BodyWORKS
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Question: I am never sure how much I should be lifting. How do I figure it out?
Answer: It doesn’t matter what weight you lift or for how many reps as long as you are completely EXHAUSTING your muscles. That’s where the progress comes from. Some people lift very light weights – so light that they could do 20+ reps without feeling exhausted – but stop at 12-15 because those are “the rules” of lifting.
Achieving total exhaustion is key to developing more lean muscle. It will increase your metabolism as you build strength and tone your muscles, and give your metabolism a boost for several hours post-workout.
To find your ideal lifting weight, first decide how many reps you want to do, which depends on your lifting goals. To build strength, do higher weights for 6-8 reps. For overall toning, try moderate weights for 8-12 reps. And to build endurance, do lighter weights for 12-15 reps.
Once you decide your lifting and rep goals, it’s a matter of guessing and checking. Pick a weight. Within your chosen rep range, you should feel EXHAUSTED – meaning you could not possibly do another rep in good form – on the last rep.
For example, if want to do 10-12 bicep curls for overall toning, you might try 10-15 pounds. If you can do more than 12 reps, the weight is not enough. If you can’t do 10 without breaking proper form, you should lighten up a little. After a few workouts, you’ll get the idea.
Remember, the amount of weight you lift depends first on your strength training goals.
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