You Don’t Need Weights to Get Stronger

Yep, I said it.
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When we think of strength, we usually think of lifting heavy things.  To get stronger, we lift heavier things.  Makes sense right?

This relates to one of the fundamental principles of strength development called the Overload Principle. 

What is the Overload Principle?

Muscles and the nervous system will respond and work together to get stronger if we overload them by making them do heavier tasks.

But … overload does not have to equal heavier.  It just needs to be more challenging.  

Sometimes this can be achieved by:

• using different body positions
• using different sizes of equipment
• And yes, you can also use progressively heavier weights to improve your strength
  
  
  

Examples of Exercises to Promote "Overload"

Example #1 – Push Ups

Push ups can be done at many different heights, resulting in much different challenges.  Try doing 10 push ups off a wall.  Now try doing 10 push ups off the floor.  Which one is more difficult?  This simple change of position can make an easy exercise much more difficult.  For more intermediate levels, try doing push ups off your kitchen countertop or off of the arm of your couch.

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Example # 2 – Step Ups

Step ups can be a great exercise for building lower body strength.  However, they can also be quite difficult to do properly for some people.  Simple solution = use different heights to step up onto.  For beginners or those with significant hip and knee issues, use a short height such as an old phone book or text book.  Progress to a small stool.  To make it even harder do two stairs at a time instead of one.  For a more advanced step up, try stepping up onto the seat of a solid chair.

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Example # 3 – Wrist Curls

Wrist curls are often done to improve grip strength and prevent such issues as Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow.  Here is an easy progression with the same weight, all of which are done in sitting.  Start with your elbow bent 90° and forearm supported on your thigh to do the wrist curls.  To make it harder, straighten your elbow fully but still support it on your thigh.  To make it even more difficult, do the wrist curls with your elbow fully straight but now not supported on your leg.

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Example # 4 – Bridging

A standard bridging exercise is done lying on your back with your knees bent and then lifting your bum up off the floor.  To make it more challenging there a few options.  You can do the bridge with your feet together instead of shoulder width apart. To isolate one side and really increase the difficulty, bridge with only one leg instead of two.  To add a different level of challenge, place your feet up on a stool or chair and then bridge.  Much like the step ups, changing the height your feet are at can greatly increase the difficulty.

What Else Can You Do?
These are just a few examples of how varying position and equipment can help you work on getting stronger.  There are many, many different exercises and many, many different versions of these exercises that you can choose to suit your level of strength needs.  You don’t always need weights or fancy equipment. 

Create a Plan
We can help you choose exercises and progressions that are safe and effective. With a little creativity and some problem-solving, you can tailor almost any exercise to your ability and the environment you are exercising in. 

Strength is such an essential component of our function and well-being that we all need to work on to improve our quality of life and prevent issues down the road.


As the old saying goes, “If you keep doing it the same way, you can’t expect things to change.”

Trevor Donald

Physiotherapist