Weight Lifting Goals

A goal fancied by bodybuilders and enthusiasts alike, weight lifting goals are directly related to an individual’s strength and capacity to displace greater amounts of weight. One of the most common methods used to establishing a weight lifting goal is to aim for a "max" on a particular exercise. Some of the most popular exercises to determine a "max" are performed on: bench press, angled leg press, squats and deadlifts.

Safely Measuring One's "Max"

Displacing heavy amounts of weight requires a great deal of preparation and concentration. The following steps should be taken to reduce injury and maximize lifting potential:

• Properly stretch to loosen up and help prevent muscle pulls.
• Do a warm up set of the exercise and build up to the max. Depending on what your max is, 60-70% of the max is generally adequate at 6-10 reps. Follow this by 80% of the max at 3-5 reps then 90% of the max at 2 reps then go for it all with a 1 rep max.
• Always use a spotter when lifting for a max that involves free weights. Nothing is more embarrassing in the gym than dropping a weight onto your.

Tips for Increasing a "Max"

Various lifting techniques and equipment can be employed to achieve a greater "max". Some of these lifting techniques include: pyramids and tear downs. These methods take a different approach than doing the same weight for 3-5 sets by varying the weight/reps or by keeping the lift going while quickly reducing the weight to allow for nonstop lifting.

Specialized equipment to help improves one’s max are resistance bands and metal chains. The idea behind this equipment is that at the peak of the lift, you have the most weight being forced on you and when you lower the weight, there is less weight as there is less tension in the bands or more links from the chains on the ground.