The basis of any workout in the gym is the working weight and the number of approaches. These are two inseparable concepts, therefore we will consider them within the framework of one topic. Below we will analyze the principles and rules of weight selection for different categories of athletes.
For those who are in the hall for the first time
If this is your first time going to the gym, you need to take into account your preparation. Often there is none at all. How to determine the working weight in this case? So far - no way.
People from that and go to swing, which is "already impatient." Therefore, the first training is a very important moment. If you get a bad impression from (or after) it, you will not come here a second time.
Usually the number of approaches and weight is selected by the trainer. Wait! Does the coach have the necessary education, courses? Or is it just a homegrown jock who made rapid progression in bad ways? They are to be feared.
The first workout should be introductory. We recommend that you do not select weights yet, but take what is not difficult for you at the moment. That is, if this is a barbell, then one that you can easily lift. After all, you will lift the barbell repeatedly, so even the weight that seems too light for one concept will give a noticeable load on the muscles. This is important not only for beginners, but also for children weakened by a long break.
So, why is it important to work with minimal weights in the first workout:
- Your muscles don't know what iron is.
- You don't have enough stamina yet.
- You don't know how to exercise.
Simply put, you will easily develop a strain, or your muscles will be sore for a week after a workout. Believe me, after such a second time, you are unlikely to want to come to the gym.
Competent weight selection at the first visit - an empty neck for the bench press, dumbbells 2-5 kg for other exercises. If you want to squat, empty bar. Learn the technique! And if the trainer tells you that the weight is light and you need to add - do not listen to him. This is the first workout.
There have been many cases when, after such training, a person has a fever for a week, and he cannot either bend his arms or straighten them. Why do you need it?
The first workout is a minimum of weights. The same applies to the number of approaches. We recommend doing 2 sets. But the program can be taken from the coach. Or let the coach show you what to do that day.
Example for beginners
The trainer told you to do 3 sets for all exercises. Reps 10-15. Your task is to do 2 sets with the same number of repetitions. For bench/squat/deadlift it is better to take an empty neck or add 10 kg. Flexion-extension of arms, dumbbell press - 5-6 kg. And isolated shoulder exercises are best done with 3-4 kg. You will understand why.
If everything will be given very easily, most likely you are doing it wrong. In the case of, for example, if it’s easy for you, then most likely you bend your arms a lot, or you didn’t turn your elbows up. Wrong technique is easier to do. Remember!
After a long break
After a forced break in training, we recommend doing 2 sets, instead of 3 or 4. And take 50% of the weights that you were doing when you were still training. Yes, muscles will ache after training. Strongly. But it's not like you're off the schedule for a week.
In the future, you will gradually return to your working weights and begin to progress.
Start small and increase the weight in each approach: for a barbell - by 10 kg, for dumbbells - by 2. You definitely won't miss!
Bench press example
Warm-up - empty bar, 20 times. We hang 10 kg, do the approach. We hang 10 more, we work. And so we reach 60 kg. If in some approach it became difficult, then you do not need to increase the weight in this workout. In the future, when it becomes difficult, add 1-2 kg and look at the result.
Weight selection during training
Now you know where to start training for the first time or after a long break.
What to do next? And then we will learn to listen to your body and predict the desired weight.
The principle of any progress is to work at the maximum, “to failure”. The state of "failure" is a special feeling when you can no longer do a single repetition. Failure may come earlier than planned if you have chosen too much weight. And later, if you made a mistake in the smaller side.
For muscle growth, failure should occur within 6-12 repetitions. If less, you work for strength, if more, for endurance. Therefore, the weight is selected so that you can do at least 6 repetitions with it, but you cannot do more than 12. How to guess this weight? Trial and error method.
The first approach in any exercise is a warm-up. For example, before a bench press, you take an empty bar and do 15-20 repetitions with it. At this point, you can already feel how easy it is for you. You can compare this feeling with the last workout and roughly calculate the weight for this one.
When you start with light weights and gradually increase them, at some point you will get that precious number of kg with which you will work "to failure". This must come to pass.
