Bigger weights don’t necessarily mean better gains. To sculpt the body you want, you need to train with focus and perfect form

• Maintain Perfect Form

    Before you even think about picking up a dumbbell or loading up a barbell, make sure you are completely comfortable with how to perform all the exercises that comprise your workout.

    This is crucial not only to prevent injury, but also to ensure that each rep of every lift hits the target muscle or muscle group efficiently with no wasted effort. That’s the key to making big changes to your body.

    • Lift the Right Weight

    It’s always tempting to select the heaviest weight you think you’ll be able to lift. The heavier the weight the bigger your muscles grow, right? Not quite.

    While weight does matter, it’s more important that you’re able to complete all the reps of all the sets, while keeping to the stated tempo and rest periods of your chosen programme. That will place more tension on the working muscles, which is what you want.

    • Control the Movement

    Tempo, or the speed in seconds that you lift and lower a weight for each rep, determines how much tension your muscles must manage – one of the biggest factors in promoting muscle growth and maintaining perfect form.

    That means you need to keep each and every rep as controlled as possible, without jerking or bouncing the weight around.

    • Think About It

    The mind-muscle connection is one of the most effective tactics to build muscle, but one of the most underused. All it means is that when you’re performing each rep you need to focus on the muscles that are working to move the weight.

    Actually looking at the muscle, either directly or in a mirror, is a great way of focusing your mind and recruiting maximum muscle engagement.

    • Hone your Mindset

    You need to start every session with the mentality that this is going to be the best workout you’ve ever had. Attacking each set with intent, purpose and positivity goes a long way in pushing you outside of your comfort zone.

    Shut out any negative thoughts, stick on your headphones, turn up the volume and train like your life depends on it.