How much weight and when to increase?

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Bellchick91
Bellchick91 Posts: 148 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello!!

Im currently lifting maximum 7.5kg (dumbells) for chest press, 22.5kg (barbell chest press) and squatting with 20kg (barbell) and 25kg (smith machine). I obviously do other exercises too but these are just some examples.

I am getting stronger, but Im not sure when I should increase the weight and by how much? How do you know? I should be getting in 10-12 reps for 3-4 sets. Is it the case that if you can complete them all, you need to increase the weight until you reach "failure" (ie. can't hit 10 reps or 4 sets).

Any help, advice?
Thank you!

Replies

  • mamasmaltz3
    mamasmaltz3 Posts: 1,111 Member
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    What are your lifting goals?
  • stephxo1
    stephxo1 Posts: 191 Member
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    I'd advise following a program which has set and rep guidelines on when to increase weight. Something like Stronglifts 5x5 is popular. To help build muscle mass and gain strength you gotta focus on progression or you'll be spinning your wheels for quite some time.
  • loulamb7
    loulamb7 Posts: 801 Member
    edited August 2015
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    Agree with the above replies. Pick a beginner's program that will help you achieve your goals. SL 5x5, NROLFW, Strong Curves and AllPro are some popular choices. Unless you have the experience don't waste your time developing your own program.
  • AsISmile
    AsISmile Posts: 1,004 Member
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    I agree with the above suggestions of picking a program.
    Often they advise rep ranges. If you can do the max reps of a recommended range it is time to increase the weights.
    However, some programs like stronglifts 5x5 have you increase weights on a weekly basis.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
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    Not to failure; to the point where you think you will fail.
  • Bellchick91
    Bellchick91 Posts: 148 Member
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    Hey!
    Thanks, but I should have mentioned I have a personal trainer who I see once a week but she's on holidays at the moment and was thinking of increasing some weights myself in the mean time. Im not developing my own program, just following my PT and challenging myself as much as possible.

    And my weight lifting goals? To be the strongest I can be, basically! I'm not afraid to lift heavy at all but I DO worry that I'll injure myself (my mother herniated her spine twice and I've seen what it's done to her - so I am TERRIFIED of something like this even possibly happening to me!)
  • aledba
    aledba Posts: 564 Member
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    To mititgate concerns of injury, all of the literature previously recommended will definitely point you in the right direction.
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 9,276 Member
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    When in doubt, don't increase just yet. In the past I would set myself the goal of "if I can hit all the reps I'll go up", then have a blitzkrieg workout where I'm just in the zone and hit the reps, go up in weight the next week when I'm feeling average, and WHAM, I can't do half what I expected. I find I do better if I say I need to hit all my reps for two consecutive workouts before I go up, to minimize the chance of a fluke above-average workout skewing my plans.
  • stephxo1
    stephxo1 Posts: 191 Member
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    nossmf wrote: »
    When in doubt, don't increase just yet. In the past I would set myself the goal of "if I can hit all the reps I'll go up", then have a blitzkrieg workout where I'm just in the zone and hit the reps, go up in weight the next week when I'm feeling average, and WHAM, I can't do half what I expected. I find I do better if I say I need to hit all my reps for two consecutive workouts before I go up, to minimize the chance of a fluke above-average workout skewing my plans.
    nossmf wrote: »
    When in doubt, don't increase just yet. In the past I would set myself the goal of "if I can hit all the reps I'll go up", then have a blitzkrieg workout where I'm just in the zone and hit the reps, go up in weight the next week when I'm feeling average, and WHAM, I can't do half what I expected. I find I do better if I say I need to hit all my reps for two consecutive workouts before I go up, to minimize the chance of a fluke above-average workout skewing my plans.

    I love this! I'd been doing exactly this and sometimes finding the next session not as good as the previous one and consequently not hitting rep. I'm going to aim for two consecutive weeks from now on before increasing the weight. Thanks for this :)
  • XavierNusum
    XavierNusum Posts: 720 Member
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    stephxo1 wrote: »
    I'd advise following a program which has set and rep guidelines on when to increase weight. Something like Stronglifts 5x5 is popular. To help build muscle mass and gain strength you gotta focus on progression or you'll be spinning your wheels for quite some time.

    ^^^^
  • Bellchick91
    Bellchick91 Posts: 148 Member
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    I've looked into stronglifts and have been incorporating pieces of it into my workouts. I don't want to not follow the routines set by my PT as they're effective and work well for me, but I have looked into it and Im gonna tell her about it when i see her next week.

    And thanks to all! I upped the weights a bit on some things today, but actually lowered the weights on my deadlifts :( which is a major shame. I must have had serious energy the day I started doing them at the previous weight (34kg) or else my PT wrote down the wrong weight and I wasnt doing that amount ever! Either way, I put it down to 30kg for the moment as form is more important. Its my upper body strength and grip that struggles with the heavier weights for these - annoying. Hence why I am SERIOUSLY working the upper body lately.

    Thanks for everyone's help, advice and experience. LOVE this forum :)

  • TacticalSumo
    TacticalSumo Posts: 23 Member
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    The old addage is 2.5 pounds every two weeks. That is an old lifter and bodybuilding format though.

    Think about the following and this is usually when it is the right time to go up in weight.

    1. The current weight you are lifting isn’t a challenge
    2. You could go forever.
    3. You have never increased the weight you lift.
    4. The progress has come to a stop

    Now to touch on the above

    1. Strength training is meant to be challenging, because the whole point is to “overload” your muscles so they get stronger. If the weight you are lifting isn’t as challenging as it used to be (or isn’t challenging at all!), then it is time to increase the resistance.

    2. Each strength training exercise you do should cause you to feel muscle “fatigue” within 15 repetitions (or fewer). Muscle fatigue feels like you couldn’t possibly do another repetition in good form. If you can do more than 15 reps in good form, or if you literally feel like you could go on forever because the resistance you’re using is so easy, then it’s time to take it up a notch.

    3. When you first started strength training, then the weight you lifted was a starting weight. Continuing to progress in strength training is essential to getting the most out of your workouts—that means lifting more weight as you get stronger over time.

    4. Without making your muscles work harder than they’re accustomed to, they won’t get stronger. As you train, your muscles will grow stronger in order to meet the demands you are placing on them. So if you keep offering them the same workload, they will keep working the same amount, and progression comes to a grinding halt.

    Hope this helps, as to how much weight, what ever you feel comfortable with proper form. I have been lifting for years and some weeks I can only go up 2.5 pounds and the next week I cannot even lift that lol. So its a trial and error at moving up in weight. But most importantly when doing so, please be safe when doing so.

    I hope this helped.
  • stephxo1
    stephxo1 Posts: 191 Member
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    EmmaRichards91 wrote: »
    I've looked into stronglifts and have been incorporating pieces of it into my workouts. I don't want to not follow the routines set by my PT as they're effective and work well for me, but I have looked into it and Im gonna tell her about it when i see her next week.

    And thanks to all! I upped the weights a bit on some things today, but actually lowered the weights on my deadlifts :( which is a major shame. I must have had serious energy the day I started doing them at the previous weight (34kg) or else my PT wrote down the wrong weight and I wasnt doing that amount ever! Either way, I put it down to 30kg for the moment as form is more important. Its my upper body strength and grip that struggles with the heavier weights for these - annoying. Hence why I am SERIOUSLY working the upper body lately.

    Thanks for everyone's help, advice and experience. LOVE this forum :)

    Try out liquid chalk to help with grip strength. I use it once I get to the heavier sets and it helps massively.

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