Thread: Strength Training?

I'll give you my methodology, others' may vary but the common thread is to always increase either weight or reps **if you can**.

You need to understand the concept of "Repetition Maximum", usually abbreviated as RM.

1RM is the absolute maximum weight you can successfully use in a particular exercise, with a complete full range of motion, for one repetition.

10RM is the amount of weight you can do 10 repetitions of an exercise with, such that if you tried to do an 11th rep, you wouldn't be able to do it, or would need to 'cheat' and use bad form to complete it.

My methodology:
After a warmup, I set up a bar or a machine with my 'working weight', ie. whatever weight I last finished with. That would be my 10RM weight.
My goal is 10 reps, but if, after the 10th rep I think I can do another rep with good form, I try, and if I still feel like I can do another rep, I try again.
If I manage to do 12 reps, I increase the weight.
Depending on the weight increment, sometimes I can only do 8 reps on the next set. That's okay.
I finish my three sets with that new weight, which will be the weight I use to begin (after a warmup) the next time I do that exercise.

For example:
Bench press. I used 80 kilos the last time I did the exercise, so I start this time with 80 kilos.
First set: I manage to do 12 reps. That means 80 kilos is too easy, so I add 5 kilos.
Second set: 85 kilos, I manage 9 reps.
Third set: I only manage 8 reps.

The next time I bench press, I will begin with 85 kilos. 85 kilos is my new 10RM weight.

There are other methodologies, and programs which have different methods of determining weight or rep progression, but they all have in them a demand that you use the extra strength you built up in your previous session to lift more in the current session.

I like to keep things simple, so my philosophy is: If you can move a weight 12 times, it's too light.

Now, it sounds like you're a beginner, so I'll add some advice: You may not always increase weight or reps every week. In fact, sometimes you'll manage less reps than you did the week before, we all have bad days and good days. But don't lower your working weight! Never go backwards. Always try to get to that 12th rep so you can add more weight, but don't lower the weight so you can do 10.

Now if you look at a 5x5, 5/3/1, German Volume Training or other programs, you'll see a different methodology applied when determining weight increases. However for general weight training, I think the way I outlined above is probably one of the most common ones, is simple, and effective.