10 Ways to Make Your Workouts Harder

Workout progression is key to seeing more results. After a while, your body & muscles get used to the same workouts. That’s when we have to progress them, i.e. make them harder (the principle of progressive overload).

But, if you currently find yourself with little access to equipment, how are you suppose to progress your workouts? The default option is usually to add more weight or choose heavier dumbbells. But that may not always be a feasible option (especially right now).

Next I’m going to share with you TEN different ways that you can make your workouts harder. Whether your working out at home or back in the gym, these same 10 techniques apply!

Technique One: Add Resistance

Okay, this is a obvious one. Add resistance. But don’t think of resistance in the traditional “more weight” sense. Get creative! Adding resistance bands, using jugs of water or sand, or filling book bags & suitcases up, are all great ways to make your workouts harder!

Example: Squatting with standing on a resistance band and looping it around your shoulders; Squatting with your weights plus a book bag stuffed with old textbooks; Squatting with a small loop resistance band around your thighs

Technique Two: Change the Tempo

The second way to make your workout harder is by changing up the tempo, or speed, of how you perform your reps. Slowing down each rep is a sure fire way to make your workouts harder. When slowing down the reps, make sure you slow down the eccentric portion (the part where your muscles lengthen - think the lowering phase of a bicep curl) to really feel the burn!

Example: The lifting phase of a squat

Technique Three: Add in Isometrics

Adding in isometrics (pausing, freezing the movement) is another great way to challenge your muscles! Isometrics get a lot of hate in the fitness world, but they’re one of the best ways to increase your muscle strength AND endurance! Start out by holding the weights in an isometric position for 3 seconds, continue to build up the ability so that you can hold for 10 seconds!

Example: While performing a lateral raise, hold your arms straight out so they are parallel with the ground. Hold for 5 seconds

Technique Four: Increase speed

Just as slowing down the reps is a way to intensity your workouts, so can increasing the speed! Think about it, 5 burpees in 30 seconds isn’t nearly as hard as 5 burpees in 10 seconds!

*BUT DON’T FORGET TO MAINTAIN GOOD FORM, EVEN WHEN INCREASING THE SPEED!*

Technique Five: Change Up the Angle

Changing the angle of the exercise is another way to make your workouts harder, or easier. Think about a wall push-up vs a standard push-up vs a decline push-up (feet are higher the head). The decline push-up is definitely the hard of the 3.

Example: A wide curl is harder to perform than a standard bicep curl can make it either easier or harder! Try it out for yourself! Try a wall push-up vs a standard push-up vs. a decline push-up (where your feet are higher than you head).

Technique Six: Preform Unilaterally

The sixth technique is to perform the exercises unilaterally, meaning only one arm or leg at a time. This is a way to increase the challenge of your workouts because instead of two limbs sharing the work, now all the effort is placed on a single limb. Bonus: it’s also easier for you to notice your muscle imbalances and then work on creating equal strength on both sides of the body!

Example: A squat vs a single-leg squat

Technique Seven: Increase the Range of Motion

Increasing the range of motion (ROM) of the exercise is another sure fire way to feel those muscles working in a whole new way! Sometimes though, we are already able to go through an exercise’s full ROM, so we have to look to outside props to help us!

Example: Doing push-ups while your hands are on two separate stacks of books so that your chest has more room to reach the ground OR Placing your heels on textbooks or weight plates to allow your deadlift to go deeper.

Technique 8: Perform One and a Half Reps

In this technique, one squat + one half squat = 1 rep. Trust me, those half reps will add up fast!

Technique 9: Create Instability

Adding some type of stability challenge to your exercises are beneficial for multiple reasons! One reason is because they make the exercise harder, but also because it requires you to use more of your own core strength, AND helps you improve your balance! Core strength and balance are two areas that most people need to work on, especially has we age!

There are many ways to make the exercise “unstable”. Standing on one leg instead of two, using a stability ball, standing on a couch cushion, balance pad or Bosu instead of the floor, or even sliding instead of stepping!

Example: Sliding into a reverse lunge instead of stepping; squatting on a Bosu

Technique 10: Increase Density

Finally, increasing the density of your exercise. Density, in this setting, refers to how many reps you can perform in a certain time frame. It won’t take long for you to notice that the quicker you move (don’t forget about form!), the harder the exercise becomes!

Example: As Many Rounds as Possible (AMRP) Workouts; How many rows you can do in 90 seconds

There you have it! 10 different ways you can make your workouts harder! Remember, you don’t need to apply all 10 techniques, choose one and get good at that, then try a different technique a few weeks later!

I personally do a lot of technique 9 - creating instability, but I think I‘m going to switch it up and try to increase the density of my workouts! Which technique are you going to give a try? Let us know in the comments below!