When and how to increase working weight in strength training. How to determine your working weight in the gym? What is working weight in bodybuilding

Working weight - this is the weight of a barbell, dumbbell or pancakes on a machine with which you can perform the required number of repetitions. A working weight in bodybuilding is one with which an athlete can perform 6-12 repetitions per set. The number of repetitions is not accidental, since it is in this repetition range that the body manages to spend all the creatine phosphate and switch to energy supply through glycolysis, and this is precisely the condition for muscle hypertrophy. The fact is that the large muscles of bodybuilders are muscles adapted to perform volumetric power work. For example, powerlifters who train in the range of 2-5 repetitions do not have such muscle volume, although they lift more weights, this is due precisely to energetic, rather than muscular, adaptation.

The working weight can only be selected experimentally, since its value depends on a large number of factors. Powerlifting uses a percentage system for calculating the percentage of a single repetition with a maximum weight. It looks like this: the athlete performs a drive, and then calculates the required weights as a percentage from it. The walk is performed like this: the athlete warms up, then performs an approach with an empty bar for 20 repetitions, hangs 15 kg pancakes and performs another 10 repetitions, after which he begins to throw 5 kg each and perform 1-2 repetitions, reaching the maximum. You are allowed to rest for 3-4 minutes between approaches. Be sure to use the help of a partner who will insure you. But in bodybuilding you won’t be able to choose a working weight this way.

Bodybuilding offers a very large number of different training schemes, split construction techniques, methods of working muscles such as supersets, complex sets, cheating and much more, and the working weight in each individual case will depend on a large number of muscle and non-muscle factors. Therefore, in practice, there is a need to select a weight that would be most optimal for stimulating muscle tissue hypertrophy. This weight will depend on the fitness of the athlete, as well as on the specific training scheme that he uses.

Working weight for beginners

The working weight is the tool, and in order to choose the right tool, you need to decide on the task. At the initial stage, the athlete has several very important goals: learn to perform exercises correctly, improve neuromuscular connection , prepare muscular and non-muscular systems for subsequent exercises in the gym. It follows from this that the working weight at this stage should be such that the athlete can concentrate on the technique of performing exercises, muscle work and can comply with all the fundamental bodybuilding principles . This stage lasts 1-3 months and is the most important stage of the entire training period!

To select a working weight, a beginner must perform a kind of penetration. The athlete warms up with an empty bar, then throws 2.5kg on each side of the barbell, performs another set of 12 reps, then repeats the procedure until the athlete reaches muscle failure before being able to complete 12 reps. Muscle failure is a condition where an athlete can no longer perform a single repetition with a given weight without breaking technique or with the help of a partner. Let's say an athlete reaches failure while bench pressing 50kg. This means that the athlete’s working weight in the next 1-3 months will be 30 kg, with which he will learn to perform bench presses with ideal technique. Yes, he can use heavier weights, but until the technique becomes accurate, there is no need to increase the weights. Recommended at this stage, use the services of a trainer or go to the gym with a more experienced friend.

Working weight for a simple circuit

A simple training scheme is an ordinary split that follows the rule of load progression, without the use of various techniques for increasing muscle stress. In other words, at this stage the athlete is already beginning to progress the load, so he should start training diary , in which he will record his results. Progression of loads will be carried out through manipulations with the weight of the equipment and the number of repetitions between approaches. All other factors remain unchanged! Each workout you should perform the same number of exercises, in a certain order, with a certain rest time between sets, rest for a certain time between workouts, go to the gym at the same time and, in general, stick to your training schedule!

The working weight will constantly change, or rather, the athlete’s task is to constantly increase the weight on the bar. From training to training, the athlete should try to increase the weight in at least one approach of one exercise, this will already be progress. The important thing here is to always stay in the working range of 8-12 reps per set. In practice, the progression will look like this. Let's say an athlete completed all the exercises in the previous workout in 12 repetitions in each approach. At the next workout, the athlete threw 5kg in the first exercise and performed the first set for 10 repetitions, the second for 8, in the third he dropped 5kg and performed another 8 repetitions. In all of the following exercises, there is no need to change the working weight. Further progression will be made by increasing repetitions in the first exercise until the athlete can perform all 3 sets of 12 repetitions with a working weight that is 5 kg more than what the athlete was previously training with. Then the cycle repeats.

