How to select weights in bodybuilding. How to determine the optimal working weight? When your shoulders start to hurt, bench presses with tourniquets help relieve the load.

The standard recommendation of “let the reps determine the training weight” does not work for first-time gym goers. They don’t always understand how to train correctly and what “hard” means. And if there is no trainer nearby who could tell you with what weight to perform the exercise, then it’s a disaster. Let's clarify once and for all how to choose the right weight for training. gym.

The main rules for selecting the weight of weights

1. The choice of weight depends on how many repetitions you need to perform. The dumbbells/barbell should be heavy enough to fit exactly where you need it, no more and no less. If you have the strength to do more repetitions, you need to raise the weight, if you cannot reach the required number of repetitions, lower it.
2. The weight of the weights should be unusual for you. If you are a girl, a mother and you constantly carry your child in your arms, then 2 kg dumbbells will be useless. But if you haven’t held anything heavier than a ballpoint pen, then 2 kg may be fine.
3. Large muscle groups (back, chest, thighs, and buttocks) require heavier weights than smaller muscle groups (shoulders, arms, abs).
4. You can lift more with pulleys and other machines than with barbell or dumbbell exercises. Therefore, never compare dumbbell rows with horizontal cable rows, squats and leg presses.
5. For a beginner, it is much more important to learn the movements than to increase the weight. But this does not mean that you need to systematically underdevelop.

Selecting the weight of the projectile in accordance with body weight
In order not to spend a lot of time searching for that same dumbbell (author Ekaterina Golovina), you can use a simple method of selecting weights - based on your own weight. If you decide to go to the gym, then you have a rough idea of ​​what you will do there.

Let me make a reservation right away: this method is not suitable for trained people, because... they have greater strength relative to their body weight than beginners with low levels of fitness.

So, below is the table.
1. Choose an exercise. The table shows three types of exercises - free weights (WS), on machines with a lever mechanism (RS) and with an eccentric mechanism (EM).
2. Multiply your body weight by the factor next to the selected exercise. The odds for women and men are different. Weights above 79 for men and 64 for women are not used in calculations. That is, if you are a man and weigh 85 kg, then use 79 to select the weight; if you are a woman and weigh 65 kg or more, then take 64 kg as a basis.

For example, a 50 kg woman wants to know how many plates she needs to put on the leg press machine: 50 kg × 1.0 = 50 kg. A novice male weighing 90 kg decided to bench press the barbell for the first time: 79 × 0.35 = 27.6. Round up to 27-28 kg. The approach is performed for the maximum number of repetitions, and the result is recorded in the training diary.

This is not yet a working weight in training, but only a test.
Go ahead.

Choosing a working weight for a beginner
Look at the following table. Let’s say that 27 kg in the bench press for our conditional man is funny to the point of tears - he was able to bench press 17 times, but for his goals (hypertrophy) he needs 10-11 repetitions.

1. In the new table we find the number of repetitions that were done with the test load.
2. On the left we look for the required number of repetitions.
3. At the point of contact between the real and the desired, we have +7.5. This means he needs to add another 7.5kg to his test weight.

Even all beginners have different initial data, and the tables are compiled so that an untrained person does not accidentally kill himself (and, to be honest, a little clumsily). It would be appropriate to add here: focus on your feelings, let the number of repetitions determine the weight of the projectile, the last 3-4 repetitions should be heavy, if you do more than necessary and recover quickly between approaches, then add weight. If you can't finish the set, then reduce it. Let tests be your starting point.

The bench press is the main mass-gaining movement, included in the “golden pantheon” of basic exercises. Using heavy weights allows you to build serious muscle volume or increase strength. How to increase bench press strength and training program is described below.

Load progression– a fundamental factor in strength sports. Progressing the weights causes the muscles to grow and become stronger.

The main methods of increasing the load are: increasing weights, approaches or repetitions.

Methods for achieving progress

The main method is to increase the weight on the barbell when bench pressing. But it often happens that, for some reason, the working weights do not increase. In this case, there are several ways to increase your bench to new weights.

