I receive messages asking me how heavy people should be lifting – or how much I lift on a particular exercise.
I am NOT a weight-lifter, power-lifter or body builder. I’m just someone who enjoys lifting heavy stuff every now and again and enjoy the freedom I have of being fairly strong (I like not needing to ask for help carrying things and being able to rearrange furniture without waiting for my husband to come home).
How heavy people lift depends on their goals, their current strength level and their experience in lifting (their form).
๐๏ธ The key is to not over complicate things. When first getting into training with weights, it’s going to take a bit of trial and error.
โ๏ธ In general, for a 10 rep set: Pick a weight. Can’t lift it? – go lighter. Do 10 reps… how do you feel? You want the last 2 reps to feel tough but doable, if you still feel like you could go on for a few more reps, go heavier next time.
๐ช To get stronger, you’re going to have to add progressively more weight but in order to reduce the risk of injury, don’t add more than 10% each week.
๐ฅ If you feel you can do more – go ahead – but don’t cause pain. If it feels a bit heavy, drop the ego and lower the weight.
Everyone is individual and there are different daily factors that will determine how much weight they will use on each day, sometimes we just feel weak and you know what? THAT’S OK! Pick a lower weight or choose a different exercise, don’t beat yourself up about it. Get over it, move on and try again another day.
If you are more experienced with lifting then different protocols may be more appropriate. If you want some more advice, please feel free to get in touch! โ๏ธ