How Much Weight Should I Use?

Every now and then I’ll have a new client who in response to their first program will ask me, “how much weight should I use?”

I think the expected answer is X number of pounds for this, Y numbers of pounds for that, etc.

It’s really quite simple. The reps dictate the weight. So if a set in a program calls for 6 reps you would use a weight that forces you to work for 6 reps, but not a weight that would have allowed you say, 9-10 reps. My general recommendation is to train 1 rep short of failure, so that set of 6 again, would have you using a weight that you could have had you squeezing out 7 reps, perhaps even 8 … while never losing site of the goal of the set – to maximize TENSION and thus making every inch of every rep count.

Similarly, and yes, common sense to many of us, that same exercise calling for 8 reps or 10 reps would demand you use lighter weights to complete the set under the goal of “1 rep short of failure”.

Again, the reps dictate the weight.

A follow-up question might be something like, “but how do I know what weight that will be?”

Here’s the great thing; your first set will direct you to the appropriate weight for subsequent sets. Every set offers you feedback on what to do with your next set. Did you meet your rep goal with ease? Go heavier. Did you not make it to your rep goal? Go lighter. Did you get close to the goal of 1 rep short of failure? There you go. However, you also then also have to consider cumulative fatigue and ask yourself, “can I repeat this same weight for the next set?” If you barely got it, probably not, so perhaps a slight drop in load for the next working set is in order.

I tend to strive for constant weight across working sets which winds up many times becoming a reverse pyramid to maintain the rep range. Meaning, if I am doing 4×6 and using 100 lbs, I might have to drop to 95 and 90 on subsequent sets to still hit my 6 reps. Contrast this to a traditional ascending pyramid where someone might increase weight from set to set to hit their top weight on their 4th set (in this example). I don’t like this for bodybuilding/developmental purposes as if you can gradually increase weights (past warming up) then your earlier sets were obviously very submaximal efforts.

Warm up, get to your working weights, try to stay there, and drop them slightly if you need to to maintain your rep range.