Most people aren’t really strength training

Just because you’re lifting weights doesn’t mean you’re strength training.

This is something I’ve seen a lot this week. People come into the gym, or they join a class with a strength block, but they don’t train in a way that actually builds strength.

They pick up a weight that feels comfortable, they do their reps quickly, and they rest for 30 seconds before going again. They leave sweaty and out of breath, so it feels like they’ve worked hard. But that’s not how strength training works.

Strength isn’t about feeling tired. It’s not about keeping your heart rate high or rushing through your sets. Strength is about teaching your body to produce more force. And to do that, you need to give it the right stimulus.

Here’s what that looks like:

✅ Lift heavy enough
Heavy is relative to you, but it means the last couple of reps in your set are a proper grind – tough, but still with good technique. If you finish your set and think, “I could have done another 5–10 reps,” it’s too light. Your body has no reason to adapt if you’re not challenging it.

✅ Rest long enough
This is the big mistake I see. People rush their rest because they feel like they’re being lazy sitting around. In reality, if you’re training for strength, you need that recovery time to let your nervous system reset. I’m talking 2–3 minutes for moderate lifts, and 4–5 minutes for really heavy work.

✅ Progress it over time
You can’t expect to get stronger if you’re lifting the same weights, for the same reps, week after week. Strength training is about progressive overload – adding a little more weight, an extra rep, or slowing the tempo to keep pushing your body forward.

Here’s a simple back squat example

Let’s say you’re squatting.

• You load up 40kg, do 12 reps, rest 30 seconds, and go again. Your legs are burning, you’re out of breath, and it feels hard. But it’s not strength training. That’s cardio with a barbell.

• Now compare it to loading 70kg for 5 reps. The weight feels heavy on your back, the last 2 reps are tough but controlled, and you rest for 3 minutes before repeating the set. That’s strength training.

The difference? The first one isn’t heavy enough to challenge your body to produce more force. The second one is.

This is why I see people plateau all the time. They never go heavy enough, and they don’t rest long enough to recover between sets. Instead, they keep doing what feels “safe” and wonder why their lifts aren’t improving.

Why this matters

Even in classes where there’s a strength component, I see people treating it like a race. They try to get through it fast, thinking more sweat means more results. It doesn’t.

If you want to build strength, you’ve got to slow down, rest properly, and lift heavy.

Strength doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you train for it the right way.

Here’s my challenge to you

Next time you train, ask yourself these three questions:

1. Am I lifting heavy enough to really challenge my body?

2. Am I resting long enough to hit that same effort again?

3. Am I progressing week after week, or am I staying the same?

If the answer is no, then you’re not training for strength.

But the good news? It’s easy to fix.

If you’re not sure how to structure your training, or you feel like you’ve hit a plateau, reply to this email. I’ll help you set up a plan that actually gets results.

Blaine
Lead Coach and Founder
BCPerformance