If, after the athlete completes the first exercise in which he reaches muscle failure with fewer than 12 repetitions, he is able to use more weight in the next exercise than in the previous workout, then it is worth doing. On the other hand, if this doesn’t work out, then it’s okay! The goal is some kind of minimal progression, since over time this “little by little” will still turn into a decent result. The important question is how often to reach muscle failure, since overtraining can lead to stagnation, a plateau, after which the athlete will have to take a step back and recover.

At the initial stage, most likely, there will be no overtraining, so for about 6-8 months you may not think about it. After this time, it will become more and more difficult to progress the load, however, we do not consider the option of lack of sleep or nutrition, since the training program must be selected according to recovery capabilities. Most likely, the slowdown in progression and, as a result, muscle growth is due to the fact that hypertrophied muscles need longer rest. Therefore, after 1 year of training in the gym you need to start using microperiodization . When this stops working, the next step becomes necessary.

Results: It is necessary to select a weight with which the athlete can perform from 8 to 12 repetitions in a set, but from training to training, either the weight or the number of repetitions should increase. It is important to note that within the recommended rep range, the athlete must reach muscle failure, that is, a state after which he cannot perform a single repetition with a given weight without breaking technique or with the help of a partner.

Working weight for advanced

At an advanced stage of training, athletes begin to use various methods of creating the necessary stress to trigger the synthesis of contractile proteins, but all of this, one way or another, is a way to progress the load. The most effective way to progress the load is to increase the working weight, but when you bench press 200 kg, increasing it even by 1-2 kg is already a problem, so athletes resort to various tricks. It is most effective to try to increase the intensity of the training by reducing the rest time between approaches. But this method is very limited, so it is used, as a rule, in conjunction with reducing working weight. Thus, the athlete performs exercises with lighter weights, but his CP increases significantly. If earlier the number of barbell lifts per workout was, say, 100, with a weight of 200 kg, now the KPSh is 200 with a weight of 150 kg.

But, despite the increase in total tonnage, this method is rarely used, and only a few are used correctly, since it’s easier to overtrain in this way! The most commonly used are cheating, supersets, complex sets and forced repetitions. There is no need to talk about what it is, how to apply it, that the load on the target muscle group should increase and not decrease, because if you are an advanced athlete, you already know all this. What is important? It is important to determine whether “super moves” are a system of progressive load, or simply a way to create additional stress on the muscles. If this is a system, then the working weight must be gradually progressed, but if this is a way to create unusual stress, then you can only rely on your feelings.

And precisely because in order to use “super techniques” an athlete must have good muscle sense, understand his body well, be able to empirically select the working weight and load volume, the use of “super techniques” is not recommended. Try to progress for as long as possible using the simplest methods, and only when this is completely impossible, start using “super techniques.” It is also important to note that many of these techniques can only be used if the athlete is using anabolic steroids. For example, it is better not to use complex sets and forced repetitions as a natural. For experienced athletes who avoid pharmacology, it is permissible to use supersets and cheating in their training.

Working weight- a term used in bodybuilding and other strength sports, characterizes the weight of the weight with which you can perform a given number of repetitions without violating the execution technique.

There is one most important rule in bodybuilding: the greater the number of repetitions in an exercise, the less weight you need to use, and vice versa. However, there is a small caveat - the working weight should be maximum for a given number of repetitions. This means that with the chosen weight you should be able to handle only the required number of repetitions - no more and no less. Obviously, if you take the working weight with which you do 15 repetitions, but perform, for example, 6 repetitions, there will be no benefit from this. The rule also works in the opposite direction: that is, if you take a weight with which you do 6 repetitions, but try to perform 15 repetitions with it, you will not succeed.

