• Overload. To see gains in strength, you must stimulate the muscle more than it’s accustomed.

• Progression. The active muscle must continue to work against a gradually increasing stress to meet overload. In other words, you must increase the application of stress as you continue your training.

• Specificity. Gains you receive are dependent on the muscle group used and movement pattern performed.

• Strength versus endurance. Train with heavier weights closer to your 1-RM. Endurance is a submaximal force that’s repeated or sustained.

• Breathing. When working muscles against resistance, exhale as you perform the work. Failure to breathe correctly hinders performance.

Skeletal muscle enlargement related to resistance training is due to a growth of existing fibers in response to an applied tension or force. In other words, you already have the muscle fibers. When they’re properly trained, the muscles can hypertrophy, becoming larger and more visibly noticeable.

The overload principle is responsible for producing strength and hypertrophy. Hypertrophy is the term used to indicate the existence of muscle growth. When a muscle is forced to respond to increasing stress, it will gain strength and grow in size to protect itself. During periods of exercise you stress the body, and during periods of rest the body grows in response to the stress.

For muscular improvement to take place, stress (in the form of exercise) is applied to the body. When the body becomes accustomed to the stress, new stress must be added to keep the body challenged.

Training Tips:

• Start with a warm up set. Warming up gives the body a chance to deliver plenty of nutrient-rich blood to the areas about to be exercised, which warms the muscles and lubricates the joints.

• Stretch when you’re done. Stretching increases or maintains muscle flexibility.

• Work on technique and good body mechanics.

• For each exercise, go through the complete range of motion, move at a controlled speed, breathe, and maintain a neutral spine. Never give up form just to add more weight or repetitions.

• Vary your training intensity. The intensity of your workout depends on a number of factors, including the number of sets and repetitions, the overall weight lifted, and the rest between sets.

Stats:
5’7”
53 y/o
133 – 166 bpm (Heart Rate During Exercise)
120 – 140 lbs (Healthy Weight-to-Height Ratio)

Weight History:
159.8 lbs – Starting
147.4 lbs – May 8, 2025
142.4 lbs – June 2, 2025
138.8 lbs – July 28, 2025
136.2 lbs – October 10, 2025
(Total lost: 23.6 lbs)

Latest Measurement:
00% Body Fat
0% Muscle
00.0 BMI
00″ Arm
34″ Waist
(May 8, 2025)

The majority of gym goers have absolutely no idea what they’re doing, how to do it, or even why they’re doing it. Most simply choose to take an ignorant approach in favour of being able to SAY that they go to the gym, but they really have no desire to improve their looks. If they did care about that, rationally, they would care about making the most of their time, and learning how to do things correctly, right? I would hope so.

#1 Initiate With the Working MUSCLE

• Create tension in the working muscle BEFORE moving the weight.
• Avoid using momentum.

#2 Maintain Continuous TEMPO

• Avoid pausing or resting at the top or bottom of a rep.
• Avoid uncontrolled acceleration in either direction.

#3 Maintain Continuous TENSION

• Keep tension at the extremes of the range
• Avoid letting tension shift to other muscles as you fatigue.

#4 Ensure Maximum CONTRACTION

• For each muscle (Biceps, Triceps, Pecs, Back, Quads, Hams, Delts, Calves, and Abs), learn how to contract them.
• Note: The fully contracted position of one muscle is the fully relaxed position of the opposite muscle.

#5 Maintain Proper POSTURE

• Sit/Stand ‘Proud’
• Think of pushing the ground/seat away