Working weight- the term used in bodybuilding and other strength sports characterizes such a weight of weights with which you can perform a given number of repetitions without violating the execution technique.

In bodybuilding, there is one important rule - the more repetitions in an exercise, the less working weight you need to use, and vice versa. However, there is a small caveat - the working weight should be maximum for a given number of repetitions. This means that with the chosen weight, you should be able to master only the required number of repetitions - no more and no less. Obviously, if you take the same working weight with which you do 15 repetitions, but will perform, for example, 6 repetitions, there will be no benefit from this. The rule works in the opposite direction: that is, if you take a weight with which you do 6 reps, but try to do 15 reps with it, you will not succeed.

Remember: the fewer repetitions we do, the higher the intensity and, as a result, the working weight used. The more repetitions we do, the lower the intensity and working weight.

Correct calculation of the working weight

How to choose the right working weight? Unfortunately, only by trial and error. It is not difficult for experienced athletes to correctly calculate the value of their working weight, therefore, over time, this ability will come to you.

In the meantime, a simple algorithm can help you choose the optimal working weight.

Step-by-step algorithm for selecting the working weight:

Features of using the algorithm:

• Rest between attempts - at least 3-4 minutes;
• If within 2-3 attempts you were unable to determine your working weight, leave it until the next workout, writing down the results in a diary;
• This algorithm is suitable for determining the working weight in exercises performed in the 6-12 repetition range.

A beginner, and especially a girl who starts strength training, does not always understand how to choose weights for herself? What indicators of strength are the norm and what to strive for? As a result, women have been squatting with bodybars for years, although they are much stronger than they used to think. What weights can a girl focus on for basic exercises like squats, deadlifts, standing presses, and chest presses?

Strength norms

Several levels are given in the tables:

Untrained- people who have never been involved in strength training, but are able to perform the exercise with the correct technique.

Newbies- regular strength training for 3-9 months.

Average level- regular training for about 2 years. An amateur level for a person working for strength.

Experienced- people who regularly practice for several years with specific goals. Possibly participating in amateur competitions.

Elite- performing athletes, the level of candidates for master of sports and masters of sports.

Figures are in kilograms for 1RM. A one-rep maximum is a weight you can only do one repetition with in each exercise with good technique.

Important: the tables are averaged figures based on data accumulated over 70 years. If you want to test the numbers in practice, be sure to work with belayers in the one-rep max.

Squats

A repetition is counted when the upper line of the thigh is parallel to the floor.

Deadlift

Valid is a repetition with full extension of the back, knees and upper back after lifting the bar.

Press up while standing

A repetition is considered valid when the knees are straight, the body does not go beyond the vertical line forward or backward, the elbows are fully extended.

Bench press

A repetition is counted when the bar touches the chest, rises up without a pause, the elbows are fully extended in the upper position.

How do you know the weight for different repetitions?

Using the tables below, you can find out the weight with which you should be able to perform an exercise for a wide variety of repetitions.

Find in the left column the number of repetitions you do in your workout for each specific exercise (upper body or lower body). Then work your way down the row of numbers until you reach the reps for which you want to know the weight.

If you squat with a weight of 30 kg 10 times and want to know how many kilograms you need to perform 20 times, you must find the number 10 in the left column and follow the row of numbers to the right until you reach the number 20. Multiply your working weight by the number in a collumn. In our example, this is 30 kg x 0.86 = 25.8 kg

For those of us who are already familiar with bodybuilding, the question of choosing the right working weight seems absurd and simply inappropriate. However, for those who are just starting their formation in this sport, this is the very first question that comes to mind for a beginner facing an endless rack with dumbbells.

Question: How to choose a working weight for training?

I had just started bodybuilding and the very first hurdle I faced was choosing a working weight. How do I know which weight to train with?

Working weight in bodybuilding

The question of choosing a working weight is widespread among. However, the answer to this question is very simple. Before we tackle this cosmic challenge, we'll talk about muscle failure.

What is muscle failure?

Muscle failure is the point at which doing one more rep on your own with good technique becomes impossible. I advise you to immediately stop doing the exercise as soon as you realize that you cannot complete another repetition with the correct technique. So, for example, if you are doing a bench press with a 60 kg bar and have completed 12 reps, but cannot do another repetition, then you have reached muscle failure on the 12th rep.

How to choose a weight for an exercise?

