4 Approaches To Picking Your Weights In Training

During my time writing training and nutrition programs for clients one of the most common questions I get is “what weights should I use”. Deciding how much weight to use for a specific exercise can be a tough decision to make especially if you don’t have a few years of training under your belt. But the weight you choose to use is also a crucial aspect of training optimally. If you go to heavy, you may fail the set and set yourself up for failure for the subsequent sets. If you go to light, you risk not challenging the system enough to create a change in the muscle.

These four options are ways that you cant take the guess work out of picking your weights. If you follow these you’ll be empowered to make quality decisions regarding your weight selection and will be primed for all the gains!

1) Percentage of Your One Rep Max Method
Using a percentage of your one rep max is arguable the most simple and effective ways of determining how much weight to use for an exercise. You simply reference the most weight you’ve ever or most recently done for a movement and you use a percentage of that number. The percentage you use will be based on things such as the intent of the exercise, the number of reps, the time of year, how neuromuscularly efficient the client is (reference our most recent IG post for more on this!) and more. The benefits of this approach is that its very straight forward and objective. You simply do the math and load the bar. The downside to this approach is that you must know your one rep max for this to work as well as it assumes that when you walk into the gym that day you are as fresh and recovered as you were when you performed the maximum effort. To account for this its is a good idea to take some time to establish maximum efforts in the priority exercises as well as base your training off of 95% of this number so that you account for fluctuations in recovery on any given day.

2) Rate of Perceived Exertion Method
The rate of perceived exertion (RPE) method requires that the trainee i.e. you if you are reading this, can perceive the stress of the load leading up to the “working” sets and rate it accurately. Typically i recommend using a 0-10 scale for this method. With 0 being no effort at all was required to complete the set while 10 was the most weight you could imagine using for the given set and another ounce would result in failure before the set was completed. RPE is a great method to determine which weights to use because it does not require a testing phase where we’re building to one rep maximums. As well as it can account for times when you walk into the gym and you’re really just not feeling your best. If you can be honest with yourself on these days the RPE method can help you pick the weights that are just right for that day. The biggest issue with the RPE method is that it can take some practice and getting used to evaluating how you are feeling during a set while you are performing the set. It can be a lot to think about while you’re also focused on keeping good form and giving great effort. But with practice and consistency you will get better at it over time. The number that you should be working at will depend on what the program calls for n that day regarding effort level and loading. For example as programs begin the RPE will be lower which correlates to lower weight where as as programs progress RPE tends to be higher which usually correlates to higher weights.

3) Reps In Reserve Method
The reps in reserve method (RIR) is similar to the RPE method. However, unlike the RPE method where you are gauging the difficulty of the set in its entirety, the RIR method is a system of assessing how many reps you “had left in the tank” when the et was completed. With this, the fewer reps you had in the tank, the closer you were to your maximum effort for the set. The more reps left in the tank, the further away you were from your maximum effort for that set. Like RPE, the number of RIR that you would be prescribed for the program would be dependent on where you were in the program. Earlier in the program you would pick weights that allowed you to have more reps left on the table, where as later in the program you would likely have less reps left in reserve. The benefit to RIR is that it can help you maximize your effort for that day regardless of where you were in the program. But the downside is this method requires a high level of awareness of your capabilities. Newer trainees who are more timid with weight selection may state that they had less reps in the tank than they actually did while those who are over zealous with pushing weights can interpret having more reps in the tank when in reality they only had 1 or 2. Each scenario would be sub optimal for long term progress.

4) Velocity Based Training Zone Method
Using velocity as a metric for selecting weights is by far the most advanced and accurate technique to select the weights to be used for a given exercise. This method relies on measuring the speed of the bar or dumbbell which is highly correlated to the percentage of one rep max, strength characteristics and effort level for a given day. For example, if the goal is to maximize a strength adaptation for a specific exercise one may choose to pick weights that allow for a successful set that is done at under .5 m/s per rep. Or, if your goal is to develop speed you may choose to use weights that remain between 1 – .75 m/s. Finally, you can use velocity based training zones for sets that require going close to failure such as in bodybuilding while also preventing failure. This is because each exercise will have a minimum velocity required to complete a rep and the feedback velocity measuring equipment gives you can help you objectively know when the failure point is about to occur. Using velocity based training zones can be highly complex and require some expensive equipment so it is almost not applicable to many who may read this. However, given that it is an option and extremely effective for those who desire to squeeze out every once of potential, it is worth noting.

I hope this empowers you to make great decisions when picking your weights in the gym!

There are many ways to skin the cat when it comes to picking your weights. You just need to choose the one thats best for you.

P.S. If you’re interested in leveling up your fitness and staying pain-free while you train, I can help. Just click 👉🏻 HERE and message me “Performance” to learn more.