Changing the bench press to another exercise

According to reviews from experienced athletes, this method works in most cases. When changing the main exercise, the body, in particular nervous system, gets a break if there was overtraining before.

An alternative would be either dumbbell presses or dips. Parallel bars training program. Being basic exercises, dips or dumbbell presses can work those stabilizer muscles that were not included in the work when doing the barbell press. Sometimes this is exactly what some athletes lack in order to increase weight on the bench press.

The method of performing alternative exercises is similar to working with a barbell; the basic principles remain the same: use heavy weights, the number of repetitions is from 6 to 12, 3-4 sets.

You can give up the barbell for 3-4 weeks, after which you should include it back in your training program.

Pyramid principle

There are two options: decreasing and increasing working weights from repetition to repetition.

By decreasing the load with each repetition, you can achieve more complete exhaustion of the muscle.

When increasing, on the contrary, such work will prepare the body for more serious weights and help lift more serious weights. Which will lead to more weight on the bench press.

If there is stagnation, you need to try both options and choose the right one, depending on your individual characteristics and specific case.

Alternating load increases

Either in working approaches, or in the last approach, when the maximum possible weight is used.

The method is similar to the pyramid, with the only difference that in the maximum load option, failure is used in the extreme approach.

With this option, an insurer is required. A thorough warm-up before heavy work is also important.

Using Powerlifting Techniques

Work with 70% of your maximum weight for one repetition.

The technique is as follows: after finding your maximum strength, work for one month with a weight of 70%, performing one repetition in 5-8 approaches. This will allow you to increase your bench press performance.

A month later, a new 70% is determined again and, depending on the results, the work is either continued or the classic bench press is returned to the program.

The least traumatic way to increase the strength of the pectoral muscles is to change exercises. Train lagging muscles and feel an increase in strength in the main exercises.

For example, you are used to doing bench presses on a horizontal bench and then on an incline bench. Try giving up horizontal bench presses for 1.5-2 weeks. Do only the second exercise in your program and add bars. This way you will achieve pumping of the lagging pectoral bundles, which, when returning to the previous program, will give a noticeable increase in strength in the bench press.

For convenience, we will add types of bench presses with a list of muscles that are involved in each. The system is simple - in which of the presses you are weaker, that muscle group requires additional work to increase strength in the press.

Types of bench presses

The bench press involves a huge number of large and small muscles. The main working groups are the chest, triceps and deltoids. In addition, stabilizer muscles are included in the work, allowing you to keep the barbell level throughout the entire exercise. With the lifting style of execution, the back muscles can also be used.

There are several ways to perform this exercise. They differ in the angle of inclination of the body and the width of the grip.

By angle of inclination

• Horizontal
• Upside down
• Upside down

Horizontal- standard version of the exercise. The load is evenly distributed between the pectoral muscles, triceps and deltoids.

Upside down – allows you to switch off the triceps from work to some extent, but the deltoid muscles are more activated. To avoid excessive use of the deltoids, the angle of the bench should not exceed 30 degrees. The emphasis is on the upper chest.

Upside down – an option that is directly opposite to the overhead press. With this exercise, you can achieve almost complete shutdown of the deltas, while the triceps, on the contrary, receive a more significant load. With this variation, the emphasis shifts to the lower sections of the pectoral muscles.

By grip width

• Average
• Narrow
• Wide

Medium grip– traditional form of bench press. The load is distributed evenly between the three main pushing muscle groups. This type of bench press allows you to lift significant weight with minimal risk of injury.

Narrow grip– a specialized variation in which the triceps becomes the main working group. Also, when the elbows are fully straightened at the top point of the amplitude, the middle part of the pectoral muscle receives an accentuated load. The amplitude of execution is large.

Wide grip– exercise for breast development. It has a smaller amplitude compared to bench presses with a narrow and medium grip. By placing your arms wide, you can minimize the work of the triceps. Just like in the close-grip bench press, with this option it becomes problematic to lift a lot of weight without getting injured, so it is recommended to work with moderate weights.

