The RSF Training Guide - Part 2
Updated: 3 days ago
Part 2: Get Stronger
Getting stronger can make everyday life easier.
Carrying groceries, moving furniture, keeping up with hobbies, and handling everyday tasks all feel more manageable when your muscles are capable and strong.
Strength training becomes especially important as we get older because it helps slow the natural loss of muscle and strength that happens over time.
And it's also quite satisfying when you are able to lift heavier weights in the gym. 💪
What Does It Mean to Get Stronger?
Strength is your ability to produce force. In practical terms, getting stronger means being able to handle more weight than you could before.
That might mean:
Squatting with 20-pounds instead of 15-pounds
Moving from an elevated push-up to a floor push-up
Performing the same exercise with better control or through a greater range of motion
How Do You Train for Strength?
Use Challenging Weights
Choose weights that feel challenging, not ones you can easily finish.
At the end of most sets, you should feel like you could do only 1–2 more good reps if you had to.
You don't need to lift the heaviest weight possible or struggle through every repetition.
Reps Matter
When strength is your main goal, using heavier weights for fewer reps is ideal.
A set of 6–8 challenging reps allows you to use more weight than a set of 15–20 reps.
Sets Matter, Too
A set is one group of repetitions. Doing 8 squats, resting, and repeating twice more is 3 sets of 8 reps.
For many exercises, 2–3 challenging sets is a useful starting point for building strength.
Give Yourself Enough Rest Between Exercises
If your muscles are still very tired when you start your next set, you may have to use less weight or stop early, which can limit your progress.
For heavier exercises, rest 2 minutes or more when needed. Smaller or easier exercises may require less rest.
At RSF, we often use supersets, which means alternating between two different exercises. While one muscle group is working, the other gets a chance to recover. This lets us keep the workout moving without rushing the same muscles before they’re ready.
Gradually Increase the Challenge
If you always use the same weights for the same reps, your body eventually adapts, and strength gains will stall.
To keep progressing, you can:
increase your weight
add another good rep
try a harder version of an exercise
improve your control or range of motion
You don't need to progress in every workout, but aim to increase your load over time.
How Do I Know When to Increase My Weight?
At RSF, you're usually given a rep range, such as 8–12 reps.
Start with a weight that makes 8 reps challenging. Keep that weight and gradually add reps.
Once you can complete 12 reps with good form and have room for a greater challenge, increase the weight and start again near 8.
Example: Start with 20 lbs for 8 reps. As that gets easier, work your way up to 10 reps, then 12 reps. Once you can complete 12 reps with good form, increase the weight to 25 lbs and start back at 8 reps.
20 lbs × 8 → 10 → 12 reps → 25 lbs × 8 reps
It's really helpful to keep track of your weights and reps so you can see your progress and know you are making those gains.
Focus on the Big Movements
Exercises that work several muscle groups at once are especially useful for building overall strength.
Examples include squats, deadlifts, lunges, presses, rows, and pulldowns or pullups.
Smaller exercises, such as biceps curls and triceps extensions, are useful too, but they shouldn't make up most of your strength workout.
How Often Should You Strength Train?
For most people, 2–3 strength workouts each week is a great place to start.
Work the major muscle groups at least twice a week, with enough recovery between harder workouts. About 24-48 hours.
Support Your Training with Good Nutrition
Your body needs enough food and protein to recover and build strength.
Include a good source of protein at meals and eat enough to support your activity. We'll cover protein in more detail in Part 3.
What This Looks Like at RSF
If getting stronger is your main goal, Group Strength or Solo Strength should form the foundation of your routine.
These classes give you time to use challenging weights, rest between sets, and gradually increase what you can lift.
A simple week might include:
2–3 dedicated Strength Classes
Power Hour, Strong & Fit, or aerobic exercise on other days
regular daily movement
enough recovery between harder workouts
Key Takeaway
If getting stronger is your goal, focus on challenging weights, enough rest, and gradually increasing what you can do over time.
For a more strength-focused approach, aim for 6–8 challenging reps. If that feels too intense, 8–10 reps can still be very effective, and perhaps a bit more manageable.
Nutrition matters too. Your body needs enough energy and protein to recover from training and support muscle repair and growth.
You don’t need to lift as heavy as possible. You just need to keep giving your body a reason to adapt by gradually doing more than you could before.
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