The number of repetitions prescribed by the training program will affect the resistance. So, for example, if you need to perform 10-12 repetitions in the exercise "", then you need to choose a working weight with which you will achieve muscle failure within 10-12 repetitions. Since you are just getting started with your first bodybuilding workouts, weight selection will be a matter of trial and error. Here are a few steps a beginner should take:

1. First, decide on the exact number of repetitions you need to perform for a particular exercise. Let's take 10-12 reps as an example.
2. Pick a weight that you think will allow you to achieve muscle failure within these reps.
3. If you manage to achieve muscle failure within these repetitions, then continue to use the same weight for the next set.
4. If you failed to do 10-12 repetitions and you lost strength, say, on the 8th repetition, then reduce the working weight in the next approach.
5. It may also turn out that you have superhuman abilities that will allow you to step in 12 repetitions. In this case, increase your weight slightly on the next set.

As a beginner, it is imperative that you keep a journal where you will enter your working weights used in each exercise in the required repetition range. Thus, you will begin to slowly navigate the selection of a suitable working weight. Plus, keeping a training diary is a great way to keep track of your progress.

When to increase working weight?

Despite the fact that this question was not asked, I still consider it relevant. The working weight for the exercise can only be increased when the current working weight being used will cause muscle failure outside the prescribed rep range.

For example, suppose your training program is prescribed to do 3 sets of "" exercise with 10-12 repetitions, and your training diary shows that you are using 12kg dumbbells for this exercise and achieve muscle failure on the 12th rep. You begin the exercise, but this time you notice that you reach failure on the 13th rep. This is the very signal that speaks of the need to increase the working weight.

Correctly calculated working weight when performing strength exercises in the gym can, in the shortest possible time, help an athlete build muscles, increase strength indicators, make muscles more prominent and, of course, get rid of ridiculous trauma in training.

All exercises that athletes perform in gyms are usually divided into two main classes, insulating(single-joint) and basic(multi-joint), that is, they involve two or more joints when performing a working movement.

It is very important to choose the right working weight in basic exercises, because only they can significantly affect the growth of strength indicators and muscle mass(it is noteworthy, but they can also cause very serious injury to an athlete, so it is important not only to choose the right weight in training, but also to thoroughly study the performance of these exercises).

The basis for calculation working weight should become interest(%) of the maximum possible weight that you can lift in this particular exercise. For example, there are concepts that are closely related to the gym, like light, medium, and hard workouts. So, light training means that the working weight in the exercise is 60-65% of the maximum, average 70-75%, and heavy 80-85%.

Calculation of the working weight in the exercise

Let us consider below, with a specific example, the calculation of the working weight, when performed on a horizontal bench.

An example of calculating the working weight in the bench press

Suppose we found out that our maximum result in the bench press from the chest is 90 Kg, which means that the working weight, when converted to training, taking into account the load, will look like this:

• if we have an easy training: 90 * 0.6 (0.65) = 54 or 58.5 kg = 55-60 kg
• if average workout: 90 * 0.7 (0.75) = 63 or 67.5 kg = 65-70 kg
• if hard training: 90 * 0.8 (0.85) = 72 or 76.5 kg = 75 kg

Round up to whole or more, then in the process of the training itself, you can correct it (not fundamentally). How to combine workouts, light, medium and heavy loads can be found in. As a rule, if the exercise is performed on 6 repetitions then this heavy training if on 8 – average, if on 12 light.

As for calculating the working weight in isolating exercises, for example, on a horizontal bench, and so on, there is no strict calculation, here you should focus more on your own Feel, taking into account the load you want to get and the number of repetitions you want to do.

An example of calculating the working weight in the bench press

If you train hard, then it should be really hard in the end (but don't drive yourself to complete failure, this is unnecessary, great stress for the body, after which it will need to be given a lot of time to recovery), if it is medium, then it should not be very hard, but also not easy, if it is a light load, then the exercise should be performed without unnecessary, excessive efforts, in compliance with perfect technique.

How to find out the maximum working weight in an exercise

As we have already found out, calculating the maximum working weight in isolation exercises does not make much sense (especially when it comes about training newbies), so you should concentrate all your efforts on the calculation in basic exercises (this, first of all, the bench press)

1 way

To calculate the maximum in an exercise, you can use universal formula: Perform the exercise with the correct technique for 5 sets of 6 reps and multiply the working weight by a factor of 1.2, the resulting figure will be your maximum weight.

It is necessary to perform so that after 5 approaches you cannot fully complete, without breaking the technique, the 6th approach for all 6 repetitions due to the received muscle stress (fatigue).

Let's say you're in the gym, do a deadlift with weights. 120 kg all 6 repetitions in 5 sets, so in the 6th approach, if you were doing, you would not be able to do it for all 6 reps (for 5 or 4), in total we get our maximum in deadlift: 120 * 1.2 = 145 kg approximately ...

2 way

Perhaps someone does not like such a rough calculation, then in this case, you need to warm up thoroughly, perform a full warm-up, and by experiment, with the addition of weights on the barbell in increments of 5-10 kg, lift the weights until you reach your maximum.

