Many times, people new to weightlifting have questions about what weight plates they need to get out and how much weight they should progress at a time.

To determine what weight you need, you must know what your goal for that weight training session. If you are working up to a maximum load you can lift for the last day. START with the END in mind - what’s the goal weight and how many sets do you have to get there?

Let’s go through a few examples if you are doing 5 sets of 5 repetitions of an exercise:

• Example 1:

  • Let’s say you’re trying to set a new personal record of 100 lbs. Set 5 = 100 lbs, Set 4 = 90 lbs, Set 3 = 80 lbs, Set 2 = 70 lbs, set 1= 60 lbs.

• Example 2:

  • Let’s say your goal is simply building strength and your 5 Repetition Max (RM) is 100 lbs. After a warm up set or two, you’d want to try to sustain 60-80% of your 5 RM for all five sets. Set 1 = 60 lbs, Set 2 = 65 lbs, Set 3 = 70 lbs, Set 4 = 75 lbs, Set 5 = 80 lbs.

Weight training with a goal and intention will take you further faster. Every day doesn’t have to be the day you set a new personal record. BUT you should have a purpose in the bigger picture of your training.

If you have any specific questions related to your situation, we’d love to chat! Fill out the form below.