Knowing when to increase weight...

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kmaf2018
kmaf2018 Posts: 124 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi All

Up until the end of March I had a PT (had 28x sessions altogether) but due to cost I had to stop them and then didn't have the confidence to continue the weight training on my own.

However, that all changed last week when I entered the gym floor and just DID IT (wahoo to me) so I now I want to revert back to my PT's programme but start from scratch by starting with lower weights.

With my PT we always worked out in the 6-12 rep range (I never did less than 6 and more than 12 reps) as my goal was to burn fat/look more defined but I never really paid attention to when he increased my weight.

So my question is how will I know when to increase my weight? will it be when I can do a movement in say 12x reps but it feels "easy"?

Kel

Replies

  • kmaf2018
    kmaf2018 Posts: 124 Member
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    OK then, thank you.

    I'm really looking forward to starting it up again. I have 7 weeks until my holiday and am doing the programme 3x times per week but alternating workout 1 and 2 each week i.e. week 1 = 1, 2, 1 and week 2 = 2,1,2 and so on....

  • ldwatene
    ldwatene Posts: 150 Member
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    When you hit 12 reps for your current set increase the weight for the next set.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    When you hit 12 reps with good form, which will be sooner than when 12 reps feels "easy"
  • kmaf2018
    kmaf2018 Posts: 124 Member
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    So I followed your advice and today my workouts looked like this, all done with good form, having good form is very important to me hence why I wanted to start from scratch.

    Squats
    12 reps at 20kg (easy)
    12 reps at 25kg (easy)
    12 reps at 27kg (a little harder)
    12 reps at 30kg (harder, I really had to push out the last 3x reps)

    Deadlift
    10 reps at 40kg (easy)
    10 reps at 45kg (easy)
    10 reps at 47kg (a little harder but still managed all 12 reps)
    10 reps at 50kg (harder and had to push out the last 2x reps)

    Bent over Row (underhand grip)
    10 reps at 30kg (easy)
    10 reps at 32.5kg (easy)
    9 reps at 32.5kg (my arms felt more tired and I genuinely couldn't push out one more rep with good form)
    8 reps at 32.5kg (as above)

    Lat Pull Downs (this is replacing the OH press which I'm not able to do at the moment due to shoulder impingement)
    12 reps at 30kg (easy)
    12 reps at 35kg (easy)
    8 reps at 40kg (harder at 40kg and had to really push out the last rep)
    7 reps at 40kg (as above but could only manage 7 reps)

    So my question now is....When I come to do this workout on Friday do I start my reps and weights on the same reps/weight I finished on today? So squats, would I start on weight 30kg and deadlift, would I start on weight 50kg and so on and so on?

    Sorry for the questions

  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    KMAF00 wrote: »
    So I followed your advice and today my workouts looked like this, all done with good form, having good form is very important to me hence why I wanted to start from scratch.

    Squats
    12 reps at 20kg (easy)
    12 reps at 25kg (easy)
    12 reps at 27kg (a little harder)
    12 reps at 30kg (harder, I really had to push out the last 3x reps)

    Deadlift
    10 reps at 40kg (easy)
    10 reps at 45kg (easy)
    10 reps at 47kg (a little harder but still managed all 12 reps)
    10 reps at 50kg (harder and had to push out the last 2x reps)

    Bent over Row (underhand grip)
    10 reps at 30kg (easy)
    10 reps at 32.5kg (easy)
    9 reps at 32.5kg (my arms felt more tired and I genuinely couldn't push out one more rep with good form)
    8 reps at 32.5kg (as above)

    Lat Pull Downs (this is replacing the OH press which I'm not able to do at the moment due to shoulder impingement)
    12 reps at 30kg (easy)
    12 reps at 35kg (easy)
    8 reps at 40kg (harder at 40kg and had to really push out the last rep)
    7 reps at 40kg (as above but could only manage 7 reps)

    So my question now is....When I come to do this workout on Friday do I start my reps and weights on the same reps/weight I finished on today? So squats, would I start on weight 30kg and deadlift, would I start on weight 50kg and so on and so on?

    Sorry for the questions

    So basically you look like you are getting in 2 working sets and using the 1st couple as warm ups. How much rest between sets are you taking? I would warm up a few sets (not needing to do 12 reps each one)
    Then choose how many "work sets" you are going to do(2 -3) Pick your weight and try to complete all the reps of each set.
    So for your squats, warm up, and then put on 27 kg. Then try to do 3 sets of 12. Adjust from there. If you complete it, next time do 30 kg
  • kmaf2018
    kmaf2018 Posts: 124 Member
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    Yeah, I use my first set as a warm up really, I rest between 30 - 90 secs and in this time I am inputting my workout on my phone....Yeah it makes sense doing it that way and would probably save me a bit of time too...So use 1x set as a warmup and then I could use sets 2,3,4 as working sets....This helps, thank you.

  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    edited June 2017
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    Ditto to idea when you do the 12 reps with good form - increase the weight by 5 lbs and drop the reps to 8.
    Work your way back up with extra rep on each workout until you hit 12 again, increase and repeat.

    To get heavy and actually overload the muscle for weight - you'll have to rest longer than 30 sec though.

    That's just artificially lowering your ability to lift heavier.

    Your muscles won't feel the need to grow if the overload is NOT by weight, but merely by lack of recovery.

    If you want to test this to understand what I mean, next 30 sec rest just hold your breath the entire time.
    Now do your next set same weight.
    Can you lift as heavy?
    No.
    Because it's heavy weight, or because you didn't recover enough?

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