Training with Proper Weight Amounts

Strength training programs now come in all shapes and sizes. You can usually find a training program for athletes at most high schools, and even some middle schools. There are a countless number of fitness centers and smaller training studios that offer personal or small group weight training. Some of you may be participating in them right now.

Most of these programs continue to follow a bodybuilding-style format. 3 sets of 8 repetitions, push yourself to the edge, do what it takes to lift large amounts of weights. No real thought on the effect of rest times, or how fast the bar or dumbbell moves during the lift.

In this series of training articles I will attempt to provide some general knowledge on how each variable within a strength training program can affect your long-term results. Today we will cover proper weight choice, and the speed in which the weight is lifted. Parts 2 and 3 will cover rest times, how to determine the number of sets and repetitions, and why proper technique is so important.

Choosing the Right Weights

We'll start here because this is the topic that can save you from serious injury, or on the flip side, dedicating months and years to training without ever making significant improvements. Beginner weightlifters often have no clear strategy for picking the right weights, and will often just use what someone else around them does. No two people are alike, however, and each individual should follow a simple plan that suits their own needs.

A weight that is too heavy can obviously cause some major damage, like crushing you for example, but even if you can move it there are still potential problems. Any weight that causes you to move it with poor technique is too much. If you need a spotter to assist you, that is also a sign the weight is too heavy.

Going lighter will overcome these issues, but then you will not sufficiently challenge your body to adapt, or change, to the stress you put on it. Your body is an incredible machine, and it is perceptive enough to know that if it can already perform a task without any potential danger, it won't change a thing. You will need to challenge yourself a little in order to make progress.

So where does this leave you? Kind of like the old Three Bears fairytale, you need to find weights that are not too heavy, not too light, but just right.

This means being able to do every repetition you were supposed to using the heaviest weight possible, but with excellent form and no help. In addition, you should have been able to do 1 or 2 more repetitions with that weight, even though you will not actually complete them. That is the perfect weight.

You will notice that I am not recommending squeezing every last ounce of effort into each set, more like 90%. Many of the push to failure techniques, or partner assisted extra reps are not only unnecessary for all but the most elite athletes, they are counterproductive. They burn way too much energy for what you will get out of them.

By holding back those last one or two reps, you will be able train more often, and with greater effort in the long run. And a funny thing will start to happen...you will start making gains like you've never experienced before in your life!

To find your perfect weight on each exercise, start conservatively. Pick a weight that you absolutely know you can handle, and complete the set. Be observant, pay attention to how easy it actually was, and make a logical increase on your next set. Continue this until you reach that perfect weight.

Jim Herrick, Jr. is the Strength & Conditioning Coach at Cushing Academy, located in Ashburnham, MA. Jim has trained hundreds of athletes in all aspects of sports performance since 1998. To find out more about our training programs, visit http://www.powersourcetraining.com