Remember: the fewer repetitions we perform, the higher the intensity and, as a result, the working weight used. The more repetitions we perform, the lower the intensity and working weight.

Correct calculation of working weight

How to choose the right working weight? Unfortunately, only through trial and error. It is not difficult for experienced athletes to correctly calculate the amount of their working weight, so over time this ability will come to you.

In the meantime, a simple algorithm can help you choose the optimal working weight.

Step-by-step algorithm for selecting working weight:

Features of using the algorithm:

• Rest between attempts – at least 3-4 minutes;
• If within 2-3 attempts you were unable to determine your working weight, leave it until the next workout, recording the results in your diary;
• This algorithm is suitable for determining the working weight for exercises performed in the range of 6-12 repetitions.

The basis of any workout in the gym is the working weight and the number of approaches. These are two inseparable concepts, so we will consider them within the same topic. Below we will analyze the principles and rules for selecting weights for different categories of exercisers.

For those who are in the hall for the first time

If this is your first time coming to the gym, you need to take into account your preparation. Often there is none at all. How to determine the working weight in this case? So far, no way.

People go to swing because they “already have the urge.” Therefore, the first training is a very important moment. If you get a bad impression from (or after) her, you won’t come here a second time.

Usually the number of approaches and weight are selected by the trainer. Wait! Does the trainer have the necessary education and courses? Or is he just a home-grown muscleman who has achieved rapid progression through bad means? They are the ones to be afraid of.

The first training session should be an introductory one. We recommend not selecting weights yet, but taking what is not heavy for you at the moment. That is, if it is a barbell, then it is one that you can easily lift. After all, you will be lifting the barbell repeatedly, so even the weight that seems too light to you for one concept will put a noticeable load on the muscles. This is important not only for beginners, but also for guys weakened by a long break.

So, why is it important to work with minimal weights in the first workout:

• Your muscles don't know what hardware is.
• You don't have enough stamina yet.
• You don't know the technique of doing the exercises.

Simply put, you will easily get a sprain, or your muscles will be sore for a week after training. Believe me, after this the second time you are unlikely to want to come to the gym.

Correct selection of weights at the first visit - an empty bar for bench presses, dumbbells 2-5 kg ​​for other exercises. If you want to squat, use an empty bar. Learn technique! And if the trainer tells you that the weight is light and you need to add more, don’t listen to him. This is the first training session.

There have been many cases when, after such training, a person has a fever for a week, and he cannot bend or straighten his arms. Why do you need this?

The first workout is a minimum of weights. The same goes for the number of approaches. We recommend doing 2 approaches. But you can get the program from the trainer. Or have a trainer show you what to do that day.

Example for beginners

The trainer told you to do 3 sets of all exercises. Reps: 10-15. Your task is to do 2 sets with the same number of repetitions. For bench press/squat/deadlift, it is better to take an empty bar or add 10 kg. Arm flexion-extension, dumbbell press - 5-6 kg. And isolated shoulder exercises are best done with 3-4 kg. You will understand why.

If everything comes very easily, most likely you are doing it wrong. In the case of dumbbell lateral raises, for example, if it’s easy for you, then most likely you bend your arms too much, or you haven’t turned your elbows up. Incorrect technique makes it easier to do. Remember!

After a long break

After a forced break in training, we recommend doing 2 sets instead of 3 or 4. And taking the weights 50% of those you used when you were still training. Yes, after training your muscles will ache. Strongly. But not so much that you fall behind schedule for a week.

In the future, you will gradually return to your working weights and begin to progress.
Start small and increase the weight in each approach: for a barbell - by 10 kg, for dumbbells - by 2. You definitely won’t miss!

Bench press example

Warm up - empty bar, 20 reps. We weigh 10 kg and do a set. We hang another 10 and work. And there we reach 60 kg. If it becomes difficult in some approach, then there is no need to increase the weight in this workout. In the future, when it becomes difficult, add 1-2 kg and look at the result.