From workout to workout, this weight will increase. Slowly, but it will, believe me. Thus, when the desired number of repetitions (6-12) and this weight is easy for you - a good sign to add 1-2 kg to the bar. Or increase the number of repetitions if you do them less than 12. And then increase the working weight anyway, returning to the previous number of repetitions.
Picking up the right weight right away, especially during the first workouts, is a mission impossible. That is why we start small. And the body already decides for itself what it has a lot of, and what is just right.
The dependence of weights on training goals
When choosing weight, you can focus on the following criteria:
- If your goal is muscle and mass growth, failure should occur at 6-12 repetitions, as mentioned earlier. If it comes, say, on the eighth repetition - try to perform the next workout 9. Then 10, 11, 12. After you master 12 approaches - add weight to the bar.
- If your task is to increase strength, weights are taken more significant. Failure should occur up to 6 repetitions. And there are few repetitions in the approaches.
- If you are working on endurance, the working weight is reduced so that you can do more repetitions. Failure should not occur at 12 repetitions, but at 30. In general, it’s better to start running. In your case, it is important to choose the sport, not the number of kg.
- Recovery from sprains requires light weights. For a very long time (months) you need to deal with light weights, strengthening the healed ligaments. Haste is dangerous and inappropriate.
How to be girls
It doesn't matter what gender you are. The mechanism of muscle progress is the same for everyone. It's just that the weights will be different. A man squats with a weight of 100 kg, and a woman - 30-50, for example. The feeling is the same, the rejection is the same. The principles are the same, so feel free to use the above recommendations.
Choosing the weight of dumbbells for women is devoted to a separate article on our website.
What to do during the plateau
When you don’t feel a surge of strength for a long time, and your results barely stay at the same level, this means one thing - you have reached a plateau of your capabilities. Strength is not growing, there is no progress. And a bad mood and weak self-confidence often leads to a "rollback" of power.
Now you need to be patient and work hard in the gym. Let the weights be the same. Try to increase them by 0.5 kg, at a minimum. Review your lifestyle. Maybe it's not about training at all?
There is an opinion that in order to overcome the plateau during training, you need to lose working weight. As a rule, this option is good for those who take pharmacology, that is, for professional bodybuilders. Therefore, just be patient and keep the level that you have achieved. In 90% of cases progress will come.
- Keep a workout diary. It should contain the date of the lesson, the name of the exercise, the number of approaches and repetitions done, weights. You can choose the right working weight based on your own records. Your diary is the best guide to how much weight to start with after a break, or where to start your next workout.
- Don't drastically increase weight. Many beginners do this: in the first workout they shook an empty bar (20 kg), in the second it was already 50 kg. This is stress on the muscles. Not everyone will get through this easily. It is optimal to take a step of 10 kg. And if you have already been engaged, you can raise the working weight by 40 kg in 4 sets. At the same time, you will learn what your muscles are capable of now.
- When you immediately take the weight you need, you can make a mistake. That is, choose a heavy barbell weight. This will cause you to get tired before the working sets are over. There is no need for any perseverance - remove a couple of pancakes from the bar.
- Working "to failure" in the first workout is very dangerous. Like the second one. The body should get used to the loads within a month. During this period, your task is not to chase the weights, but to work out the technique. If you can do more, that's good (which is what happens most of the time). Work on the movements, strengthen the ligaments.
In this article, we will talk about such a problem and the eternal question among beginner athletes - “How to choose the right weight for training?”. This is perhaps the first problem that a beginner who has come to the gym has to face. Choosing the right weight for each exercise is quite a challenge for a beginner.
To choose the right weight, you must first determine the goals that you are pursuing. For example, if you need to gain muscle mass, then you need to perform exercises for the minimum number of repetitions with a lot of weight. If you want to lose weight, in this case you need to use smaller weights for a large number of repetitions, plus cardio loads that need to be included in any one in order to pump not only the muscles of the body, but also expand the volume of the heart.
