Weightlifting & Increasing the Weight

Machka9
Machka9 Posts: 25,615 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Are there guidelines for how much and how quickly to increase the weight in various weight lifting activities?

For example, I've been increasing the weight of my bench press by 2 kg about every 2 weeks, and that seems comfortable, but I'm wondering if I should do more or could do more.

Meanwhile, I've increased the weight of my standing dumbbell triceps extensions once ... and I've never increased the weight of my bent over dumbbell row.

Is it just up to me ... or is there a rough guideline chart available to suggest a progression?

Replies

  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
    when it's starting to be too easy for me, I put it up.
  • beatua1
    beatua1 Posts: 98 Member
    I am assuming you are fairly new to lifting. If so, in general you should be progressively overloading the weight at every session. What this means is every single workout should increase total work. This likely means you will be either increasing reps or weight every time you lift.

    I recommend checking out structured programs like Starting strength or Strong lifts. These will guide you in progressively overloading the weight at every session.

    e.g. In Strong lifts you are doing 5 sets of 5 reps. Every time you are able to do the full 5 sets correctly you increase the weight.

    So if one session you do 100 lbs for 5 sets of 5, the next session you would do 105 (or 102.5 if you have smaller increment weights). At that next session lets say you can only complete sets of 5, 5, 4, 4, 3 reps. Then you would leave the weight at the same level for the next session. If in that session you can do 105 for 5 sets of 5 you would increase it to 110 at the next session. In this way you are progressively increasing the weight and require more strength to adjust to the increased load.
  • pvignard
    pvignard Posts: 7 Member
    Basically, put the weight up until you can't complete the full set... then keep at it until you can. Once you can, go up etc?
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,615 Member
    edited January 2016
    beatua1 wrote: »
    I am assuming you are fairly new to lifting.

    I trained with a coach for about a year, approx. 25 years ago. Since then, I've just lifted casually most winters ... just enough to help keep in shape for my cycling.

    This time I decided I would start in the summer, to give me a head start for this coming winter, and really try to progress beyond light weights and general toning ... and I haven't trained with a coach in a long time so my memory of how we progressed is fuzzy. :)

  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    The programs suggested to you increase the weight by 2kg every time you do an exercise (you squat every workout in some of the programs, so squats get heavy faster than anything else). You're in line with most beginning strength programs. As long as you're progressing, keep doing what you're doing.
  • tcatcarson
    tcatcarson Posts: 227 Member
    pvignard wrote: »
    Basically, put the weight up until you can't complete the full set... then keep at it until you can. Once you can, go up etc?

    That's about it.
  • beatua1
    beatua1 Posts: 98 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    beatua1 wrote: »
    I am assuming you are fairly new to lifting.

    I trained with a coach for about a year, approx. 25 years ago. Since then, I've just lifted casually most winters ... just enough to help keep in shape for my cycling.

    This time I decided I would start in the summer, to give me a head start for this coming winter, and really try to progress beyond light weights and general toning ... and I haven't trained with a coach in a long time so my memory of how we progressed is fuzzy. :)

    Get the book Starting Strength and read it cover to cover. It will teach you how to properly do barbell exercises and help you structure a program to do so.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    You should be adding weight more frequently. What program are you doing?

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