7 Ways to Make Exercises Harder
At the time of writing (March 2021), I haven’t worked out in a gym for over a year.
And I think you might be in the same position.
You know how I know? Because more and more people are reaching out to me on Instagram asking how to make exercises harder when they’re working out at home.
At a certain point, bodyweight squats just start feeling easy.
So I decided to put this short blog post together giving you 7 ways to make exercises harder.
And we’ll use a good old bodyweight squat to demonstrate. Here’s the squat:
Cool?
Cool.
Now let’s move on to the first thing you can do to make it harder.
1. Add a Pulse
When you get to the bottom add a pulse, which is like doing a little quarter-rep.
You’re increasing the time under tension - the amount of time your muscles are working - per rep.
2. Add a Pause
I like a 2-second pause at the bottom of the rep. You’ll be surprised at how much effort you’ll need to make to maintain tension (keep your abs flexed) and stability.
3. Slow Down the Eccentric
The “easier” part of any exercise - in the case of the squat it’s the descent that’s easier - is called the eccentric part of the exercise.
Slowing down the eccentric is a great way of increasing time under tension, thus making each rep more difficult. I like a 3-second eccentric.
Wondering what home workout equipment, supplements, and apps I recommend?
4. Slow Down the Concentric
If the “easier” part of an exercise is called the eccentric, the “harder” part is called the concentric.
In the case of a squat, the concentric is the ascent.
Slow down the concentric for another awesome way of making this exercise harder. I’m a fan of a 2- or 3-second concentric.
5. Use a Split Stance
Simply placing one foot forwards and one foot back, while making effort to maximize how much you’re using the front leg and minimizing how much you’re using the back leg, is an excellent way of making a squat more difficult.
6. Perform a Single Arm/Leg Version
OK, technically a Bulgarian split squat isn’t a single leg squat - you’re still going to use the elevated leg - but it really does feel like you’re just using one leg.
With upper body exercises, using a single arm instantly makes the exercise more difficult: just imagine the difference between a regular dumbbell bench press and a single arm dumbbell bench press.
7. Combine the Above!
In the above video I’m using a 3-second eccentric, a pulse, a 2-second pause, a 3-second concentric, and it’s a single leg version of a squat.
It was HARD 😂
You won’t be able to apply all 7 of these ideas to certain exercises.
For example, a split stance won’t apply to any upper body exercise where you’re laying or sitting down. But the other ideas will apply.
But hopefully this post has given you a few ideas for making your own home workouts a little more challenging.
If you have any questions about applying the ideas to specific exercises, please leave a comment below.