Building Strength Explained (With Rep Schemes And Exercises)

How to become stronger shouldn’t be complicated as it’s not, at least, the theory. Putting in the effort, staying consistent, and eating correctly can be challenging, but the actual process that stimulates adaptations is actually pretty straightforward.

This article will provide a no-frills guide to building strength, along with some tips to help maximize your gains.

What Is Strength?

To make sense of how to get stronger in the gym, it’s crucial to understand what strength is and the physiological adaptations that take place.

Contrary to common beliefs, strength and muscle growth are not the same thing. Their relationship is actually quite complicated but for simplification, it’s best to look at them as independent adaptations of a muscle.¹

Adaptations To Strength Training

Above, we went over how an increase in strength occurs through improvements to your neuromuscular system. This occurs through several different mechanisms, with three playing big roles²;

1. Increased Muscle Fiber Recruitment - When your muscle contracts, only the muscle fibers that are necessary to produce the level of force fire. In an untrained individual, the process begins with the smallest muscle fibers and then recruits larger fibers until the required force is achieved. 

Strength training teaches your muscles to recruit muscle fibers faster and to even skip the smaller fibers when it requires significant levels of force production.

2. Increased Firing Rate - Every muscle fiber has its own motor unit, which serves as its control center. For a muscle fiber to contract, its specific motor unit must fire. Strength training trains the motor unit to fire more rapidly, resulting in increased force production.

3. Improved Motor Unit Synchronization - Strength training enhances the coordination between motor units, allowing more muscle fibers to contract simultaneously. This leads to more efficient force production and smoother, stronger movements.

As you can see, these adaptations differ significantly from muscle growth. None of them necessarily have to do with the muscle increasing in size. Rather, it’s the existing muscle learning to work more efficiently to produce more force.

Muscle Hypertrophy And Muscle Strength

Although muscle growth and strength are distinct adaptations, they’re not mutually exclusive. 

Perhaps the most crucial factor is understanding that a bigger muscle has the potential to be a stronger muscle. The cross-sectional area (CSA) of a muscle is proportional to the amount of force it can produce. 

This is why we believe it’s essential to include training components for both in your program. Think about it like this;

• Train to increase strength

• The stronger muscle can lift more weight and grow bigger

• The bigger muscle can now train to be stronger.

Including both will optimize your results and is why we recommend everyone, regardless of their goals, to have some component of both in their program.

Training Variables That Increase Strength

Now, let’s examine training variables to enhance your muscle strength. To learn how to get stronger, we’ll outline the steps below.

Prioritize Compound Exercises 

To increase strength, focus on compound exercises. Compound exercises engage multiple muscle groups, requiring them to work in unison. This means greater demands on your neurological system.

Use Heavy Loads (≥85% 1RM)

You can build strength with a range of loads—especially as a beginner—but heavy loading becomes essential as you progress.

To improve maximal strength, you must train your neuromuscular system to produce high levels of force, which is best achieved with loads at or above 85% of your one-repetition maximum (1RM).³

Keep the Reps Low (1-5)

This one’s straightforward: if you’re lifting heavy, you won’t be doing high reps.

For strength, the sweet spot is typically 1–5 reps per set.

Use Higher Sets (3-5)

When training strength, repetition matters—but not in the form of reps. Instead, you get volume through multiple sets.

Most main lifts should be performed for 4–5 sets (e.g., 5 sets of 3 or 4 sets of 4), with 3 sets being the minimum.

This repeated exposure improves motor unit recruitment and neuromuscular efficiency—precisely what you’re targeting in strength training.

Rest Long Enough Between Sets (2:00+ Minutes)

One of the most challenging aspects of training for strength for the first time is getting sufficient rest. They’re used to keeping rest intervals short to “break down the muscle.”

Remember that strength training is very different from hypertrophy training, so this mentality doesn’t apply. That idea is outdated anyway and shouldn’t apply to hypertrophy training.

Regardless, you want to be fresh for each to produce maximal amounts of force.

Rest at least 2 minutes, and don’t be afraid to go longer—3 to 5 minutes is often ideal when handling hefty loads.⁴

Increase Load For Progressive Overload

When you progress with strength training, your primary goal is to increase the load on the bar over time.  This is in contrast to muscle hypertrophy, which is focused on maximizing volume.

Therefore, you need a plan that is geared towards increasing the amount of weight you can lift.

Now, this doesn’t need to be every week – in fact, you won’t be able to add weight every week after you leave your beginner's stage.

However, this is your primary goal overtime. For example, many strength programs will be written so that you advance on a monthly basis.

This article will go through more detail if you need!

Training Methods To Build More Strength

Above, we went over the fundamentals of building strength. However, using the basics will only take you so far.

As you become more advanced, you’ll need to utilize specialized training methods to enhance your strength.

Use Periodization To Build Strength

You can’t always load more plates week after week for progressive overload. Therefore, use periodization.