The working weight cannot be chosen at random. Find out how to determine the load that will help you gain muscle mass as soon as possible.

As a strength training veteran, I often hear two types of questions from beginners. The question, unrelated to which protein powder to take, is a completely different issue: How much weight should I lift on any given exercise?

Very good question, to which there is no easy answer. In fact, we find ourselves at a crossroads here with a ton of options, so let's go through them in order. This will allow you to adapt training program to your needs, and you will always be sure that you are using the optimal working weight.

You can take a 10 kg barbell, lift it 75 times, and after a while you will feel tired and your arms will be bloody. You will definitely sweat a lot. On the other hand, you could take a 40kg weight, lift it 8 times, and then give up because you can't complete even one more rep. In both cases you are training "intensely". But which option should be preferred?

This may seem strange to you, but the answer depends on your goals. If you want to get as strong as possible, you will use more weight than your counterpart who wants to get as big as possible. And to increase muscular endurance, you will have to work with even less weight.

• Developing strength requires choosing a weight that allows you to train in the rep range of 1 to 6.
• Gaining muscle mass is based on training with weights that allow you to complete 8 to 12 repetitions.
• If muscular endurance is on your agenda, you'll want to stick with a working weight that you can perform at least 15 reps with.

Now let's take a closer look at all three training protocols.

1. Strength training

The biggest and strongest men and women - powerlifters, Olympic weightlifters, strongmen - have one single goal: to become stronger. To lift heavy equipment in competition, you have to lift heavy weights in training. And when we talk about heavy, we mean really, really heavy.

To develop strength indicators you need both, and. They involve several joints at once, for example, the bench press involves the shoulder and elbow joints simultaneously. Multi-joint activity like this generally activates more muscle mass, allowing you to lift heavier equipment.

During heavy sets, the work is done primarily by those muscle fibers that we call fast-twitch; they respond better to strength training by increasing volume and strength. However, they run out of energy very quickly, and therefore you will not be able to perform with heavy weights. a large number of repetitions.

Rest periods between main sets should be long enough so that incomplete recovery does not ruin the next set. Of course, lifting heavy weights involves a preliminary warm-up, during which a series of sets with progressively increasing weights precedes work with maximum tonnage. Athletes who work on strength also try to avoid, and this technique is adopted mainly by bodybuilders.

When working on mass, focus on complex exercises

Although those who train for maximum strength work with really heavy weights, their methods are not the best for maximizing muscle size (). Bodybuilders and gym goers who are looking to gain muscle mass take a slightly different approach to determining how much weight they should lift. The weight you can complete 8-12 reps with has been proven to produce the most muscle size.

But this statement requires some explanation, so let's start with that.

You must train with proper technique. You've probably seen videos on YouTube of guys doing bounce bench presses because the bar is too heavy and they have to use a little extra momentum to move it. This is not considered good technique. Each exercise contains its own “set of technical rules”. Generally speaking, you must control the apparatus and use only those joints that are destined to participate in this movement. If your biceps curl involves your knees or hips, you're using joints you shouldn't be using. There's a term for this—cheating—and it subverts the mantra of proper technique.

Perform “full” sets of 8–12 reps. Of course, you could just put a little less weight on the bar and stop at 12 reps, but that wouldn't be a full set. A full set ends on the verge of muscle failure - at the moment when you can no longer complete another repetition according to all the rules. If you can do 13 reps, you're using too light a weight. By analogy, if you can only do 4-5 reps, the load is too high for maximum muscle growth. The golden mean is the weight with which without outside help you can complete 8 to 12 repetitions.

Bodybuilders also train fast-twitch muscle fibers, usually starting with compound exercises divided according to body part. This technique requires a high volume of training load (3-4 working sets of compound exercises performed at various angles) and short rest periods (60 seconds for small muscle groups and 90 seconds for large muscles).

