Adding Weight vs. Reps/Sets

[Max]

For anyone that don't belong to a gym and lift at home with limited weights... I was reading somewhere that by adding a rep to an exercise each week,that it's the same as adding 2.5 pds., but it didn't specify if that was for each set of the exercise or just 1 set...does that sound right?

[BendtheBar]

Sounds like something I wrote.

Originally Posted by Max

For anyone that don't belong to a gym and lift at home with limited weights... I was reading somewhere that by adding a rep to an exercise each week,that it's the same as adding 2.5 pds., but it didn't specify if that was for each set of the exercise or just 1 set...does that sound right?

It depends on rep range and weight added.

Think of it like this....

If you are using the 5 to 8 rep range, and working a lift once a week, progression would be:

Week 1 - Squats...225 x 5 reps
Week 2 - Squats...225 x 6 reps
Week 3 - Squats...225 x 7 reps
Week 4 - Squats...225 x 8 reps

Add 5 pounds at this time and your lift increases are 60+ pounds per year. And 10 pounds and it's 120+ per year.

Pushing for one more rep per set per week will lead to rapid gains over 3 to 4 years. That's really the big point I try to make with this example. People tend to focus way too much on weight when they are best served trying for one more rep.

[Max]

Ok thanks ...I have a ways to go on bench and ohp ,but I'm maxed out on squat and dl.. and im running out of smaller regular sized weights that I can wire on to my olympic bar and I don't want to stop now. Im in the process of purchasing another olympic set..try to find some used ones.

[Max]

Didn't mean to get off topic,but according to your example, does that mean if doing a 3x5 that you need to add 1 rep each three sets or just the first set?