Getting stronger is one of the most desirable goals people pursue in the gym. It’s not just about building bigger muscles—though getting big has its advantages—but it’s also about improving your athleticism, body-composition and functional ability.

To get stronger, you need to force your muscles to get bigger, and the best way to do that is by lifting heavy weights for a lot of reps. But you don’t have to lift crazy heavy every set if you want to see strength gains, and the key is to vary your rep ranges.

Many gym-goers focus on squats, bench presses and deadlifts to build their strength—and for good reason: these barbell movements are the backbone of most strength routines. They replicate the fundamental movement pattern of squatting, incorporate lots of muscle groups and are reliably progressable.

As you become more experienced and your strength increases, you may need to tweak the details of how you perform these exercises to challenge yourself even further. For example, you can increase the difficulty of your push-ups by creating tension in your entire body before pushing against resistance, or by adding a pause at the bottom of a squat.

You can also make small changes to the way you perform these exercises to improve your grip strength and your ability to hold onto heavier weights for longer. You can do this by training with a spotter, using a box or bench, or simply by changing your grip width or stance. Bli starkare