The golden mean is in the range of 8-12 repetitions

Not everyone trains to become very big or very strong. You can train at low intensity by choosing a weight relative to your one-rep max. This approach activates mechanisms in muscle fibers that make aerobic energy synthesis pathways more efficient, but does not increase muscle size. As a result, the muscles can perform many repetitions for a long time without fatigue. An example is the musculature of classic marathon runners, which is designed for continuous work over a long distance.

If your goal is muscular endurance, you should choose a light weight that will allow you to complete 15-20 or more repetitions. Such stimuli are not strong enough to increase strength or mass. This is because the muscles use slow-twitch muscle fibers, which are designed for long-term work and do not increase in volume the way fast-twitch muscles do.

The relationship between weight and number of repetitions

Once you've already decided on your goal, it's easy to figure out what weight to use for which exercise. Obviously, there is an inverse relationship between the number of repetitions per set and the weight of the apparatus. As you increase the weight, you will be able to complete fewer reps, and with a lighter weight, you will be able to complete more reps.

You can use the following table as a starting point. If your bench press max is about 100 kg, the number of reps you can complete with a given weight will be something like this:

Weight	60	65	70	75	80	85	90	95	100
Repetitions	15	12	10	9	7	5	4	2	1

This strength curve is unique to each athlete and each exercise, and you can design your training protocol based on it. Let's say this is your bench press strength curve. Then to work on strength you would have to train with a weight exceeding 85 kg. For mass, you would train with weights between 65 and 75 kg, and for endurance you would have to use weights that fall outside the lower end of this chart, less than 65 kg.

Each of us has our own strength schedule for each exercise, and you can become familiar with your schedule as you train. The key to success is to use a weight that is ideal for your goals. If you're used to starting an exercise with a warm-up set, you can always hang the bar long before muscle failure and tell yourself it was another warm-up set if you think you're not getting into the desired rep range. In the next approach, adjust the working weight. By recording your results in a notepad or smartphone, you will save yourself from guessing at your next workout.

Fine-tuning the working weight

The hard part is over, but that doesn't mean an experienced lifter can't fine-tune the weight he's lifting. Here are a couple of tips to help you with this.

1. Build warm-up sets in ascending order

Some people think that warming up is a waste of time, but it actually helps you lift more weight. Your tissues will become more elastic if you go through the motion path before lifting heavy weights. It should be noted that although bodybuilders train to muscle failure, warm-up sets never approach this point. Stop any light weight approach well before muscle failure. A bodybuilder who plans to lift 100 kg on the bench press and complete 8-12 repetitions in each set should adhere to the following warm-up scheme: 60, 80 and 90 kg.

2. Heavy weight - at the beginning of the workout

Since intense training tends to deplete your energy reserves, place your most difficult exercises early in the training session when there is plenty of fuel in the tanks. You can even train at the lower end of the hypertrophy zone by choosing a weight that you can only do 8 reps with. As you train your target group, vary the number of reps per set and train at slightly different intensities: perform sets of 10 (almost to failure) and 12 reps toward the end. With the exception of the warm-up, start exercises in the lower rep range and work your way up to 12 reps towards the end of the workout.

Try to vary the number of repetitions per set when training one muscle group

3. Be careful with progressive overload

Muscles adapt to training stimuli, becoming larger and stronger. Powerlifters and bodybuilders know that most of the adaptation occurs within fast-twitch muscle fibers. If we graph this, your strength curve will move up and you will be able to perform more reps with each weight you work.

How do you know when it's time to increase your load? Try this method: When you can do 2 more reps with a particular weight you started with in two workouts in a row, increase the weight. If you started out doing 8 reps with 100kg on the bench press and now manage to do 10 reps in two workouts in a row, move up.

• For upper body exercises such as the bench press, the weight should be raised approximately 5%. So instead of 100 kg you need to put 105.
• For lower body exercises such as squats, the weight should be increased by about 10%. Instead of 100 kg you need to put 110.

Let's say you've gained muscle volume and increased your strength. To continue to progress, you must challenge your muscles in new ways by increasing the load. As you can see, you must progressively increase the load, otherwise you will simply mark time. Complacency is your biggest enemy no matter what your goals are, so pushing yourself to do more reps or using a little more weight will help you progress.

