What’s the Right Amount of Weight to Use in My Workout?

Continuing down the list of My 7 Personal Principles of Training we get to using the appropriate amount of weight for your workouts. Yes, this one sounds more specific than the overriding principles earlier, but I feel it’s one that teaches a tangible lesson and also works to tamp down the ego.

In the principle I wrote: “Use the appropriate amount of weight. Heavy free weight, compound movements, lots of sets and reps, explosive movements. Don’t wimp out.”

Now that last part makes me laugh a little but it still hits home in that I’ve never gone to the gym with the plan to just go through the motions. Do I have some workouts where I’ve backed off the weight? Decreased the number of sets? Maybe even omitted an exercise due to a sore joint?

Absolutely.

The most important factor is to create the habit of consistency. Showing up and doing the work.

How much weight should you use?

As a rule of thumb heavier weight, low reps, and longer rest periods are great for those who want to gain strength. Moderate weights, moderate reps, and moderate rest periods are best if your goal is to add muscle size.

What are some ballpark numbers?

Strength: 3 to 6 reps, 3 to 5 minutes of rest between sets, and driving your sets to near failure. Try leaving a rep or two in the tank on most sets. Your goal is to get stronger, not annihilate your body.

Size: 6 to 12 (or even 15) reps, 1 to 3 minutes rest between sets, and reaching failure or close to it on most sets. The goal is to fatigue and recruit as many fibers as possible to stimulate a growth response.

Can you build some size with strength training? Yes. Will you get stronger training for size? Of course. These are just ballpark numbers that can also be mixed and matched if your goal is both strength and size.

Whatever your goal the most important point is to always use good form. Once your form starts to break down terminate the set and adjust the weight if necessary. Always work on your form no matter your skill level.

My intensity hack

A little trick I like to pull on myself in order to increase intensity is on my higher rep sets I like to perform perfect form on every rep. If one rep isn’t perfect then I don’t count it. So my reps could look something like this: 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. So a 10-rep set may end up actually being 12 reps overall.

It’s cruel but works in several ways. One, it forces me to go beyond what I set out to do and two, it drives discipline to always be watching my form. A tough lesson, but an effective one.

//

Whatever your goal, use the appropriate amount of weight, always perfect your form, and keep moving forward.

//

Here are all the posts related to the 7 Principles of Training:

My 7 Personal Principles of Training
Clear Your Mind Before Your Workout
How to Get Better Results From Visualizing Your Workouts
Get the Most From Your Training: Go to Work in the Gym
What’s the Right Amount of Weight to Use in My Workout
Water and Workouts: Your Overlooked Tool for Better Results
How to Modify Your Workouts to Avoid a Plateau
3 Keys to Workout Longevity