For you to build muscles you have to expose them to more weight and thus more resistance than what they are used to. This basically means an increase in demand for more weight in your weight lifting routines to allow your body to adapt to your training loads. If the training load is not enough, then expect minimal increase in your training performance.

Now, when you challenge yourself with a new training load, the body responds to such stimulus through adaptation. At first, your body will get fatigue; but when the loading stops, the process of recovery comes in, enabling you to adapt and taking your body to the next step. However, you only need to lift weight enough to complete the desired number of repetitions in your weight lifting routines. This means being able to finish your last repetition with proper execution even when difficult. Otherwise, too much training load leads to risking yourself to injury.

Not changing your loads over a period of time will also lead to a plateau wherein progress is at halt. To avoid this, you need to increase your intensity in your weight lifting routine on a regular basis. Increasing your intensity means increasing your workload through any of these ways: increase the amount of weight, increase your reps with the same weight, increase your sets, change your exercises, or change the type of resistance through changing the pace of your repetitions. The changes you apply in your weight lifting routines must be in small increments, progressing by approximately 5-10% at a time.

After knowing what your fitness goal is, only then will you be able to identify what specific training should be performed to meet that goal. Specific workload produces certain responses and adaptations. If your goal is weight loss, then specific exercises must be used in your weight lifting routine. This also includes specific repetitions, specific number of sets, and specific range of motion.

When you workout, you’re introducing an extreme amount of stress to your muscles so they need to take some time off too. Don’t think that when you don’t train, you’ve already wasted all your effort in the gym. It is vital to include rest in your weight lifting routines because rest days are critical periods for your muscles to grow and improve. Rest a certain muscle group 24-48 hours, allowing it to recover before exposing the same group to stress again.