Even the most dedicated lifters will eventually hit a training plateau. High-intensity training techniques, in which you competently manage the working weight, can spur mass gain and strength gains, but they should not be performed on a whim, but after careful planning of specific training methods. Learn different techniques to help you do your training process cyclical.

You'll soon learn that the bigger and stronger you become, the less you see "random" results, and the more carefully you have to plan your training process. It seems counterintuitive, but you will find that the more you know, the faster you progress.

150 kg is not the limit. You can reach 180-200 kg, but does it make sense? It’s not only important to bench press a lot, but that’s not the goal in most cases. We mainly press to pump up the pectoral muscles (excluding powerlifting) and there is no direct relationship between the weight pressed.

I’ll tell you how to perform the bench press correctly, while at the same time progressing in working weights and chest volume.

The bench press varies

There are two main variations of the classic flat bench press:

• bodybuilding;
• powerlifting.

The latter is aimed at maximum results in one repetition, no matter how you achieved it. For example, techniques are used to reduce the range of motion, such as the “bridge”:

Also, in addition to the pectoral muscles, absolutely all possible assistant muscles are used to the maximum, starting with the legs, continuing with the back and ending with the triceps and deltoids. Compared to the bodybuilding version, the movement is similar, but at the core it is completely different.

Of course, with increasing strength, the volume of the pectoral muscles also increases, but developing them with the help of powerlifting is like hammering pushpins with a sledgehammer. Traumatic and meaningless. Perhaps, for variety, sometimes you can try power penetrations, but no more.

In this material I will talk specifically about the bodybuilding version of the bench press, increasing strength indicators and effective training chest exercises in general, which will require a number of other exercises.

However, if you want to work towards powerlifting, start with videos Yuri Belkin:

And the nuances of the power bench press from him:

Bodybuilding style bench press technique

Usually guys come to the gym and just bench press the barbell. I lowered it onto my chest and picked it up - nothing complicated. At first sight.

Working with an empty barbell is really not difficult and not even dangerous. But as soon as you start to increase weight - and beginners like to do this abruptly and thoughtlessly - problems begin with the hands, shoulders, pectoral muscles become torn, and even lumbago occurs.

The second problem with incompetent exercise technique is that very quickly people hit a ceiling, which they then cannot overcome for years. Moreover, the “ceiling” is quite modest - 60-70 kg, rarely more. And this is when training the pectoral muscles several times a week with a dozen exercises.

Do you recognize yourself? Well, you will have to work again with an empty bar to establish the technique for performing the exercise and only then begin to very smoothly increase the weights. We’ll talk about the training program a little later, but for now let’s look at the actual technique of performing the exercise.

In fact, there are many options, although each differs only in details, but the base is the same. First, let's talk about her dear, and then about the details.

The main points of the correct bodybuilding bench press technique:

• Barbell closed grip ( thumb grips the bar from below).
• The buttocks are pressed to the bench, the lower back too, if possible, the legs rest on the floor with the entire foot.
• The grip width is slightly wider than the shoulders, so that in the lower position of the barbell, the hands are exactly opposite the elbows, and not to the left or right of them.
• The bar lies on the base of the palm, keep the hand straight and under no circumstances bend it back - this is fraught with injuries.
• The bar is lowered to the level of the nipples or slightly below them, so that, again, the hands are opposite the elbows and do not move forward or backward in relation to them.
• The amplitude of movement is in an arc, that is, the bar lowers to the level of the nipples or slightly lower, and rises to eye level, and not strictly upward (in the latter case, the triceps are strongly involved in the work, stealing the load from the pecs).
• At the top point, do not fully extend your arms (do not insert your elbows), maintaining tension in your chest. At the lowest point, do not throw the barbell onto your chest and also do not relax your muscles, but only lightly touch your chest. We work within the amplitude.
• Do not drop the barbell on your chest under any circumstances. We lower it under control and smoothly: 2 seconds for a negative movement (lowering) and in the process inhale air, 1 second for lifting (positive movement) and exhale.

