The next time you walk through the gym, take a look at the plates sitting on the bars of the many people training. Notice something? They’re all big plates. 45s. 25s. Maybe a few 10s sprinkled in. Think about that for a moment. That means that every time these lifters want to add more weight to a movement (increased strength requires increased muscle!) they have to make a jump in weight on that movement by TWENTY POUNDS! When is the last time you EVER added twenty pounds to any exercise when in the gym? It’s rare.

People train like this for years and never notice the cycle in which they are trapped. They might eke out an extra rep now and then, but for the most part, they stay at the same weights for exercises. Their muscles, lacking any motivation to grow (the added stress that an increased payload would require) are not forced to grow. They look the same. They do not improve.

The solution to this problem is easy. Since we can’t make improvements using an extra twenty pounds on the bar, why not shoot lower, and attempt to make these same improvements over a GRADUAL time period? The one-pound plate is your secret weapon for this process. When you train chest this week, add a one-pound weight to each side of the bar before using your normal weights. This will only be an extra two pounds on the bar, and it’s likely you’ll never notice it (While an extra twenty pounds on the bar would likely crush you). It’s very likely that you’ll be able to complete your normal number of repetitions, as the variance in weight is very small and your muscles are capable at working just a tad outside their zone of proximal development.

During your rest days, your chest will grow. You might now see it or feel it, but you have challenged your chest to use a new level of weights, even if it wasn’t that appealing to the ego. The next time you enter the gym, you WILL have a very small amount of new muscle, even if measure in millimeters. And what do you do next week on chest day? That’s right. You add TWO one-pound plates to each side of the bar. And you do it all over again. You’ll easily move the extra minor four pounds - as it’s very close to what you’ve been lifting, and you do have some extra muscle on you.

Repeat this process for every exercise, every workout, every week. Add 1-2 pounds to movements. If you’re using machines, hang a 1-pound weight (safely!) on the pin attachment. You’ll soon discover that your muscle are growing again, due to the gradual increased resistance. Good luck, and remember, the one-pound plate is the bodybuilder’s best friend!

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