Home Articles Weight Training Programs: 11 Ways to Make Strength Exercises Harder

Weight Training Programs: 11 Ways to Make Strength Exercises Harder

Written on November 17, 2010 at 4:06 am, by Eric Cressey

If you search through the archives here at T-Nation, you’ll find hundreds of programs you can try. In fact, there are probably enough for you to rotate through for the rest of your training career without ever having to complete the same one twice.

However, I’d venture to guess that most of you aren’t here just because you want to be told exactly what to do. Rather, in the process, you want to learn why you’re doing something, and how to eventually be able to do a better job of programming for yourself.

It’s no different than being a guy who’s given a sample diet plan — but wants to know what to order off the menu when eating out; a little education on thinking on the fly goes a long way.

So, to that end, I want to use this article as a means of educating you on how to take that next step. The 11 tips that follow should help you progress the strength exercises in your program from one month to the next to make them more challenging.

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5 Responses to “Weight Training Programs: 11 Ways to Make Strength Exercises Harder”

  1. DANIEL Says:

    Great article Eric! I will utilize some of these strategies in my future training. What are your thoughts are starting a “beginner” on a Stabilization endurance phase of training. Also would you recommend an advanced trainee use the stabilization phase every once in a while to enhance neuromuscular efficiency? Thanks for the info!

  2. Eric Cressey Says:

    Daniel,

    That depends entirely on how you define the “stabilization phase” of training. To what are you referring? It’s important to be VERY specific, as stability is very activity specific and proprioception and balance are very skill-specific.

    EC

  3. Callie Durbrow Says:

    Love this! I think that dance training is a great way to get some of my clients aligned and with more innate core strength.

  4. wrestler strength Says:

    Great tips Eric! Even after all of the classes I took in my Exercise Science curriculum, I still manage to forget somewhat simple progressions as raising the center of mass. Reading your blog and articles has really helped “sharpen the saw” with me. Thanks for the continual contributions to the field!

  5. wrestler strength Says:

    Great tips Eric! Even after all of the classes I took in my Exercise Science curriculum, I still manage to forget somewhat simple progressions as raising the center of mass. Reading your blog and articles has really helped \"sharpen the saw\" with me. Thanks for the continual contributions to the field!


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