Let's figure it out. If you just came to the gym and are generally not aware of everything that is happening around, are not familiar with exercise techniques, do not know how certain simulators work and which muscle groups are pumped, in this case you should take the minimum weights and learn the technique of each exercises, and then gradually increase the load. First, you must familiarize yourself with each exercise, understand what you can do, what you should not do, so as not to injure yourself. If you are one of the beginner athletes, I advise you to familiarize yourself with the technique of each exercise in more detail in this section -.
So, let's say you are familiar with the correct execution of the exercises. How to choose the right weight for a barbell or dumbbell? First of all, you should choose such a burden so that the last repetition is really the last. You should not be enough for 13 repetitions if there are only 12 repetitions. At the same time, if you aim to do 10-12 repetitions, it turns out to perform somehow 6-8 repetitions. In the first case, if you do more reps than you intended, the weight is too light. In the second option, the weight of the barbell or dumbbell was chosen too large.
How to solve this problem and choose the working weight? That's how! Take the load that you think is on your shoulder and start moving from the starting position, bringing the weight to the extreme position. At the top point, hold the dumbbell or barbell for 1-2 seconds, then start moving in the reverse order. If you could not hold the weight at the top point, where your muscles are maximally contracted, this means that you need to take a few pounds less.
Now start a full lesson consisting of, say, 10 . If you feel like you can't hold the weight at 5 reps, drop it. Well, if everything is good, and you can continue to 13 repetitions, the weight should be increased. Again, it all depends on the goals that you are pursuing and on the method of training. For example, there are workouts that involve performing several exercises in one go. There are also workouts that involve performing exercises with low weight for a large number of repetitions. This method allows you to increase blood flow to a specific muscle group. If you expect to do 12 reps, but feel like you can do more, then you should use more weight. If you are doing a basic exercise for a minimum number of repetitions, let's say 4-6. Here the situation is the same, you feel that you can do more repetitions, movements are easy for you, lift the weight.
Also, you should consider what exercise you are doing. If you intend to perform an isolation exercise with a short range of motion, there you need to take a weight where you can do from 12-20 repetitions. For example, take “ ” or “ “.
This is how the scheme for selecting the correct weight for a barbell or dumbbell works. I recommend everyone not to chase kilograms, because in many cases, the pursuit of great power leads to a violation of technique, and consequently to injury.
Master of all site and fitness trainer | more >>
Genus. 1984 Trained since 1999. Trained since 2007. CCM in powerlifting. Champion of Russia and the South of Russia according to AWPC. Champion of the Krasnodar Territory according to IPF. 1st category in weightlifting. 2-time winner of the championship of the Krasnodar Territory in t / a. Author of over 700 articles on fitness and amateur athleticism. Author and co-author of 5 books.
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Date of: 2014-04-17 Views: 32 929 Grade: 4.9
Nobody can answer this question for you. Only 2 people in the whole world can answer this question: 1.
Your trainer who personally trains you. 2.
You yourself. Obviously, since you are asking this question, you do not have a coach. Therefore, only you yourself can choose the weight you need in a particular exercise by trial and error. In absentia, no one will answer this question for you. It's unrealistic. Even if you take beginners of the same gender, weight and age, then their strength indicators can differ by 2-3 times. How then to choose the weight for yourself?
But this is a more intelligible question. 1. Obviously, the weight should be such that you can do the right number of repetitions in a particular exercise. 2. In doing so, you must do this number of repetitions with difficulty. So that the last few repetitions are hard for you. 3. But you should have a margin for another 2 to 4 repetitions. Since beginners do not need to do the “back to back” approaches at first. It's unnecessary and dangerous. This only applies to beginners. 4. And you must do the right number of repetitions in all working sets. Obviously, if you can do this, then you have a reserve and you have completed step 3. Using these four principles, you can quickly find a weight for yourself.
What if I don't know how many reps I need to do?
In general, in all programs on this site the number of repetitions is indicated. But since you're asking this question, two things are obvious:
- The program is not taken from this site.
- The program does not specify the number of repetitions.
- not less than 8;
- no more than 20.
Asking on the Internet what weights you should take in training is absolutely pointless!
By the way, you can order yourself from Timko Ilya - the author of this article and this site.