Weight selection during training

Now you know where to start training for the first time or after a long break.
What to do next? And then we will learn to listen to our body and predict the desired weight.

The principle of any progress is to work at your maximum, “to failure.” The state of “failure” is a special feeling when you can no longer do a single repetition. Failure may occur earlier than planned if you choose too much weight. And later, if you made a smaller mistake.

For muscle growth, failure should occur within 6-12 repetitions. If less, you work on strength, if more, on endurance. Therefore, the weight is selected so that you can do at least 6 repetitions with it, but cannot do more than 12. How to guess this weight? By trial and error.

The first approach to any exercise is a warm-up. For example, before a bench press, you take an empty bar and do 15-20 repetitions with it. At this moment you can already feel how easy it is for you. You can compare this feeling with your last workout and roughly calculate the weight for this one.

When you start with light weights and gradually increase them, at some point you will get that precious number of pounds that you will work with until failure. We need to come to this.

This weight will increase from workout to workout. Slowly, but it will happen, believe me. Thus, when the required number of repetitions (6-12) and this weight comes easily to you, it is a good sign to add 1-2 kg to the barbell. Or increase the number of repetitions if you do them less than 12. And then increase the working weight anyway, returning to the previous number of repetitions.

Finding the right weight right away, especially during the first workouts, is an impossible mission. That's why we start small. And the body itself decides what is enough for it and what is just right.

Dependence of weights on training goals

When selecting weight, you can focus on the following criteria:

• If your goal is muscle and mass growth, failure should occur at 6-12 repetitions, as mentioned earlier. If it happens, say, on the eighth repetition, try to do the next workout 9. Then 10, 11, 12. After you complete 12 approaches, add weight to the barbell.
• If your goal is to increase strength, the weights taken are more significant. Failure should occur before 6 repetitions. And you need to do few repetitions in the approaches.
• If you're doing endurance work, the weight used is reduced so you can do more reps. Failure should occur not at the 12th repetition, but at the 30th. In general, it’s better to go jogging. In your case, it is important to choose the type of sport, not the number of kg.
• Recovering from sprains requires light weights. You need to exercise for a very long time (months) with light weights, strengthening the healed ligaments. Haste is dangerous and inadvisable.

What to do for girls

It doesn't matter what gender you are. The mechanism of muscle progress is the same for everyone. The weights will just be different. A man squats with a weight of 100 kg, and a woman - 30-50, for example. The feeling is the same, the refusal is the same. The principles are the same, so feel free to use the above recommendations.

A separate article on our website is devoted to choosing the weight of dumbbells for women.

What to do during a plateau

When you don’t feel a surge of strength for a long time, and your results barely stay at the same level, this means one thing - you have reached a plateau in your capabilities. Strength is not growing, there is no progress. And a bad mood and weak self-confidence often lead to a “kickback” of the security forces.

Now we need to be patient and work hard in the gym. Let the weights be the same. Try to increase them by 0.5 kg, at a minimum. Reconsider your lifestyle. Maybe it's not the training at all?

There is an opinion that to overcome a plateau during training you need to lose weight. As a rule, this option is good for those who take pharmacology, that is, for professional bodybuilders. So just be patient and maintain the level you have achieved. In 90% of cases, progress will come.

1. Keep a training diary. It should include the date of the lesson, the name of the exercise, the number of approaches and repetitions done, and the weights. You can choose the right working weight based on your own records. Your diary is the best adviser on what weight to start training with after a break, or where to start the next workout.
2. Don't increase your weight suddenly. Many beginners do this: in the first workout they pressed an empty bar (20 kg), in the second it was 50 kg. This is stress for the muscles. Not every person will survive this easily. It is optimal to take steps of 10 kg. And if you have already exercised, you can raise the working weight by 40 kg in 4 approaches. At the same time, you will find out what your muscles are now capable of.
3. When you immediately take the weight you think you need, you may make a mistake. That is, choose a heavy barbell weight. This will cause you to get tired before your work sets are completed. There is no need for any persistence here - remove a couple of weights from the barbell.
4. Working “to failure” in the first workout is very dangerous. Just like the second one. The body should get used to the stress within a month. During this period, your task is not to chase the scales, but to practice your technique. If you can do more, that's good (that's what happens most often). Work on your movements, strengthen your ligaments.