Correcting the weight on the bar when calculating the lifted weight at a time in increments of 5-10 kg, is more related to isolation exercises, and basic, when you approach your limit ( submaximal scales). Usually, athletes start using the step 20-30 kg, both with warm-up approaches, and when calculating your maximum.

How to find out the maximum working weight in an exercise

For instance, calculate working weight in the basic exercise for the legs - squat with a barbell on the shoulders:

We know that an athlete assumes that he can squat with a barbell at a time about 110-120 kg, it is necessary to calculate how much he can actually sit down, if a regular leg workout, of medium intensity, looks like this:

• 4 sets of 8 reps, 90 kg.

In order to determine with what weight an athlete will be able to master the barbell, you must first carefully warm up using an empty bar, light weights and muscle (optional).

• 1 set of 15 reps with an empty bar
• 1 set of 12 reps with 40 kg
• 1 set of 8 reps with 60 kg
• 1 set of 4 reps with 80 kg
• 1 set of 2 reps with 100 kg
• 1 set for 1 repetition with 110 kg
• 1 set for 1 rep with 115 kg
• 1 set for 1 repetition from 117.5 - 120 kg (hardcore)

Thus, the resulting figure can be used in all training programs where the percentage of the maximum working weight in a particular exercise is mentioned.

3 way

Use different online calculators, or applications from the play marketa, which are often used formulas Bzhitsky, Aipley, Lander, Lombardi, Mayhew, O'Connor, Vatana. However, the accuracy of these programs is poor.

The most proven way to calculate the maximum, this is the way that is carried out practically, by real feeling of the lifted weight, that is, method number 2.

How to increase the weight on the barbell (simulators)

To fully perform workouts, in addition to calculating the working and maximum weight, you need to know how to properly increase bar weight... This is especially important at the initial stage, when the strength, respectively, and the weight on the bar will grow very quickly, because the beginner is still very far from the limit of the hidden strength capabilities of the body.

Once you feel that it is easy for you to perform established working weight in the exercise, or you are doing a hard workout (for 6 repetitions) with a large margin, then in this case, you can safely increase the weight on the bar, by 2.5-5 kg... The main thing in this matter do not rush, and the proverb "the quieter you go - the further you will be", shows the true picture of the coming future in the increase of working weights on the barbell.

Slow weight gain on the bar has a positive effect on the absence of injuries during training and on the correct implementation of the exercise technique.

It is also necessary, especially at the initial stage of training, to start training diary, in which you will record the progress and regression in the exercises, that is, the number of approaches and repetitions performed, Time relax, feeling of fatigue after completing the approach and working weight in a particular exercise.

How to increase the weight on the barbell?

By writing down the weight on the barbell and the date of training in the diary, you will be able to see and adjust further working weight.

Now we know how much weight needs to be put on the barbell (simulator), and what is the optimal number of approaches and repetitions that need to be done in order to maximize the involvement of the muscle growth processes in the work.

It remains to choose the most effective exercises for muscle growth.

What exercises to do in the gym

The best exercises for the growth of muscles, we have already taught here in this one. For anyone interested, be sure to follow the links, because this information will help you, among the entire list, choose the most effective ones, which in turn will save you time.

For general understanding principle the choice of certain exercises in the gym, it is necessary to understand, as we wrote at the beginning of the article, that there are isolated and basic (multi-joint) exercises. For beginners, it is necessary to perform mainly only basic without wasting precious strength and energy on isolated exercises that are not very effective for muscle growth.

So that you do not rack your brains, in what quantity, in what order and which exercises to perform, we have written training programs, depending on level of training, if you did not exercise at all (or it was a very long time ago), then this one is suitable for you, and if you have experience in the gym ( 1-2 years), then this is for you.

If you want us to develop individual training program, then contact us via the feedback form.

I would like to emphasize that the rough muscle mass give regular exercise in the range 6-12 repetitions:

• Deadlift
• Bench press
• Squats

These are exactly those "magic" exercises for a beginner-level athlete that not only can, but also need to be performed (if there is no contraindications).

What exercises to do in the gym?

If your goal is to lose weight (dry out), then you need to radically change yours. To gain weight (muscle), you need surplus, that is, an excess of calories, to burn fat, you need a deficiency (excess) in the body of calories, which is created primarily by cutting back on carbohydrates. For more information on how to eat in order to dry out or increase weight, read the relevant articles.

Also remember that the gym, when losing weight, becomes on secondary place(and after all, many fitness trainers do not understand these banal things when they force their ward to squat with a barbell so that her hips become smaller!), when gaining mass, on the contrary, strength exercises it is imperative that all excess calories do not turn into fat, but be used as fuel for the growth of high-quality muscles.

