Are Some Movements Too Heavy and Others Too Light?

For example, maybe your presses are too heavy but your squats are just right? Or, vice versa? Here are some easy tips to be able to get your level of resistance just right.

Considering Purchasing a Set of Bands

We recommend this set (if it’s still in stock). You will be able to instantly fix the issue of your overhead presses being too heavy, and you’ll also be able to add resistance to movements like rows, squats, presses and more to make a movement heavier if you need to. Check out Dave’s video above for ways you can apply bands for less or more resistance on a movement.

How to Make Movements Lighter

1. Make it Bilateral: If a movement calls for single arm or single leg and is too heavy to perform, it’s easy to fix. Simply add the second arm or leg to the movement.

2. Cut the Reps: If a PSC calls for ten reps and you can only peform give that is totally fine. In fact, you’re just getting a little more of a strength benefit from it, so welcome it!

3. Adapt the Movement: If you can’t press a weight but you can jerk it, do that. If you can’t lunge a weight but you squat it, do that. You are not going to overdo a movement pattern at the level of loading we have access to. So do what you can and don’t sweat it if it’s a repeat movement from a day before. No one every got worse from squatting.

How to Make Movements Heavier

1. Make it Unilateral: Too add challenge to any movement, remove a leg or arm from your base of movement and instead make it a single arm movement. For example, if a PSC Weighted workout calls for ten goblet squats but your 25# dumbbell is too light, then hold it with one arm in front rack instead of two arms in goblet position.

2. Make it Harder to Load: Going off the principle above, try performing a single-arm overhead squat instead of a goblet squat. That principle can be applied to lunges, as well.

3. Double the Reps: Rather than performed the prescribed amount of reps with weight that is too light, perform twice as much volume for more of a focus on muscle endurance. If a pyramid of 30-20-10 is too easy then make it 60-40-20.

Never stress if you have to modify and tweak a Grassroots PSC to suit your individual situation. In fact, it is expected! So have fun, use our growing library of movements, and make it your own.