Found an error in the article? Select it with the mouse and click Ctrl+Enter. And we will fix it!
Every girl wants to have elastic buttocks and inflated hips. After all, it is these parts of the body that attract male attention like a magnet. As you know, a very good result can be achieved if you squat with a barbell. This exercise is very dangerous, because performing it, you can get injured. How to avoid this trouble, today we will talk about it and solve this problem. Go!
The benefits of squats
Squats are the most effective exercise for working out the hips and buttocks. These muscles are very important for girls, as much more attention is paid to the legs and buttocks than to the chest.
Squatting at home without weight is, of course, very good. However, this is not very efficient. There are many cases when girls performed several hundred squats daily. At the same time, their legs remained the same thin. This means that you need to deal with additional weight. There are several options for home practice:
- Squats with dumbbells or other weights.
- Squats on one leg.
- You can ask your younger brother or sister to sit on your shoulders. After that, start squatting with them.
Of course, these exercises will give you a positive effect. However, for their implementation it is necessary to refine and constantly invent something. All in all, deal with, which is not very pleasant to the fair sex. Therefore, it is better to go to the gym.
Rules and errors
The barbell squat is by far the best leg and glute exercise. However, in order for it to bring results and not injure you, you must follow the technique for its implementation:
During squats, it is necessary to breathe correctly: exhale with effort, and inhale with relaxation . Do not forget about the deflection in the lower back. First, it will make her stronger. Secondly, it will not let you get injured.
The following mistakes must be avoided:
To avoid getting hurt, you must follow the rules of squats. Girls need to pay special attention to their thoughts during the half-move. Quite often they are distracting and contribute to the violation of technology.
Implementation options
In addition to the classic squat, there are many other options for performing:
The selection of the working weight is a very important process. Of course, it may seem boring and uninteresting to you, but without it there is no point in moving on. So what is working weight? This is the weight with which you can perform no more than 15 reps in one set.
For progress and muscle growth, it must be constantly increased. Increase the number of repetitions each workout. When you feel that you can do more than 12 times, feel free to increase the weight.
Before working with this weight, you need to do several warm-up approaches. For example, your working weight is 50 kilograms. After performing the warm-up exercises, it is necessary to do the first warm-up approach - with an empty bar. You should get about 20 repetitions. After that, add 10 kilograms until you reach the working weight.
If your working weight is very large, steps between warm-up approaches should be more than ten kilograms. The ideal number of warm-up sets is three to five.
How many kilograms should be taken in squats with a barbell? For girls, the weight should not be too large. First of all, it should not cause discomfort. You should be comfortable doing the approach.
So, you first came to the hall. Now you need to warm up your joints and ligaments well. To do this, you can perform 20-30 squats with your own weight and run for 5-7 minutes on a treadmill. Next, follow these steps:
You need to remember this weight. That's all for today with squats. If you want to work more on your hips, head to the cable machines.
After a week, try the set with the weight you recorded in the previous workout. Chances are you can do 12 reps with difficulty.. Excellent - you have chosen the weight with which you will work.
Now your goal is growth in every workout. Increase in weight and reps. Just don't overdo it! Weight gain should not be an end in itself, but a side effect of your proper training.
Certainly, after a few months training squats alone will not be enough for you. To get the most out of your hips and glutes, you can combine squats with the following exercises:
In conclusion, I would like to give you a few recommendations that will increase the effectiveness of your training and make you a more attractive girl:
In between sets and squat with a barbell, walk around the gym. The blood in your legs should not stagnate.
The number of repetitions in the approach must be chosen based on your goal. If you want to increase the muscle mass of the thighs and buttocks, do no more than 12 repetitions. And to work out the relief, do 20 repetitions. The optimal rest time between sets is 2-3 minutes.
Don't neglect calf training, they also play a role in giving sexy shape to your legs. . To work them out, perform lifts on socks with dumbbells or in the simulator.
Leg training is a big challenge for your respiratory system. Have you ever noticed that it is after squats that you run out of breath? Do jogging or cycling 2 times a week to avoid this. Firstly, it is also a load on the legs. Secondly, barbell squats will be easier for you, and therefore, you will grow much faster.
