Weight Increases

          “Ryan, I am bench-pressing 100 lbs. and I want to bench 175. How long will it take for me to get there?”

          No earthly idea but let’s focus on a better goal instead. Frank is coming into the gym and he has been working on his bench press. As of right now, he can lift 100 pounds for 10 reps in all three of his sets. He is ready to advance to the next level. So he adds the least amount of weight possible to the bar which is a 2.5 lb. weight on both sides. He now has 105 pounds on the bar.

          His rep goal remains unchanged. You want to get 10 clean reps on all 3 sets but you also don’t want to stop just because you reach 10. Your goal is to achieve muscle failure. Now, if Frank can slide 5 more pounds on and already do 10 reps for 3 sets, it means he was being a candy ass and not lifting to his full potential the week before.

          Once you can achieve 12 reps of any given weight, then it is time to increase again. Typically this is done with the smallest increase possible which is usually 5 pounds. Then it just becomes a “rinse and repeat” scenario. There are going to be times where it may take a series of weeks to get up those 10 reps clean and that is absolutely fine. I told you from the beginning that this was going to be a slow and arduous climb.

          This is why tracking your workouts is so important. In six months, you will look back at where you were and you won’t believe the gains and the increases that you will make.

          Just remember, it is better to remain at a lower weight that allows you to focus on form and squeezing at the apexes of your lifts. It is not a defeat to remain at a lesser weight to achieve surgical lifts. You will find that as you start packing on the weight it becomes more about doing everything you can just to complete the lift, even if that means sacrificing form.

          It is better to lift lighter and slower than it is to have to explode through motions to get that weight lifted. Remember, you are a bodybuilder, not a powerlifter. There is nothing wrong with leaving one last rep in the tank every now and again. 

          This is not to say that you cannot change things up. You may choose a week where you increase the weight by 25% and go for 5 reps. You can even decrease the weight and attempt 12 to 15 reps. These weight and rep changes will shock your muscles and encourage growth. But then go back to the 10 rep goal. (Are you starting to see why charting is so important now?)