Effective exercises:

Trainer's advice: Follow the exercise technique. You will achieve better results if you do fewer repetitions, but in strict accordance with the technique.

The working weight cannot be chosen at random. Learn how to determine the load that will help you gain muscle mass in the shortest possible time.

As a strength training veteran, I often hear two types of questions from beginners. The question, unrelated to which protein powder to take, is a completely different issue: How much weight should I lift on any given exercise?

A very good question to which there is no easy answer. In fact, we find ourselves at a crossroads here with a ton of options, so let's go through them in order. This will allow you to tailor your training program to your needs, ensuring you are always using the optimal weight.

You can take a 10 kg barbell, lift it 75 times, and after a while you will feel tired and your arms will be bloody. You will definitely sweat a lot. On the other hand, you could take a 40kg weight, lift it 8 times, and then give up because you can't complete even one more rep. In both cases you are training "intensely". But which option should be preferred?

This may seem strange to you, but the answer depends on your goals. If you want to get as strong as possible, you will use more weight than your counterpart who wants to get as big as possible. And to increase muscular endurance, you will have to work with even less weight.

• Developing strength requires choosing a weight that allows you to train in the rep range of 1 to 6.
• Gaining muscle mass is based on training with weights that allow you to complete 8 to 12 repetitions.
• If muscular endurance is on your agenda, you'll want to stick with a working weight that you can perform at least 15 reps with.

Now let's take a closer look at all three training protocols.

1. Strength training

The biggest and strongest men and women - powerlifters, Olympic weightlifters, strongmen - have one single goal: to become stronger. To lift heavy equipment in competition, you have to lift heavy weights in training. And when we talk about heavy, we mean really, really heavy.

To develop strength indicators you need both, and. They involve several joints at once, for example, the bench press involves the shoulder and elbow joints simultaneously. Multi-joint activity like this generally activates more muscle mass, allowing you to lift heavier equipment.

During heavy sets, the work is done primarily by those muscle fibers that we call fast-twitch; they respond better to strength training by increasing volume and strength. However, they run out of energy very quickly, so you won't be able to perform high reps with heavy weights.

Rest periods between main sets should be long enough so that incomplete recovery does not ruin the next set. Of course, lifting heavy weights involves a preliminary warm-up, during which a series of sets with progressively increasing weights precedes work with maximum tonnage. Athletes who work on strength also try to avoid, and this technique is adopted mainly by bodybuilders.

When working on mass, focus on complex exercises

Although those who train for maximum strength work with really heavy weights, their methods are not the best for maximizing muscle size (). Bodybuilders and gym goers who are looking to gain muscle mass take a slightly different approach to determining how much weight they should lift. The weight you can complete 8-12 reps with has been proven to produce the most muscle size.

But this statement requires some explanation, so let's start with that.

You must train with proper technique. You've probably seen videos on YouTube of guys doing bounce bench presses because the bar is too heavy and they have to use a little extra momentum to move it. This is not considered good technique. Each exercise contains its own “set of technical rules”. Generally speaking, you must control the apparatus and use only those joints that are destined to participate in this movement. If your biceps curl involves your knees or hips, you're using joints you shouldn't be using. There's a term for this—cheating—and it subverts the mantra of proper technique.

Perform “full” sets of 8–12 reps. Of course, you could just put a little less weight on the bar and stop at 12 reps, but that wouldn't be a full set. A full set ends on the verge of muscle failure - at the moment when you can no longer complete another repetition according to all the rules. If you can do 13 reps, you're using too light a weight. By analogy, if you can only do 4-5 reps, the load is too high for maximum muscle growth. The golden mean is a weight with which you can complete 8 to 12 repetitions without assistance.