He showed the bench press clearly and quite well in his video Denis Borisov, although with its own characteristics:

In particular, I don’t recommend throwing your legs onto the bench at first - it’s quite dangerous. Too unstable position. Although the load on the pectoral muscles increases, plus this a good option if you feel discomfort in the lower back. When it happened to me, I could only bench press with my feet on the bench for a couple of weeks.

In addition, Denis suggests not retracting your shoulder blades, but instead filling your chest with air as much as possible. Try this and that, but I personally find it more convenient to bring my shoulder blades together, which significantly relieves the load on the front delts and makes you more stable during the press, as the back becomes flat. He told (and showed) this very well. Bradley Martin:

Also pay attention to the position of your hands relative to your body. Bradley showed lifter and builder options. I’m comfortable with something in between, but you try this and that. We are all different - the attachment of the ligaments, the structure of the muscles are different, so for some one thing will be more convenient, for others another. In any case, at the bottom of the amplitude, the arms should not diverge strictly to the sides, since this is not a completely natural and working position for the chest when pressing.

How to pump up your chest and increase the working weight in the bench press

I’ll start with the working weight, if the number of weights on the bar is still a priority for you. In addition, increasing working weights also increases muscle mass. The easiest option is to read a book Stuart Macroberta « Bench press 180 kg" There are several simple programs that really work, allowing you to get out of a state of deep stagnation (plateau) and significantly increase your results in the bench press. At the same time, increase your strength in other basic movements.

What helped me personally significantly increase the working weight in the bench press, as well as noticeably grow the pectoral muscles. In fact, a whole set of exercises and specialization. But I’ll tell you everything in order.

Just one and a half to two years ago, my bench press “floated” in the region of 100-110 kg, although more often the working weight for 10-12 repetitions in several approaches did not exceed 90 kg. Now I bench 130 for 6-8 reps, and the one-rep maximum is in the range of 150-155 kg, although it can obviously be more if you concentrate specifically on powerlifting technique. At the same time, my own weight is 102-104 kg.

The first noticeable shift was when I started training my chest more often than once a week, plus I added an exercise like weighted dips. About 10 years ago I tore my pecs while doing it and haven’t done it since, returning only last year.

In particular, for a couple of months I did three times a week, in which I alternated bench presses and chest dips, gradually increasing the weight. By the way, Denis Borisov demonstrated the technique of chest push-ups well, but I also recommend extending your arms at the elbows less (up to 90°) so as not to overload the triceps, due to the fatigue of which you can simply not load the pecs:

As for gradually increasing the load, I talked in detail about how to do this in.

In addition, working on the assistant muscles also gave me clear progress in the bench press. In particular, on the deltoids (military press, barbell row to the chin) and triceps (close grip press, French press). At that time, the working weight in the bench press increased to 115-120 kg by 6-10 times.

Then I tried specializing directly on the pecs, as well as on the back and deltoids. The idea was that he trained each muscle he specialized in twice a week. In the case of pecs, one workout was strength training (up to reaching a one-repetition maximum), the second was high-volume training for 15 repetitions. Plus a special selection of exercises (bench press, hammer press, dips, butterfly or crossover flyes) and a smooth increase in working weight from workout to workout. This is described in detail, including the training program, in the following article:

As a result, I reached the current levels in the bench press.

Important nuances

Finally, I will raise a few points regarding chest training that will help you progress.

In particular, the bench press on a horizontal bench is not suitable for everyone directly to increase the volume of the pectoral muscles, that is, for their hypertrophy. For example, some people work their deltoids and triceps more in this movement. The bench press is considered more effective incline bench at an angle of 30-45°. I personally prefer the incline dumbbell press:

The negative angle bench press, whether barbell or dumbbell, is not very effective., since it puts more stress on the lower pecs, which already works well in many other movements, including chest dips. I suggest not wasting time on the exercises mentioned.