After strength training of the legs, it is necessary to perform a hitch. The best option is stretching exercises. Believe me, if you spend 15-20 minutes after training on developing the elasticity of your hips and buttocks, they will grow faster. Moreover, plastic women look very beautiful.
The figure is the basis of female attractiveness. Therefore, it is necessary to develop your body evenly and not neglect other muscle groups.
Now you know everything about barbell squats. In a week you will see the first results, and after 4-5 months you will become a happy owner of chiseled legs and elastic buttocks. Every man, looking at you, will think: “She must be playing sports, cool girl.” Want it to be like this? Take action! I wish you success!
Attention, only TODAY!
Greetings, my dear readers, subscribers and other passing personalities! Today we are waiting for a small, but no less valuable note. And its value lies in the fact that it is practical and directly related to the results of training. Her next topic is ? After reading, you will find out on the basis of what considerations you need to select the weight of the burden and compare whether you are carrying a feasible burden every time in training.
Let's not put things off indefinitely, let's go.
How to choose the right dumbbell weight: basic principles
Well, I would like to start with the fact that one extraordinary situation that happened within the walls of my native rocking chair served as a magic pendel for writing this article. If you don’t know, then summer is just around the corner, which means that it is during the spring-drip period that gyms / fitness rooms begin to simply burst from the influx of visitors who want to put their body in order in a short time. The idea is undoubtedly good, but sometimes in such an arms race for a sculpted body, many fundamental components suffer, such as the duration of classes, the frequency of training and, of course, the correct choice of the weight of shells. (including dumbbells).
So, in the early Saturday morning, pioneers (at once) visited our rocking chair about 10 newcomers of different sex and religion :). Everyone had their own goals, but for some reason they all clustered at the racks with dumbbells and tormented only by these shells. It is worth saying that the choice is quite good, especially for a beginner, who is a novelty for him, his eyes run around, and the same question constantly revolves in his head: “what is this one for?”.
Note:
Your humble servant always tries to be involved, or at least curious, in order to notice for himself what difficulties each particular newcomer faces. Many people think that all trainee mistakes are similar and the same, for the most part this is true, but there are many non-trivial situations that require separate analysis.
I monitored our company for several minutes and realized that the main reason for all their mistakes was the incorrectly selected weight of the projectile in each specific exercise. Someone took too much and tried to do a large number of repetitions, someone, on the contrary, too few (mostly girls) and nothing good came of it either. And then it dawned on me, but the question is not so simple, especially for a beginner. It has its own technologies, schemes, which few people know about. That's what I decided to tell, in full, in this note.
I have such an assumption that most gym visitors select the weight of the projectile for themselves using the scientific poke method, i.e. guessed or not guessed. Of course, at first it takes place, but it is better to adhere to some general scheme or set of rules regarding the choice of a feasible burden. We will get to know them further, but let's first recall such a phenomenon in bodybuilding (and not only) as muscle failure.
Note:
All further narration will proceed in parts, in the form of answers to questions.
What is muscle failure
If you think that the question of how to choose the right weight for dumbbells and the topic of muscle failure are not related, you are deeply mistaken. Who does not know what it is and wants to fully learn about this phenomenon, then read the corresponding article:. In a nutshell, failure is a critical point, which is characterized by a muscular inability to complete the next repetition in proper form. (with the right technique). In other words, it becomes impossible to perform the subsequent repetition with the correct technique without the use of outside help. Therefore, if you feel that the “muscle has died” (clogged), do not try to start a new repetition - just finish the exercise.
For example, if you are doing a dumbbell curl with 15 kg with a dumbbell and have already done 12 repetitions, but you feel that you can’t do another repetition, this means reaching muscle failure of the biceps of the shoulder in 12 -ty repetitions.
How to choose the right dumbbell weight for a particular exercise
Your choice of exercise weight will be based on the number of reps you want to complete. If your standard training program for 10-12 repetitions, it is necessary to select a weight that will allow you to achieve muscle failure in a given range of repetitions. And the last 1-2 repetitions should go critically hard, but with the right technique and independently.
