how often do you add more weight

tammymusic1

Do you add more weight to your barbell or dumb bells every workout. Like on my squats on Saturday I did 40lbs today I added 5lbs is that good. But on some of the dumb bell moves I am having a hard time adding like for shoulder press I can barely get thru with 10bls on each plus the weight of the little bar do I wait to add when I can actually get thru the reps

Emtabo01

I try to add weight every workout, usually not during the individual workout. I can add quicker and easier to big lifts like squats and deadlifts, but less quickly and easily on upper arm exercises that use dumbbells, I've found.

lcuconley

there are some moves that I go through the entire stage without adding weight. it is crucial to the program that you add weight when you can. agree w/emtabo that its harder to add weight when you are focusing on smaller muscles.

rduhlir

I base it on how I did the week prior and how I felt the day after. If I felt it was getting easier, doing the exercise at that weight, then I would increase it. But, if I increase and I struggle, I drop immediately back down and go at the original weight.

For example, last week I did my deline chest presses at 20lbs. That was super easy for me. So, last night I upped it to 25. The last set I struggled, so I know to stay at 25lbs until I can easily push out each set.

tobirhae

I try to increase them every workout, but I'm limited on what weights I have one day a week so that one usually ends up being lower than other workouts on most moves. I don't know if that sentence made any sense. But I try to increase at least once a week on most moves. I'm still on stage one and I think I've increased my weight on everything since I started, but some things I've only upped it once. Like on shoulder presses- I've only gone from 20-25 pounds and I'll probably stay at 25 for at least another week. Squats, though, I increase each time I do them.

Beeps2011

Please resist the *urge* to UP-YOUR-WEIGHTS every time you're at the gym.

Sure, some movements you may be able to up, but always of UTMOST importance, is "FORM". So, make sure you have excellent form and, if you DO up the weight, and your form suffers, take that weight BACK DOWN IMMEDIATELY!

I spent NROL4W desperately trying to "up" my weights - in part to keep up with all of the successful posters here at mfp! - and I know my form suffered. Too many times my form suffered. (Yes, I ended up with a naggling injury at one stage!)

As soon as form suffers, the exercise is DONE - it is doing NOTHING for you.

Better to have proper form, at a lower weight, then some excessive weight that you just aren't (quite) ready for, yet!