Understanding Workouts – When Should I Add Weight?

When Should I Add Weight?

Progression is king in muscle building. To get bigger, you have to add more weight to the bar. Even if you are using high intensity techniques including rest-pause work, slow negative training, etc., you can’t continue to utilize the same weight and expect to add more muscles.

Here is how to add weight:

Push for as many reps as possible on every set of every workout. Never waste a set. When you can perform the recommended number of reps listed for a set, add weight the next time you perform that exercise.

For example, if you are performing squats and the workout calls for:

• Squats, 3 sets x 8 reps

If you are using 225 pounds on your first set, and can perform 8 reps, add weight the next time you hit the gym – not today. This heavier weight will most likely cause your rep total to dip to 5 to 7 reps. Don’t worry about performing fewer reps than a routine recommends.