When you are working to get progress your training, how do you up your game?

For cardio training, most people I know simply go longer — either based upon time or distance. So, an extra 10 minutes on the bike, mile around the track, etc.

For strength training it is usually either additional weight or volume. So, in this case, it would be moving up to the next size kettlebell, performing another five lifts, etc.

However, there are a lot of other ways to still progress your training that is as, if not more, valuable that the methods I defined above. You may actually have NO NEED to run that extra mile, so why? Maybe you really don’t get any additional benefit from being able to press an additional 5 pounds.

BUT…..

The nervous system likes a target, and we always like to walk away from any training session feeling like we accomplished something. So, let’s change the rules of the game a little bit, shall we?

• Instead of going longer, try to cover the same ground in less time. For cardio training, instead of running a 9 minute mile, work to get to 8:30 mile.
• RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion). This is a fancy way of saying, how tired did you get from what you were doing? It is usually measured on a 0-10 scale, with 0 being no noticeable exertion, 5 is heavy, and 10 is very, very heavy. The goal would be to accomplish the same amount of work with a lower RPE rating at the end. That means it’s getting easier, so that’s GOOD! This works for both cardio and strength training.
• Reduce the rest between your cardio or strength sets. You can still do your 3 sets of 10, but instead of a minute or two between sets, drop your rest period down to 30 seconds. (Confused as to how this works for cardio? Think circuit training.)
• Change the temperature or time of day. I’m a temperate climate kind of girl and I hate training before mid-afternoon, so asking me to train when it’s hot or in the morning is some sort or torture for me. That same set of stairs that I have no problems with on a 50-degree afternoon is sheer torture on a 40-degree morning.

I listed out some of the easy ones, but there are a lot more ways to modify your training — for either novelty or progression — that I didn’t mention. The list is really only limited by your imagination.

List your favorites below!