Questions for those who work one body part a week.

[Reelmaster]

For those of you who work one body part a week how do you determine how much weight to increase for your lifts each week? I want to make I make progress but do it safely.

[Klayfish]

For those of you who work one body part a week how do you determine how much weight to increase for your lifts each week? I want to make I make progress but do it safely.

I'm assuming you mean we work one body part per day, right? i.e. Legs one day, then chest the next, then shoulders, etc....

I started working out this way about 7 weeks ago. I keep a written log. It took me a week or two to figure out how far I could push, as I started conservatively. From there, I essentially do 3 sets of 10 reps for each exercise. I have my weights set so that on my 3rd set, I either can't finish the last few reps, or I barely can. If the next week, I'm able to finish the sets with little trouble (or I get through set 2 and feel I've got a lot left in the tank), then I bump the weight. That puts me back into struggling to complete the last reps in my set. Then when I'm able to complete them on, I'll move up.

Good luck!

Steve

[Rhinoclan]

For those of you who work one body part a week how do you determine how much weight to increase for your lifts each week? I want to make I make progress but do it safely.

A good rule of thumb is to shoot for a 2% increase.

[BergMuscle]

I'm assuming you mean we work one body part per day, right? i.e. Legs one day, then chest the next, then shoulders, etc....

I started working out this way about 7 weeks ago. I keep a written log. It took me a week or two to figure out how far I could push, as I started conservatively. From there, I essentially do 3 sets of 10 reps for each exercise. I have my weights set so that on my 3rd set, I either can't finish the last few reps, or I barely can. If the next week, I'm able to finish the sets with little trouble (or I get through set 2 and feel I've got a lot left in the tank), then I bump the weight. That puts me back into struggling to complete the last reps in my set. Then when I'm able to complete them on, I'll move up.

Good luck!

Steve

I'm with Steve/Klayfish. I target 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps per exercise (more for calves and abs because of the muscle structure and their daily usage). I keep a log book and try to add at least one rep to at least one set each week, more if I got the power in the tank. When I hit 10 good, clean reps on each set, I mark my log to increase by 2-5% next time. Then I'll try for at least 8 reps per set with the new weight, and start the process all over again.

The "good, clean reps" is key; if I fight like h*ll for the 10th rep, especially with smaller muscles like biceps, triceps, or isolated delts, I'll stay at 3-4x10 for at least another week until I own those reps.

And the 2-5% is a rule of thumb. Often I just jump to the next DB weight or what's the closest I can come by adding plates; 5# to 10# increments are my normal increases.

[Reality_Check]

I do as many reps as I can with what ever weight I'm lifting (unless its a warm up set).
If I note that my reps have gone up one week, then the next week (or even next set) I'll add more weight (which will have the effect of reducing the number of reps I can do).

For example lets say I'm doing 6 reps with a weight, then in time I find I'm now doing 8 reps with that weight, well then I might decide to add weight next week so that now I'm only doing 6 reps again. (You can use an online rep vs weight calculator to calculate how much you might expect to do 6 reps with based on what you were doing 8 with - or what ever range your using).

Point is I don't just try to add weight I alternate between adding weight and adding reps and tend to wait until I've added reps before adding weight again. Lower limits I've used have been 6, 5 even 3 reps, upper limits 6, 8 even 10 reps. Once I hit my upper limit I add weight till I can only do my lower limit reps and repeat. (Reality will soon show you what the max weight you can lift with 6 or whatever your lower rep limit is. If you guess wrong and say hit 4 reps and you wanted 6, no big deal - try a ligther weight next week or maybe decide to keep 4 as the lower limit).

As for safety well, personally I allways know when I'm only 2 and then only one rep away from failure - and don't do that last set that would fail unless I have a spotter. If you haven't developed that sense yet then make sure you have a spotter when you raise the weight for the first time.

[mikieson]

When I cared about lbs I would just put on what I felt was right. THen if I wanted more...I would put more. I didnt go by % or anything. You cant just workout that way to me anyways.

[Old_swole]

I dont know I would have to actually right crap down and plan then. I just go in and lift as hard as I can.

I agree with aneas. I just lift as heavy as i feel i can lift that day. some days are heavier than others. when the weights start feeling lighter I up the weight. Pretty soon you will be warming up with the weight you are working out with now. I mean no disrespect to the guys that chart there workouts it's just not the way I do it.

[JUSA]

For those of you who work one body part a week how do you determine how much weight to increase for your lifts each week? I want to make I make progress but do it safely.

Lately, I go in with a certain amount of weight in mind and a range of reps, like 3 sets of 12-15 or 3 sets of 10-12. If I get all reps in at the higher end, the next week I up the weight. If not, I keep the weight for next week and try to do more reps.

[...Kennedy]

Lately, I go in with a certain amount of weight in mind and a range of reps, like 3 sets of 12-15 or 3 sets of 10-12. If I get all reps in at the higher end, the next week I up the weight. If not, I keep the weight for next week and try to do more reps.

Hi JUSA- I'm glad you started posting up in this sub-forum more... you're a bright guy with a lot of lifting experience. Reps on recharge.

[bodyhard]

Whenever I can get 10 easy reps I upped the weight. Sometimes I just feel cray strong and I will up the weight just for the f'ck of it.