Exercise For Half The Time And Get Better Results With This Trick

This does wonders for both your body and your mind.

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Published March 14, 2025
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I’ve been exercising for at least an hour a day for the past dozen years. My regimen typically included cycling followed by a short, easy strength-training sesh that I did while watching Instagram reels for a cute distraction.

It was only when I started “lifting heavy” weights that I noticed changes in my body. My legs and arms were stronger and tighter, and my core (yes, you can “lift heavy” here, too) developed a two-pack. But it’s not enough just to grab some heavier weights. The key is to find the ideal weight per exercise to completely exhaust your muscles.

Why Lifting Heavy Is Key

Lifting weights does wonders for your body and mind. It also provides an after-burn, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, is when your body continues to burn calories post-workout. But lifting heavy — that’s a totally different ballgame. Going for the heaviest weights leads to improved endurance and speed, according to a study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology. It also builds lean muscle mass and strength, which are important for joint health, injury reduction, improved metabolism and overall longevity, says Alexandra Ellis, a mobility coach in Los Angeles. You’re already lifting heavy things daily (from a giant work tote to a big bag of dog food) and lifting weights can help make these activities easier while improving your form, says Ellis.

How to Know When You’re Lifting Heavy

There’s a simple formula to lifting heavy that takes the guesswork out of choosing the right weights: If you can perform more than 12 reps with perfect form, it’s time to go heavier, says Michael Betts, the director of TrainFitness and a UK-based physical therapist with more than 30 years of experience.

For optimal strength gains, you should reach technical failure — when you can barely lift without breaking your form — between 6 and 8 reps. If you can’t complete 5 reps with the proper form, then the weight is too heavy, he says.

Another method to determine the proper weights is the Rate of Perceived Exertion (the RPE scale), explains Portia Page, NCPT, a fitness instructor with more than 30 years in the industry. Aim for 7 to 9 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being maximum effort.

How Often Should You Increase Your Weights?

Got a steady exercise regimen? Don’t let it stagnate. Ultimately, you should listen to your body. When it feels too easy, it’s time to increase your load, says Ellis, who offers a more practical guide: If you can do 10 to 15 reps without struggling, it’s time to increase your weights.

Typically, you should increase them every two to four weeks, explains Page, depending on your training frequency. Keep increments gradual, she says, adding just 2.5 to 10.5 pounds to ensure safe and sustainable progress.

If you don’t want to purchase new weights every month or so, you can increase the challenge by slowing down your movements, especially during the eccentric phase — the part of the exercise when you’re lowering the weight — says Bill Camarda, co-owner of Limitless Fitness, a private training studio in New Hampshire.

The eccentric phase involves lengthening your muscles, and it’s when most muscle growth happens. For example, if you’ve been dumbbell bench pressing 20-pound dumbbells for 10 reps and feel like you can easily do two more, try taking 3 extra seconds to lower the weight to your chest. The exercise should be more challenging without additional weight, he says.

“Going slower allows for the muscle to be challenged in a new way without having to further increase your weight.”

Why You Need to Do It Now

After the age of 40, the average person loses 7 percent of their lean muscle mass per decade. Lean muscle is associated with longevity, quality of life and delayed disease onset, and it contributes to hormone production, which also starts to decline after 40.

For women, estrogen peaks in their late 20s and drops 50 percent by the age of 50, with an even sharper decline after menopause, says Aaron Leventhal, author of The New Fit: How to Own Your Fitness Journey in Your 40s, 50s and Beyond.

“The key to producing more of these sex hormones naturally is the connection between the brain and muscle,” says Leventhal. “The more the brain is forced to recruit more muscle fibers from a muscle, the more testosterone, estrogen and human growth hormone the endocrine system releases to rebuild muscle.”

 

How many of you lift weights on a regular basis? Let us know in the comments below.

Danielle Braff is a Chicago-based writer who knows how to find the heart (and humor) in everyday life. When she’s not reporting or crafting smart, relatable stories, she’s juggling life with her husband, two daughters, two cats, and one very lucky dog. A devoted traveler, lifelong reader, and unapologetic ice-cream enthusiast, Danielle brings curiosity, empathy, and joy to everything she writes. Discover more of her work at www.Daniellebraff.com.