If you are still tormented by doubts about how many approaches and repetitions you need to do, then read the relevant notes:,.
In general, in choosing a weight, adhere to the following 5 steps:
- set the required number of repetitions (for example, take 10-12 ) ;
- choose the weight you think will work 10-12 reps to failure with proper technique;
- if you have done everything 10-12 reps, save the weight and use in the next set;
- if you have not reached the lower limit in 10 repetitions (performed only 8 ) , then reduce the weight of the projectile;
- if you ran away 12 repetitions, then slightly increase the weight.
For a beginner (especially at first) it is critical to keep a journal in which you need to enter the weights used for each exercise in a given rep range.
When can I increase the weight of dumbbells
The question of how to choose the right weight for dumbbells, we decided. Now you need to decide when you can increase their weight. The weight should only be increased if it consistently produces muscle failure above the rep range recommended (you have determined) for the exercise. For example, your typical arm workout consists of dumbbell curls in 3 sets 10-12 repetitions.
The journal (diary) shows that you are using a dumbbell weighing 15 kg and for all the time did the maximum 12 repetitions. A new workout begins and you feel (after the milestone in 12 repetitions), which you can perform under control 1-2 times. This is a signal that the weight should be slightly increased.
There is a practical question, how to add it lightly? Often the dumbbells are not collapsible, but the beaker weight in 0,5/0,25 no way to add kg to them (the size range of cast dumbbells simply does not imply such an increase). Personally, in such cases, I use handy tools in the form of rubber bands (black / red) or ropes. With them I fix the free weight (in the form of small discs) from different sides of the dumbbell, thereby increasing its tonnage :). Just apply the disc on one side and secure it crosswise with an elastic band. The result is a non-separable dumbbell 15 , A 15,5 kg, the goal is achieved, and the means to achieve it does not matter.
Note:
Few people know, but Victor Martinez (professional bodybuilder) started his journey in bodybuilding with regular dumbbells and simple home exercises. He knew how to handle them and what weights were best to work with.
In custody (yes, just imagine, the conclusion is already unusual, right?) I will give a number of general recommendations that must be followed when working with any weight. They are the following:
- do not try to surprise anyone - do not worry that everyone is pulling big pieces of iron, but you are still lifting 5 kilogram dumbbells, everything will come with time;
- work with light weights until you master the correct technique;
- knead well the muscles and ligaments that are to be worked in the exercise;
- you should be able to maintain the same (except for the last 1-2 repetitions) lifting pace of dumbbells throughout the entire set;
- when lifting dumbbells while standing, watch the position of the body and shoulder blades - they should be deployed, and the back should be straight;
- later you can lift heavier weights, sacrificing technique, but you must understand why this is done and whether it is necessary at all;
- when going to a workout, you must clearly know how much weight you have to work with and how many repetitions;
- When choosing weights in an exercise, remember that the larger the muscle group, the more weight it can lift. Use small and medium (by weight) dumbbells to work out the biceps / triceps / deltas and medium, large ones to work out the chest and back muscles;
- often the step of increasing the weight is 5-10% , i.e. if you lifted for biceps 10 kg, then the next weight category 10,5 – 11 kg.
- the dumbbell should fit snugly in your hand (handle/neck should not be wide), otherwise your attention will switch to holding it, and not to lifting it;
- there are exercises, for example, dumbbell swings in an inclination to the rear deltas, in which the weight of the projectile must be selected very small. Otherwise, the rear delta will work at a minimum, because. the entire load will be taken by other muscles (trapezium).
- do not increase the weight of the projectile until you are able to perform at least 3 set.
Afterword
Another note went to the archive, in it we talked about. I am sure that now you know which dumbbell to grab and for how long.
That's all, I was glad to write for you, success in the hall, see you soon!
PS. We are active in the comments and ask our questions, let's start.
P.P.S. Did the project help? Then leave a link to it in the status of your social network - plus 100 points to karma, guaranteed.
With respect and gratitude, Dmitry Protasov.