Bodybuilders also train fast-twitch muscle fibers, usually starting with compound exercises divided according to body part. This technique requires a high volume of training load (3-4 working sets of compound exercises performed at various angles) and short rest periods (60 seconds for small muscle groups and 90 seconds for large muscles).

The golden mean is in the range of 8-12 repetitions

Not everyone trains to become very big or very strong. You can train at low intensity by choosing a weight relative to your one-rep max. This approach activates mechanisms in muscle fibers that make aerobic energy synthesis pathways more efficient, but does not increase muscle size. As a result, the muscles can perform many repetitions for a long time without fatigue. An example is the musculature of classic marathon runners, which is designed for continuous work over a long distance.

If your goal is muscular endurance, you should choose a light weight that will allow you to complete 15-20 or more repetitions. Such stimuli are not strong enough to increase strength or mass. This is because the muscles use slow-twitch muscle fibers, which are designed for long-term work and do not increase in volume the way fast-twitch muscles do.

The relationship between weight and number of repetitions

Once you've already decided on your goal, it's easy to figure out what weight to use for which exercise. Obviously, there is an inverse relationship between the number of repetitions per set and the weight of the apparatus. As you increase the weight, you will be able to complete fewer reps, and with a lighter weight, you will be able to complete more reps.

You can use the following table as a starting point. If your bench press max is about 100 kg, the number of reps you can complete with a given weight will be something like this:

This strength curve is unique to each athlete and each exercise, and you can design your training protocol based on it. Let's say this is your bench press strength curve. Then to work on strength you would have to train with a weight exceeding 85 kg. For mass, you would train with weights between 65 and 75 kg, and for endurance you would have to use weights that fall outside the lower end of this chart, less than 65 kg.

Each of us has our own strength schedule for each exercise, and you can become familiar with your schedule as you train. The key to success is to use a weight that is ideal for your goals. If you're used to starting an exercise with a warm-up set, you can always hang the bar long before muscle failure and tell yourself it was another warm-up set if you think you're not getting into the desired rep range. In the next approach, adjust the working weight. By recording your results in a notepad or smartphone, you will save yourself from guessing at your next workout.

Fine-tuning the working weight

The hard part is over, but that doesn't mean an experienced lifter can't fine-tune the weight he's lifting. Here are a couple of tips to help you with this.

1. Build warm-up sets in ascending order

Some people think that warming up is a waste of time, but it actually helps you lift more weight. Your tissues will become more elastic if you go through the motion path before lifting heavy weights. It should be noted that although bodybuilders train to muscle failure, warm-up sets never approach this point. Stop any light weight approach well before muscle failure. A bodybuilder who plans to lift 100 kg on the bench press and complete 8-12 repetitions in each set should adhere to the following warm-up scheme: 60, 80 and 90 kg.

2. Heavy weight - at the beginning of the workout

Since intense training tends to deplete your energy reserves, place your most difficult exercises early in the training session when there is plenty of fuel in the tanks. You can even train at the lower end of the hypertrophy zone by choosing a weight that you can only do 8 reps with. As you train your target group, vary the number of reps per set and train at slightly different intensities: perform sets of 10 (almost to failure) and 12 reps toward the end. With the exception of the warm-up, start exercises in the lower rep range and work your way up to 12 reps towards the end of the workout.

Try to vary the number of repetitions per set when training one muscle group

3. Be careful with progressive overload

Muscles adapt to training stimuli, becoming larger and stronger. Powerlifters and bodybuilders know that most of the adaptation occurs within fast-twitch muscle fibers. If we graph this, your strength curve will move up and you will be able to perform more reps with each weight you work.

How do you know when it's time to increase your load? Try this method: When you can do 2 more reps with a particular weight you started with in two workouts in a row, increase the weight. If you started out doing 8 reps with 100kg on the bench press and now manage to do 10 reps in two workouts in a row, move up.