Periodization involves alternating between training for hypertrophy, power, and strength at different periods. This allows you to train every variable while also letting your body recover.

There are several methods to accomplish this.

1. Linear Periodization - LInear periodization (aka. Traditional periodization), as you gradually increase the load and decrease volume over time. It’s generally planned out for over a year or season, designed so that you peak for a competition.

2. Daily Undulating Periodization (DUP) - DUP focuses on different variables daily. For example;

• Monday (Hypertrophy): 4×10 @ 65%

• Wednesday (Strength): 5×5 @ 80%

• Friday (Power): 6×2 @ 85–90% (moving the weight fast)

This is used with The Texas Method, one of the most popular and effective strength workouts for intermediate lifters (check that out here).

3. Block Periodization - Block periodization focuses on different variables in specific blocks. These blocks are generally 2-6 weeks in duration. 

• Weeks 1-4 - Build work capacity and muscle mass, higher volume, moderate intensity

• Weeks 5-8 - Increase maximal strength, moderate volume, higher intensity

• Weeks 9-12 - Maximize power and test strength, low volume, high intensity

All of these are effective, but Block and DUP seem to have an advantage.⁵⁻⁶

Identify Weak Spots Of Your Lifts

As you get stronger, you will usually stall due to a lagging muscle group. Remember that you are using multiple muscle groups in compound exercise, so the weakest muscle group will be the weakest link.

Remember that this happens to everyone, so it's 100% natural, and it doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong.

With that said, when it does occur, you need to identify what muscle group is holding you back. 

There are many possibilities depending on the nature of your movement.

Bench Press

• Stuck On Your Chest - If you can’t get the bar off your chest, it’s likely due to a weak chest, as your pecs are the primary mover at the beginning of the lift.

• Stuck Halfway Or Lockout - If you can get the bar halfway or have trouble locking out, you’re probably dealing with weak triceps.

Shoulder Press

• Stuck On Your Shoulders - If you can’t get the bar off your shoulders, it’s likely due to a weak shoulder, as they are the primary mover at the beginning of the lift.

• Stuck Halfway Or Lockout - Similar to the bench press, your triceps are responsible for the second half of your life and lockout.

Deadlift

• Can’t Break Off the Ground - This is likely due to weak quadriceps, as they play a significant role in the initial movement.

• Back Flexes - An excessively curved back is often due to a weak upper and mid-back, as it’s unable to keep the scapula pulled back.

• Can’t Lockout - If you can get it up but not lock out, this is likely due to a weak posterior chain.

Common Rep Schemes To Build Strength

We’re now going to go through some common rep schemes to use with building strength

3x3 Or 3x5 

3x3 or 3x5 is the most basic strength rep scheme and is generally used by beginners – but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Brand new beginners to strength should use 5x5 while those with some experience should use 3x5 as 5 sets with heavy loads can be intense.

4x4 or 3x3

4x4 or 3x3 is again, a simple rep scheme yet effective. For 4x4 start with 80-85% 1RM and for 3x3 use 85-90% 1RM.

There are many progressions to use. Here’s one that  works well for more intermediate lifters and runs on a 4 week cycle. Here’s how it would look with 4X4 starting with 300lbs

• Week 1: 4x4 @ 300lbs 
• Week 2: 4x4 @ 310lbs
• Week 3: 4x4 @ 320lbs
• Week 4: Deload 4x4 @ 150lbs
• Week 5: 4x4 @ 310lbs (Week 2 weight)

We might also perform an AMRAP on the last set. 

But as you see, you progress for 3 weeks, deload, then backtrack a weight.

8/6/4/2

8/6/4/2 is an awesome ramp-up session that uses the whole range. You perform 4 sets, increasing the load each set. It’s simple and effective.

Here’s an example of a session;

• Set 1 - 100lbs x 8
• Set 2 - 110lbs x 6
• Set 3 - 115lbs x 4
• Set 4 - 120lbs x 2

5/3/1

5/3/1 is a popular rep scheme made famous by Jim Windler – you can check that out now!

Now, Windler’s program is very specific but there are other ways to use this rep scheme apart from his. 

For example, one method that seems to be effective is using 5 ramp up sets every week.

• Week 1 - 5x5. Start with 70% and ramp up to a heavy 5 reps
• Week 2 - 5x3. Start with 80% and ramp up to a heavy 3 reps
• Week 3 - 5x1. Start with 85% and ramp up to a heavy single
• Week 4 - Deload with 5x5 @ 50%

Top Sets

A top set is when you work up to one heavy set followed by back-off sets. This allows you to maximize muscle activation and then increase the volume of heavy weights. For example;

• Warm-Up
• Use ramp-up sets to work to a heavy triple at 90%1RM
• Back off to 80% and perform 3x5

There is some evidence that the top set can actually increase the reps of your back-off set, as the heavier load activates more muscle.

Regardless, this is one of our favorite methods for intermediate lifters.

Speed Reps

These were made famous by Westside Barbell, home to some of the strongest lifters on the planet. 

