How do you get stronger? Push to failure when you lift

 Push to failure when you lift 

When you're lifting weights there's a few ways to go about how you do it depending on what your goal is. But what should you be concentrating on to get the best results for strength? That should be our focus in peri/post menopause because it's what we're losing along with the muscle mass. So how do you get strong?

You might have always done 3 sets of 10 with the same weight and maybe tried a bit heavier the next time. No! 

 You've Got to Lift as Heavy as You Can 
To get stronger you have to be lifting heavy (heavy for you) but don't be wet, push yourself. Not just, "ooh, I feel a bit tired!" No, no... "I'm fucked".

Set 1.
Make sure you do a good warm up set with a weight that's manageable but not too easy. Lift 10 times (do 10 reps). Have a rest.

Set 2.
Maybe stick with that weight or go up a bit. Again, 10 reps and rest.

Set 3.
Now you need to mean business. This is where the real work comes in. If you can, go as heavy as you dare (but not stupid). It should be heavy enough that you can only manage 6 to 8 reps. If you've gone past that and managed 10 it's not heavy enough.

Set 4.
If you did 8 reps stick with that weight and go for it again. Don't be afraid to only manage even just 1 or 2. Do it.

 Keep Going Till You Fail 
Don't be afraid to fail! You need to fail to get stronger - you've got to really push. And don't think it has to be a perfect rep either. You might manage 2 'proper' reps where you've gone through the full range of motion but 3 and 4 might be half reps. Take a breath and squeeze one more out. Keep going till you physically CANNOT do even half a one more.

That's a headless me in the picture. These are hip thrusts. I wanted to try and beat my old lifting weight and go for a PR on Friday. It's here if you want to see it. (It's not glamorous 🥴)
Set 1 30kg x 10
Set 2 40kg x 10
Set 3 65kg x 11
Set 4 80kg x 7
I was really straining by that 7th one, barely got my hips all the way up. I couldn't do anymore. You want to be in that 6 to 8 rep range. That's how you get stronger!