• For upper body exercises such as the bench press, the weight should be raised approximately 5%. So instead of 100 kg you need to put 105.
• For lower body exercises such as squats, the weight should be increased by about 10%. Instead of 100 kg you need to put 110.

Let's say you've gained muscle volume and increased your strength. To continue to progress, you must challenge your muscles in new ways by increasing the load. As you can see, you must progressively increase the load, otherwise you will simply mark time. Complacency is your biggest enemy no matter what your goals are, so pushing yourself to do more reps or using a little more weight will help you progress.

Even the most dedicated lifters will eventually hit a training plateau. High-intensity training techniques, in which you competently manage the working weight, can spur mass gain and strength gains, but they should not be performed on a whim, but after careful planning of specific training methods. Learn different techniques to help you cycle your training.

You'll soon learn that the bigger and stronger you become, the less you see "random" results, and the more carefully you have to plan your training process. It seems counterintuitive, but you will find that the more you know, the faster you progress.

In this article we will talk about such a problem and an eternal question among novice athletes - “How to choose a weight for training?” This is perhaps the first problem that a beginner who comes to the gym has to face. Choosing the right weight for each exercise is quite a difficult task for a beginner.

To choose the right weight, you first need to decide on the goals you are pursuing. For example, if you need to gain muscle mass, then you need to perform exercises for a minimum number of repetitions with a large weight. If you want to lose weight, then you need to use smaller weights for a large number of repetitions, plus cardio exercises, which should be included in any workout in order to pump not only the muscles of the body, but also expand the volume of the heart.

Let's figure it out. If you just came to the gym and are not at all aware of everything that is happening around you, are not familiar with exercise techniques, do not know how certain machines work and which muscle groups are pumped, in this case you should take the minimum weights and learn the technique of each exercises, and then gradually increase the load. First, you must familiarize yourself with each exercise, understand what you can do and what you shouldn’t do so as not to injure yourself. If you are one of the novice athletes, I advise you to familiarize yourself in more detail with the technique of each exercise in this section -.

So, let's say you have become familiar with the correct execution of the exercises. How to choose the right weight for a barbell or dumbbell? First of all, you should choose such a weight so that the last repetition is truly the last. You should not be able to do 13 repetitions if there are only 12 repetitions. At the same time, if you are aiming to do 10-12 repetitions, but somehow manage to complete 6-8 repetitions. In the first case, if you perform more reps than intended, the weight is too light. In the second option, the weight of the barbell or dumbbell was chosen too large.

How to solve this problem and choose a working weight? That's how! Take a load that you think you can handle and start moving from the starting position, bringing the weight to the extreme position. At the top point, you should hold the dumbbell or barbell for 1-2 seconds, then start moving in the reverse order. If you were unable to hold the weight at the top point, where your muscles are maximally contracted, this means that you need to lift a few kilograms less.

Now start a full lesson consisting of, say, 10. If you feel that you cannot hold the weight after the 5th repetition, reduce it. Well, if everything is good and you can continue up to 13 repetitions, the weight should be increased. Again, it all depends on the goals you are pursuing and the training method. For example, there are workouts that involve performing several exercises in one approach. There are also workouts that involve performing exercises with light weights for a large number of repetitions. This method allows you to increase blood flow to a specific muscle group. If you expect to do 12 reps and feel you can do more, you should go heavier. If you perform a basic exercise for a minimum number of repetitions, let's say 4-6. The situation is the same here, you feel that you can do more repetitions, the movements are easy for you, lift the weight.

You should also consider what kind of exercise you are doing. If you intend to perform an isolation exercise with a short range of motion, you need to take a weight where you can do 12-20 repetitions. For example, take “ ” or “ “.

This is exactly how the scheme for selecting the right weight for a barbell or dumbbell works. I recommend everyone not to chase kilograms, because in many cases, the pursuit of greater strength leads to a violation of technique, and consequently to injury.