I know I’m biased, but I truly believe putting real effort into getting stronger in the gym is the right move for most people. Strength is the foundation for almost everything we try to improve. It underpins speed, power, endurance, and many other performance traits. Stronger people also tend to have more muscle and are less prone to injury. It’s not the be-all and end-all, but it’s incredibly important.
How can you tell you’re getting stronger? There’s a lot of nuance to both how to get stronger and how to measure it. Here’s a concise guide to the core ideas:
If you consciously perform more reps or more sets at a given weight, you’re making progress. Example: Front squat at 225 lb. Week 1: 3 sets of 5 reps (15 reps total) at a volume of 3,375 lb lifted. You’re getting stronger when you stay at the same weight but add a set or an extra rep. This is progressive overload.
So, Week 2 could look like:
– 3 sets of 6 reps (18 reps total, 4,050 lb volume)
or
– 4 sets of 5 reps (20 reps total, 4,500 lb volume)
If you add more weight and lift it one time, twice, or many times, you’re stronger. In short: you get stronger by doing more work over weeks, months, and years.
Note: Beginners typically see quicker gains; the first year or two of training often follows a straightforward, linear progression. The more time you’ve spent under the bar and the stronger you are, the more you have to consider fluctuations in training. There will be peaks and valleys in training stress throughout the year, and you’ll need to pay closer attention to things like bar speed, recovery, and targeted accessory work to address weak points. Moving from a 200 lb deadlift to 300 lb is different from going from 400 lb to 500 lb, with more pieces to manage as you advance.
The cool part, though: once you’re strong (however you define that for yourself), maintaining it doesn’t require nearly as much effort as getting there. Maximal strength, for example, has a residual of about 30 days (give or take). As long as you remind your body—specifically your central nervous system—that it can do it, you don’t have to train intensely all the time to maintain it.
What gets measured gets managed. In practice, many people miss the mark because strength isn’t just about doing more reps or adding more weight all the time.
Three practical ideas to focus on:
1) Do more work in less time
This density approach trains both strength and work capacity. It’s about getting more total work done efficiently.
2) Get submax reps
There’s wisdom in keeping the goal in mind and avoiding always training to failure. Easy training has its place, and finishing a session feeling ready for the next one is a sign of good progress.
3) The feel of a set
If you’re rushing to add weight at the expense of technique, back off. Let the set feel manageable and controlled. Making the same load feel easier is a real sign of progress.
Bottom line: progress comes from consistent effort, smart programming, and paying attention to how your body responds, not just chasing bigger numbers.
