Q: I feel like a wimp. There is no way I can hold the weight in the stretch position for 30 seconds after a set as you’ve recommended before. On some exercises, I can get maybe 15 seconds, but on many, I can’t even get 10 seconds. Should I just forget bodybuilding and take up speed walking (kidding)?

A: Everyone’s pain tolerance is different. And, if you notice, most trainees will opt for methods that hurt least. It’s why most prefer heavy, low-rep training. Higher reps hurt like hell—and adding a stretch-hold at the end of even a 10-rep set can be excruciating. But, as you said, the stretch-hold is easier on some exercises, like incline curls where your arms just hang, as opposed to overhead extensions where you have to keep upward pressure on the weight to prevent elbow trauma…