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Q & A: How Much Weight Should I Lift

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Q: How much weight should I lift?

A: It depends. A good rule of thumb for your weight training is to use a weight that’s challenging but allows you to complete all your repetitions (reps) with proper form. If the last 1-2 reps aren’t hard, it’s too light; if the speed, or tempo, of your reps drops off significantly during the set or you can’t complete all your reps, it’s too heavy (note exceptions below). You want to challenge yourself with weight without sacrificing technique—guys often go too heavy; women tend to go too light at first. Most importantly, make it a goal to improve the quality of your movement with every repetition. When you move better, you perform better.

What to Lift When…

Learning New Exercises. If it’s your first time trying a move, err on the side of caution. Go light. Try it with just your bodyweight first. You can also draw a relationship between certain movements, such as flat bench press and incline bench press, or front squat and back squat. So even if you’ve never performed a particular exercise, you’ve likely performed a similar movement pattern, which should give you an idea of how much weight to choose. Over the course of a couple workouts, you’ll find the appropriate weight. At first, simply focus on learning proper technique. Once you’ve honed the skill, it will be far easier to move more weight, and you’ll derive greater benefits as a result.

Training for Power. Your goal is to move fast when training for power (a combination of speed and strength). Typically, with explosive moves, you should focus more on using a moderate resistance and moving it quickly (keeping it under control, of course). If you’re unable to perform a movement explosively—for instance, if the weight of a medicine ball doesn’t allow you to move properly—then the weight is either too light or too heavy. Either case—too light or too heavy—could disrupt your technique when trying to move explosively. For explosive drills, the end of the set shouldn’t necessarily feel harder. Your effort level should remain relatively high throughout the set.

Waking up Sleepy Areas. Sometimes the goal with certain movements is to simply activate a muscle that’s not functioning optimally. For instance, since many of us spend so much time sitting on our butts and not being active, it’s important to activate the glutes at the start of a training session. Movements in the Prehab portion of your Core Performance training program often focus on doing just this. For these movements, don’t worry about how much weight you lift—the majority of these moves only use your bodyweight anyway. If you’re able to activate the intended muscles, then you’re accomplishing the goal.

Progressing in Your Plan. In Core Performance training programs, when you’re in a training phase with fewer reps, increase the weight. When the reps increase, decrease the weight accordingly. By how much? Again, this depends on the exercise you’re doing and how much weight you’re currently lifting. The more weight you’re handling, the larger the jump in weight could be. Alternatively, if you’re lifting 5 pounds, an increase of 1 pound is significant. Make the smallest incremental changes in weight, and then adjust as need. Always use a spotter.

About the Author
Craig Friedman  |  Vice President of Innovative Team

Craig brings a variety of performance training experience to the Athletes' Performance staff, including work at the International Performance Institute, extensive time traveling on the WTA professional tennis tour, consulting with a variety of training centers across the country, and lecturing at conferences and in the classroom both nationally and internationally.

As Director of Methodology for Athletes' Performance, Craig designs and implements performance training systems for professional athletes of all sports as well as elite youth through college athletes. He also continues to specialize in MLB spring training preparation at the Arizona facility and served as a Performance Specialist for the German National Soccer Team during their run to a 3rd place finish at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

He is also involved with numerous developmental initiatives integrating performance training and technology for both Athletes' Performance and Core Performance as a leader of the Performance Innovation Team at Athletes' Performance.

Craig received both his MS and BS degrees from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he worked with the Women's Athletic Training Department. He gained additional experience as a graduate assistant at the University of Arizona as the Assistant Football Athletic Trainer, where he was responsible for the acute care, assessment, and rehabilitation of injured players before shifting his emphasis toward performance training.