Strength training weight and rep difference on lifts..

balancedbrunette
balancedbrunette Posts: 530 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi guys,

Just looking for some opinions from others re this, i'm not on a specific program at the moment but working on strength 3 consecutive days a week at home, i'm building my strength up and may go on a programme like stronglifts in the future when I join a gym.

I find I'm not making the reps with the same weight on each lift, for example I am able to do the squat and deadlift for the same weight at say 10 reps now so I can increase the weight but I haven't got to that stage with my bench press yet

Seen as these are the compound lifts i'm just wondering should I be hitting the reps for all lifts at the same weight before increasing or increase for each lift singularly as I go?

thanks for any advice!

Replies

  • tsimblist
    tsimblist Posts: 206 Member
    You may (should) use a different weight for each movement. Typically you can deadlift more than you can squat. And bench press would be lighter than either of those.
  • withervein
    withervein Posts: 224 Member
    You may (should) use a different weight for each movement. Typically you can deadlift more than you can squat. And bench press would be lighter than either of those.

    This is pretty accurate. I can deadlift 205 for 4 sets of 5, but only bench 90 for four sets of 6. One motion I've trained longer than the other and there are simply places in which you are going to be weaker.

    If you have a goal of X weight for 3 sets of 10 reps, the variable that will change as you get strong is the weight lifted. If you want to lift 150 pounds for X reps for 3 sets, you can increase reps with the same weight as you improve. Many weight training programs are some combination of progression through these two variables and some will change the total number of sets as well. No one is going to expect you to Squat, DL and Bench the same weight for all three exercises.
  • rick_po
    rick_po Posts: 449 Member
    You don't need to be in a gym to do Stronglifts. Squats, deadlifts, overhead press, bench press, bent-over rows. That's it. If you can do those lifts at home, you can do Stronglifts at home.

    One big reason to do a real program is they answer these kinds of questions for you. The most important time to follow a program is the beginning, so you should pick and follow a program now.

    Stronglifts (free online)
    Strong Curves (book)
    all-pro beginner (free online)
    Starting Strength (book)
    New Rules of Lifting (book)

    If you're using dumbbells at home, there's a version of all-pro beginner that uses dumbbells.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    yea most people will be lifting significantly different weight between squat and bench press.

    move up in weight when you are ready to do so within a given exercise, no real need to consider performance in other lifts.

    I noticed that you said you strength train 3 consecutive days a week

    currious to know why you do them consecutively? might do better by taking a rest day in between.

    If you are doing the same strength workout each day, you definetly do not want to do them consecutively. take a day or two inbetween.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    It's not possible to reach the same weight at a high level of lifting (we're talking 1RM) with the same weight across all lifts.

    Totally non-scientific exhibit A: http://nypost.com/2014/05/21/game-of-thrones-mountain-is-worlds-2nd-strongest-man/
  • balancedbrunette
    balancedbrunette Posts: 530 Member
    Thanks for the advice guys, was training tonight and focused more on the lifts singularly rather than as a group, don't know why I was second guessing myself so much when really this is information I already know, guess it it cause I took a break from training for a while while completing my finals and I feel like I should be able to bench more but need to give myself time and work on form more than anything.

    Also thanks rick_po for advice re program, i have been looking into allpro beginners and stronglifts with a view more to starting stronglifts, reading starting strength at the moment for information about the lifts and techniques but yea should consider implementing these programs into my home workout seen as i'm doing a variety of the lifts already.
    I noticed that you said you strength train 3 consecutive days a week

    currious to know why you do them consecutively? might do better by taking a rest day in between.

    If you are doing the same strength workout each day, you definetly do not want to do them consecutively. take a day or two inbetween.

    apologies meant non-consecutively - i usually train mondays, wednesdays and fridays - sometimes at weekend too - usually the compound moves and then I throw in various isolated exercises to mix it up a bit.

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