Speed reps are great options for maximizing muscle activation while using lighter loads. They utilize the concept of “maximal intent.” Lifting a lighter load as fast as possible will require greater force production as you’re trying to move the barbell with more speed.⁷

When we use these, we typically incorporate them as part of a DUP program. For example;

• Mondays - Work up to heavy triple top set
• Thursday - Use 60% load and maximal intent 

Heavy EMOMs

EMOMs can be very effective at increasing strength when used with heavier loads. A favorite scheme is as follows;

• Perform a 5:00 EMOM
• Use 85% 1RM
• Perform 3 Reps
• Max Out Last Minute

Best Accessory Exercises To Increase Strength

We’re now going to review some of the best accessory strength exercises to enhance your primary movements. Keep in mind that these are in addition to your primary exercises, such as;

• Deadlift
• Bent Over Row
• Bench Press
• Chin-Ups
• Dips
• Back Squat

Rather, these are secondary exercises that are generally performed to increase its primary lift.

Partial Lifts For Strength

One of the best ways to address weak spots is to train with lifts that utilize a partial range of motion or a greater range of motion.

Bench Press

Block Press (Improve Triceps and Lock Out)

A block press is performed by placing a firm object on your chest. You then perform the bench press and bring the barbell down to the block. This decreases the ROM and places greater stress on the triceps.

Cambered Bar Bench Press (Increase pec strength)

A cambered bar is a curved barbell. It allows you to perform a deeper bench press and improve your chest strength.

Floor Press  (Improve Triceps and Lock Out)

A floor press utilizes a shortened range of motion, focusing on the top half. This places more emphasis on the triceps and enhances lockout strength.

Deadlift

Block Pull (Increase Loads and Lock Out)

Perform a raised deadlift at various angles. This allows you to use heavier loads while also improving your lockout.

Rack Pull

The rack pull is similar to the block pull, as it involves a raised deadlift. However, it becomes more difficult because there is no bend in the bar once you start using heavier loads. It’s a challenging yet excellent strength builder.

Shoulder Press

Pin Press

The pin press lets you place the barbell at your sticking point and increase specific strength. 

Back Squat

Anderson Squat

The Anderson squat is basically a squat pin press. Set up the barbell at a low position, ideally just below a sticking point. You then get under and start with the concentric contraction.

Elevated Deadlift (Improve Lift-Off)

To perform an elevated deadlift, simply stand on a platform or a raised surface. This will increase the range of motion and stress the quads for lift-off.

Exercise Variations 

You can also use variations of your lifts. For example, alternate between training the flat bench press and incline bench press. 

These exercises are similar but hit the muscles slightly differently and have been shown to maximize muscle growth and strength gains.

Here are some examples of your major compound lifts.

Back Squat

Box Squat

A box squat eliminates the squat-to-stand (SSC) movement at the bottom of the movement. This requires your muscles to generate greater force production

SSB Squat

The SSB squat is an excellent alternative to the traditional squat, allowing for greater leg volume while taking stress off the back.

Pause Squat

A pause squat involves stopping at the bottom of the movement. 

Bench Press

Close Grip Bench Press (Greater ROM and Emphasis On Triceps)

The close-grip bench press is an easy variation that places more emphasis on the triceps.

Incline Bench Press (Upper Chest Pushing Power)

The incline bench press is the perfect companion to the bench press. We will sometimes alternate between each one as our primary exercise every 6 weeks.

Deadlift

Trap Bar Deadlift (Relieves Stress From Your Back And Increases Quad Strength)

The trap bar deadlift is a great option for increasing your strength while providing relief to your back. You’ll also use your quads to a greater degree, improving your quad strength.

Snatch Grip Deadlift (Increases ROM, Upper Back, and Lat Strength)

The snatch grip deadlift is performed in the same manner but requires a wider snatch grip. This will increase the ROM, forcing you to get lower. More importantly, it strengthens your upper back and legs.

Shoulder Press

Push Press (Overhead Power and Strength)

The push press is an overhead power exercise. It uses the triple extension to help thrust a heavy barbell over the head. You must then control the eccentric down.

Seated Press (Shoulder Strength)

The body can produce more power in a seated position due to higher stability. However, it also minimizes movement. This makes it a great variation to build raw shoulder strength.

Back Row

Power Row (Overload the Back and Increase Strength

The power row is a barbell row that allows a little momentum to help thrust the load up. At the same time, it will train your posterior chain as well.

Kroc Row (Overload the Back and Unilateral)

The Kroc row is dumbbell movement that uses controlled body momentum, similar to the power row. Use heavy loads and perform high reps.

How To Get Stronger Summary

Now you know how to get stronger! Above we went over the fundamentals as well as several training methods to help build your strength. However, it’s easier said than done. It’s going to require dedication and consistency above all. As long as you’re training with intensity and consistent, follow the guidelines we laid out above and bust through your plateaus. 

References

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