That, my friend, is a good question and one that’s difficult to answer without seeing you in person, knowing the exercises you’re performing, or what you want to achieve.
- The only general rule of thumb when it comes to how much weight you should lift seems to be that by the end of your reps you should be really struggling to do the exercise without sacrificing your form
- Remember to adjust the weight you are lifting depending on what muscle group you are exercising
- Don’t try to lift a weight that is too heavy – listen to your own body
- If you’re looking to improve your endurance, you might need to go for a lighter weight, and if you want to build your strength, you might need something a bit heavier
- If you are finding it too easy to complete a rep it’s a sure sign you need to move up to the next weight
But if you’re still confused, fear not, there are a number of great videos about this very subject.
First off, in this clear and informative vid, Daniel and Kelly from Fitness Blender explore the topic and offer some ‘weighty’ (omg lol) solutions.
How Much Weight Should I be Lifting for Best Results by Fitness Blender
If you’ve got a specific goal and you’re not sure whether you should be opting for teeny tiny hand-weights or gargantuan bar bells (clue, it’s neither) Coach Rob from 3Strong Fitness is your man. And if get nothing else from this video, it’s always good to see a professional struggle to lift a heavy weight.
How Much Weight Should I Lift? By 3StrongVideos
Finally, we’ve got Coach Lav from GoodLife Fitness. This video focuses on Body Pump group exercise classes but her teachings can be applied to any gym routine. The good thing about doing group exercise is that your instructor can help guide you with your choice of weights but again it’s all about trial and error and how many reps you can comfortably do with each weight.