Ah, exercise intensity—a fancy term for the sweet suffering that turns mere mortals into sculpted demigods. It’s the secret sauce that separates effective workouts from those halfhearted sessions where your phone gets more of a workout than you do. If you want results (and I mean real, look-in-the-mirror-and-question-who-you-even-are-anymore results), it's time to turn up the heat on your workouts.
Here are three painfully effective, yet simple, ways to increase your exercise intensity. Grab a towel—you’re about to sweat harder.
1. Increase Your Reps (Yes, You Can Do More)
This one’s so obvious it’s staring at you like an unclaimed dumbbell in the corner. If you stop doing an exercise the moment the burn sets in, you're cheating your body out of the glorious gains zone. The solution? Add more reps.
Picture this: You crank out 12 reps of bicep curls, the last one looking like a bad interpretive dance. Instead of stopping, grit your teeth and push for 3... no, 5 extra reps. Those bonus rounds are where the magic happens. They’re the annoying neighbor that nobody invites but somehow always shows up—and they bring gains instead of potato salad.
Pro Tip: Don't jump too far too fast. Increase sets and reps gradually to avoid angering your joints and waking up the next day feeling like a human pretzel.
2. Play the Long Game—Time Under Tension (TUT)
Listen, if lifting weights like you’re in a speed-eating contest is your norm, you’re wasting potential. Muscles don’t grow because you raced through your set faster than a squirrel after an acorn. Enter "time under tension," or as I like to call it, "the art of lifting slower than molasses uphill in winter."
The idea is simple. Instead of blasting through your reps, slow them down deliberately. For example, on your bench press, take three seconds to lower the bar and then two seconds to raise it. Feel that burn? That’s your muscles actually working—what they were supposed to do all along!
The Science: Studies have shown that slowing your reps down increases muscle activation, and more activation equals more gains. Write that down—and then feel free to use it as an excuse the next time someone asks why you’re grunting so much at the gym.
3. Add Weight (Because Light Weights Are Cute, Not Effective)
You knew this one was coming. Sure, cranking out 20 reps with your beloved 10-pound dumbbells feels nice, but it’s not going to carve you into a Greek sculpture. If those weights aren’t challenging you anymore, it’s time to trade up to something heavy enough to make you question your life choices mid-rep.
Here’s the kicker—the increase doesn’t need to be drastic. You don’t go from curling 15 pounds to lifting a small car just because you saw it in a Rocky montage. Try bumping up by as little as 2.5 pounds. It's amazing how much that extra bit can make you feel like you’re starring in your own underdog sports movie.
Reality Check: Lifting heavier isn’t about ego, it’s about progression. Also, if you’re anything like me, you don’t need an ambulance ride after you foolishly attempt to deadlift the gym’s entire weight rack. Start light, progress intelligently, and keep chiropractors out of the equation.
Wrap-Up
If your workouts feel like they’ve plateaued into mediocrity, these three techniques can jolt you out of your fitness rut. Add reps, move slower, and pick up some heavier weights. Sure, it’s going to hurt, but in the world of fitness, that’s just code for “it’s working.”
Try these out, and don’t forget to savor the burning sensation—because that’s your muscles leveling up. Now, go forth and sweat like you mean it.