When strength training for 3-6 repetitions, try not to work to failure.- this is dangerous because you are not thinking about the technique of performing the exercise, but about somehow squeezing the weight. It is best to press under the supervision of a belay partner so that he can pick up the bar in time if he sees that you are no longer pulling it. Just pick it up, not push it with two fingers and watch you squirm like a snake under the barbell. Believe me, it is better to avoid injury than to please your heart rate by squeezing 2 kg more than last time.

The closer you are to your one-rep max, the slower your weight gain., and when overcoming it, you can increase the load by 1 kg per week, if there are such small pancakes in the gym.

Impossible to constantly progress. You have reached your maximum, overcome it, even if it is 2.5-5 kg ​​on top, you feel that you are already at the limit - ok! Finish this, take a couple of weeks off from light training with 50% of the working weights, then roll back to 30-40% of your last maximum and again slowly start working on the program, approaching it over 5-6 weeks, and then and overcoming your previous maximum with a minimal step in weight.

Two steps forward, one back, two steps forward again. If you try to move forward all the time, you will either get stuck or get injured.

I also recommend watching this video by Yaroslav Brin about training the pectoral muscles:

When starting their first workouts, most beginners who cannot afford personal training with a trainer in the gym are faced not only with choosing the right one, but also with how to determine the working weight in an exercise? Indeed, the question is very important, because the weight of the weight directly affects your further achievements in building the body of your dreams.

Before answering the question of how to determine working weight, you need to find out what it is. In fact, everything is not as complicated as it seems at first glance. Simply put, a working weight is the maximum possible weight for a particular exercise that an athlete can perform for the required number of repetitions and sets with proper weight lifting technique.

For example, you have in the gym, where opposite all the exercises it is indicated how many approaches to do and. Take, for example, squats with a 2-3x8-12 barbell. You need to perform 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions each. It's clear. But usually beginners have questions about how much weight to squat with, etc. That is, in essence, they are interested in how to determine the working weight in a particular exercise.

How to determine the working weight in an exercise?

Experienced athletes will have no problem determining their working weight in any free weight exercise. For beginners, it is possible to determine the initial working weights in all exercises only by searching through options, also known as the trial and error method.

For example, let's take the same squats. Start with an empty barbell and try to do 10 reps. If you don't even feel the weight of the empty bar, then try doing 10 squats with a weight of 30-40 kg. Typically, beginners start with approximately this working weight in the barbell squat. If you can do 10 reps with this weight without any problems, then increase the weight to 50 kg. Rest for 2-3 minutes and try again to do the set number of repetitions.

Did you only sit down 8 times? Great, you have selected your working weight for barbell squats and at the next workout you will already know what weight to squat with. If you did less than 8 repetitions, then you need to reduce the weight by 5-10 kg so that you can do the required number of approaches and repetitions.

There are other similar methods for determining the optimal working weight, which are used by both beginners and more experienced athletes. Let's say you need to do 3 x 10. You assume that your working weight for this chest exercise for 10 reps is about 50 kg.

To begin, perform 1 warm-up set with a weight of 50% of the expected working weight (25-30 kg) for 8-10 repetitions to warm up the muscles and more smoothly approach the working weights. Then perform a maximum with an estimated working weight of 50 kg. If you did 2 more repetitions, then in the next workout try to do 3 x 10 with a weight of 55 kg. If you did fewer repetitions, slightly reduce the weight of the projectile. You have completed the required number of repetitions - this is your working weight for this exercise.

conclusions

As you understand, the working weight in an exercise is the MAXIMUM weight of a weight or sports equipment with which you are able to perform a given number of repetitions and approaches, without violating the execution technique.

For each specific exercise, the working weight must be selected individually for each person. At the same time, take into account a simple pattern: than large quantity The repetitions you need to do in the approach, the lower the working weights in the exercise and vice versa.

Please note that training for beginners in the gym should help, first of all, to establish the correct technique for performing all exercises, and not maximum magnification working scales. Therefore, in the first months of training, very carefully increase the weight of the weight in order to perform the exercises technically flawlessly, without helping yourself with the whole body, but concentrating on the work of the target muscles.