Are Your Workouts Intense Enough?

Exercise Intensity Indicator
Ask yourself these questions after each exercise.

Were you able to complete two sets of ten repetitions in good form?
No: Reduce the weight to an amount that you can lift ten times in good form; rest for one or two minutes, then repeat for a second set.
Yes: Please continue to question two.

After completing ten repetitions, do you need to rest because the weight is too heavy to complete more repetitions in good form?
Yes: You are working at the proper intensity and should not increase weight.
No: Please continue to questions three and four to determine how to safely increase the intensity of your workout.

Could you have done a few more repetitions in good form without a break?
Yes: If you can do only a few more repetitions (not the entire next set of ten without a break), then at your next workout you should do the first set of repetitions with your current weight and your second set with the next weight up.

For example, if you're currently using one-pound dumbbells, use two- or three-pound dumbbells for your second set.

Could you have done all twenty repetitions at one time, without a break?
Yes: At your next session, use heavier dumbbells for both sets of repetitions.

At Least Do Something!

Exercise does not have to be strenuous to be beneficial. And some studies show that short sessions of exercise several times a day are just as effective at burning calories and improving health as one long session.

To lose weight and to maintain a healthy weight after weight loss, many adults will likely need to do more than 30 minutes of moderate to intensive physical activity daily.