still in a bad shape. After a few months of lifting weights, they still look the same, they are weak with little change in their muscle mass. Therefore, if you want to build real muscles make sure your time of effort is between 40 and 60 seconds and don’t try to lift too much weight in the beginning. Lift as much weight as you can to do 8-12 reps. You’ll see your first results in only one week to ten days. The secret is not in the heaviest weight you lift. It’s in your focus to do 8-12 reps in 40-60 seconds. After you start with this technique, you will notice a huge leap in your strength and muscles.
