Strength Training: How To Pick The Right Weight

Trying to pick the right amount of weight to lift as a strength training beginner can be challenging if you don’t know where to start and are going it alone without a personal trainer by your side.

But not to worry, because I have several tips to help get you started on your weight training journey that will help you pick the correct weight to lift every time.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog does not substitute the advice of a doctor or fitness professional. Please consult your doctor before starting a new exercise routine and a certified professional trainer for weight training guidance.

1. Ensure You Have a Variety of Weights Available

Different muscle groups require different amounts of weight for them to be doable – there is no one size fits all weight for every move. For example, you can probably lift a heavier weight when performing a bicep curl then you can when you perform a tricep kick-back.

In comparison, lifts or presses involving your legs (like squats, lunges or deadlifts) would require a heavier weight, as the muscle groups in your legs and glutes are larger and more powerful than the ones in your arms.

As you experiment with different movements for different body types, you will quickly learn that you will need to change the amount of weight you lift based on the movement and muscle group you are working.

If you are using a public gym, a variety of weights should be available to you to choose from. However, if you plan to work out at home, like I do, invest in pairs of dumbbells ranging from 5, 8 and 10 pounds to start.

As you progress, you will get better at determining how much weight you need to lift and can gradually start to use heavier weights as you get stronger. I ordered my dumbbells from Walmart and Amazon and had them shipped to my door, to the mailman’s dismay.

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2. Make Sure You Can Perform All Repetitions With Good Form

When resistance training, it’s important to ensure that you can find a challenging weight that will allow you to maintain proper form throughout the exercise.

Either through the instruction of a personal trainer, or another resource, ensure you know how you should be performing the exercise to avoid injury and target the correct muscles first and foremost.

If you are struggling to maintain proper form with the weight your are using or feel any discomfort in your muscles or joints, consider dropping down 2-3 pounds and trying the exercise again. If you think you can speed up the muscle-building process by using a super-heavy weight and not maintaining proper form, YOU’RE WRONG and you could seriously injure yourself.

Don’t be a hero; drop the weight and do it right. There is nothing wrong with stopping in the middle of your set and selecting a lower weight in order to finish safely.

If you need some at home assistance, check out Melissa Bender and Fitness Blender on YouTube for their resistance training routines. They provide great instruction to help you understand how to safely perform each exercise using proper form. I also have the P90X series on DVD, which provides useful direction on proper form.

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3. Make Sure The Last 1-2 Reps are Difficult

When performing weight lifting exercises, you normally perform a certain set of repetitions (let’s say 8-10 reps) for 2-3 sets (or rounds). In order to build muscle, you want to select a weight for strength training that challenges you during the last 1-2 repetitions of each set of the same exercise.

This will ensure that you are fatiguing the muscle as you reach the end of your repetitions, but not to the point that you can’t complete the set and/or possibly injure yourself.

If you can blast through 10 reps without breaking a sweat, your weight is too light; try increasing the weight by 2-3 pounds and try again. As you can see, picking the right weight for strength training can be a bit of trial and error at first!

Increase the weight as needed until you feel you are struggling during the last couple repetitions. You may find you need to lower your weight during the remaining sets as your muscles get more fatigued and your form starts to suffer.

Don’t feel bad! Always lower your weight if you need to to avoid stress or injury to your muscles or joints.

As long as you continue to challenge your muscles, it doesn’t matter what weight you are using. Don’t get caught up in the numbers.

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4. As You Adapt, Up Your Weight

Over time, you will find that you are able to complete all your repetitions with less effort and will need to adjust the amount of weight you use.

This is because weight-training causes tiny tears in the muscle after each workout that your body then repairs.

With each repair, your muscles become stronger and therefore capable of lifting more weight.

Honestly assess your progress over time and increase your weight if you are no longer struggling during the last couple repetitions (assuming you want to continue to build muscle). Tracking how much you are lifting and the number of sets and reps completed for each exercise can help you monitor this as well.

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Hopefully these tips help you pick the right weight for strength training so you can build muscle effectively and safely!

Note: The information provided in this blog does not substitute the advice of a doctor or fitness professional. Please consult your doctor before starting a new exercise routine and a certified professional trainer for weight training guidance.