Heavier weights each week?

[Woody_London]

I am new to this weightlifting malarky and have a couple of questions.

I am following the MAX-OT workout prinicples of 4-6 reps. Should I be adding more weight than I lifted the previous week each week I do a body part? For example when doing Bicep Curls I can lift 35kg, but I have been stuck on this weight for three weeks now. I can't curl 40kg. Is this normal? How often should I be adding weight?

Secondly what do you do when you can do six reps with a weight but if you go up to the next weight you can't do 1 or only a couple or reps?

I am eating a 3,000 calorie a day diet with 2lb of protein per lb of bodyweight, so it's not that.

Thanks for your help.

 

[cman]

What is the smallest weight you have?

 

[Woody_London]

What is the smallest weight you have?

I think they go as low as 2.5kg. (God knows why they are in kg)

 

[Robboe]

The best way i've found to make progress is via weight and/or reps. Therefore, always aim for at least one more rep with the same weight that you managed the week prior, or use a heavier weight on the same exercise, but within your allocated rep range.

So, for example, bench:

week 1: 70kg for 6 reps.
week 2: 70kg for 7 reps.
week 3: 70kg for 8 reps.
week 4: 75kg for 6 reps.

Now, this example is in a perfect world, because some weeks other variables may affect your performance for better or for worse. By this i mean that you may have a day where you feel strong as a bull and can manage a lot more reps with your workout weight, so jump the weight right up to test yourself (with good form). Other weeks you may be stressed or malnourished so you may even regress in your attempts, but hell, such is life.

That's the general guideline i go by.

 

[Flex]

I am eating a 3,000 calorie a day diet with 2lb of protein per lb of bodyweight, so it's not that.

That's a helluva lot of protein

As far as the weight is concerned, TCD's example is exactly why i don't care about the weights i'm moving.

He said "some weeks other variables may affect your performance for better or for worse. By this i mean that you may have a day where you feel strong as a bull and can manage a lot more reps with your workout weight, so jump the weight right up to test yourself (with good form). Other weeks you may be stressed or malnourished so you may even regress in your attempts, but hell, such is life."

Personally i find there are SO many variables that are outta your control that affect your strength, that weight moved isn't a good basis to judge by.

Now obviously if you're maxing out @ 250lb on the bench, then in a few months you're pushin' 300, you're gaining.

But week-to-week its just TOO hard to judge. Be it a high level or low level psych. motivation, actual physical energy, stress, soreness, malnourishment, lack of sleep etc. etc., it's just impossible to tell how you're going along.

 

[LAM]

The best way i've found to make progress is via weight and/or reps. Therefore, always aim for at least one more rep with the same weight that you managed the week prior, or use a heavier weight on the same exercise, but within your allocated rep range.

ditto...

 

[Mudge]

I think they go as low as 2.5kg. (God knows why they are in kg)

Because you live in a country that uses the metric system. Why the jump from 35 to 40kg, is there not a 37.5kg or something between?

 

[Woody_London]

Because you live in a country that uses the metric system. Why the jump from 35 to 40kg, is there not a 37.5kg or something between?

Nobody I know in London uses kg we all use lbs. We also say mile not Kilometer and inch and not centemeter.

Anyway, no there isn't. It goes up in 5s

 

[Robboe]

You can buy 1.25kg plates online.

I did.

Just make sure they're for olympic bars and not the home-gym shi'ite sized bars.

 

[musclepump]

Your muscles don't know how much weight they're pushing. Your mind does. Your muscles only know how much stress they're under; so stress them more, worry less about the weight. Negatives are a great way to keep a weight but add a ton of stress.

 

[Mudge]

Nobody I know in London uses kg we all use lbs. We also say mile not Kilometer and inch and not centemeter.

I stand corrected, I thought you guys were a little more advanced

 

[CowPimp]

I stand corrected, I thought you guys were a little more advanced

Indeed. Pounds isn't even accurate. Pounds is a unit of measurement for weight, not mass. The weight of the plates depends on what angle you are moving them in. For example, 1000 pounds on the leg press is not truly 1000 pounds. Assuming a 45 degree incline, the force of gravity is only 70.7%.

Kilograms is actually a measurement of mass. We should be using slugs if we wanted to be accurate while staying in the english system.

 

[Mudge]

When a kilogram is equal to 2.2 pounds I dont see any significance

 

[monkeyd]

As long as you're on Earth, and lifting the weight in a true vertical plane, nothing to worry about Mudge

 

[P-funk]

Indeed. Pounds isn't even accurate. Pounds is a unit of measurement for weight, not mass. The weight of the plates depends on what angle you are moving them in. For example, 1000 pounds on the leg press is not truly 1000 pounds. Assuming a 45 degree incline, the force of gravity is only 70.7%.

Kilograms is actually a measurement of mass. We should be using slugs if we wanted to be accurate while staying in the english system.

Are you talking about lbs in relation to phyiscs. Froce arm, lever arm, etc.......force inches. A 20lb dumbell lateral raises is a different amount of weight (in force inchese) for every person depending on force arm and lever arm and muscle attachment.....Is that what you are getting at pimp?

 

[Mudge]

Yes I think we all know that its not linear, and sometimes 800 pounds on a sled is not giong to feel like 800 pounds completely upright.

But if a pound can DIRECTLY equal a given amount of kilograms I dont see any break in the relationship of the same situation.

 

[CowPimp]

Yes I think we all know that its not linear, and sometimes 800 pounds on a sled is not giong to feel like 800 pounds completely upright.

But if a pound can DIRECTLY equal a given amount of kilograms I dont see any break in the relationship of the same situation.

It can't equal a given amount of kilograms unless the weight is moving in a completely vertical plane. It can, however. equal a given amount of newtons.

 

[CowPimp]

Are you talking about lbs in relation to phyiscs. Froce arm, lever arm, etc.......force inches. A 20lb dumbell lateral raises is a different amount of weight (in force inchese) for every person depending on force arm and lever arm and muscle attachment.....Is that what you are getting at pimp?

Yes, torque is also part of the reason why I stated what I did.

 

[P-funk]

Yes, torque is also part of the reason why I stated what I did.

I knew I liked you Pimp.

 

[michael74737]

I am new to this weightlifting malarky and have a couple of questions.

I am following the MAX-OT workout prinicples of 4-6 reps. Should I be adding more weight than I lifted the previous week each week I do a body part? For example when doing Bicep Curls I can lift 35kg, but I have been stuck on this weight for three weeks now. I can't curl 40kg. Is this normal? How often should I be adding weight?

Secondly what do you do when you can do six reps with a weight but if you go up to the next weight you can't do 1 or only a couple or reps?

I am eating a 3,000 calorie a day diet with 2lb of protein per lb of bodyweight, so it's not that.

Thanks for your help.

whoa. dont u mean 2rgams of protein per lb of bodyweight?

Because otherwise you would be eating more then two itmes ur body weight each day.