Exercising with the same weight, you come to stagnation, and not only in muscle growth, but also in weight loss. Your body adapts to the workout, and after training, you do not get the muscle hypertrophy, or the accelerated metabolism that people who lose weight aspire to.

Increasing your working weight is a must for exercising both in the gym and at home. However, increasing it too quickly will not do anything good and may even lead to injury.

When to Gain Weight: The Two-for-Two Rule

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If you want to increase muscle mass, then you are most likely using low reps and heavy weights, close to the one-time maximum.

It is important to understand here that for progress, the weight must be such that the last repetition in the approach is on the verge of muscle failure. The two-for-two rule allows you to determine when you stop exercising to the point of muscle failure.

This rule was suggested by Thomas Baechle in the Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning textbook. This is how it sounds.

If on the last set of any exercise you can do two more reps and are doing that for the last two workouts, it's time to increase the weight.

For example, you do 4 sets of 8 reps of dumbbell bicep curls. If you can do 10 repetitions on the last set two workouts in a row, then it's time to increase the weight.

There is another, faster option for increasing the working weight - the fixed set scheme.

How to gain weight in the gym

With fixed sets

If your plan includes 4 sets of 10 reps and you can do the exercise the same number of times on the last set as in the first, it's time to increase the weight.

When you try an exercise with a new weight, the number of repetitions in sets naturally decreases. For example, in the first set you will be able to do 10 repetitions, in the second only 8, and in the third and fourth, 6 each. This is a completely normal pattern for mastering a new weight.

Gradually, you will increase the number of repetitions in the set until you can complete 10 repetitions in all four sets. This means it's time to put on weight again.

Unlike the previous two-for-two pattern, in this case you don't have to test yourself with additional repetitions in the last set. As soon as the number of repetitions in all approaches is equal, increase the weight.

Which scheme to use? Decide for yourself. In my opinion, the “two for two” rule allows you to make your workouts safer and to make sure that the technique does not suffer as you increase the weight.

In pyramidal training

In pyramidal training, both the working weight and the number of repetitions change.

In an ascending pyramid, you start out with a lot of repetitions with a low working weight and gradually increase it, decreasing the number of repetitions. For example, in the first set you do 60 kg deadlift 12 times, then 65 kg 10 times, 70 kg 8 times and 75 kg 6 times.

Warm-up sets with low weight are performed not until the muscles completely fail. This should only happen on the last set with the highest weights.

The descending pyramid, on the other hand, begins with short approaches with the highest weight: exercises are performed until the muscles completely fail, in subsequent approaches the weight decreases, and the number of repetitions increases.

Increasing the weight in pyramidal training is necessary in the same way as with a fixed number of repetitions. It is best to target the shortest set with the heaviest weight.

If in the hardest approach to muscle failure you can perform more repetitions than the program is supposed to do, it's time to increase the weight, and in all approaches, including warm-up with large quantity reps and low weight.

If you are just starting to exercise, you can increase the weight by 5-10%, if you have been exercising for a long time - by 2-5%. Usually it is 1–2 kg for small muscle groups and 2–5 kg for large ones.

How to gain weight while exercising at home

You can use universal rubber. If you are just starting out in fitness, they can help to facilitate the implementation of some exercises with your own weight, and if, on the contrary, you need to increase the load, the bands will help you do this without dumbbells and pancakes.

Each tape corresponds to a certain number of kilograms. For example, there are belts that create a tension similar to 23 kg, and there are thin models that replace only 5 kg.

Typically, belts are color-coded and each manufacturer has a different weight range. This is a kind of support with which you can develop target muscle groups and prepare to do bodyweight exercises.

Not everyone will be able to do push-ups with the correct technique at least once. By pulling on the rubber band, you can do this without problems, gradually preparing the muscles for stress.

The same goes for pull-ups, one-legged squats, bar push-ups, and other exercises. Change the elastic bands to thinner ones or increase the number of repetitions as you develop.

They can also be used to complicate bodyweight exercises or existing free weights. For example, you can do belt squats or lunges, chest pulls, leg raises, and other exercises. And after training you can do it with them.

And another opportunity to increase the load outside the gym is to do more difficult exercises. For example, dumbbell deadlifts can be made more difficult by doing it on one leg, regular push-ups can be replaced with handstand push-ups, and regular squats can be replaced with pistol or shrimp squats.

To avoid injury, increase the difficulty gradually and learn more about the technique for each exercise.

When you shouldn't put on weight

When increasing weight, carefully monitor whether this does not affect the execution technique.

For example, if you increased the weight on the bar during squats and after the first set, your knees began to curl inward and your back began to bend, then it is too early for you to increase the weight.

Getting used to doing exercises incorrectly, you harm your health and increase in the future. Therefore, if you feel that you cannot perform the exercise correctly, it is better to reduce the weight and consolidate the correct execution.

How often do you increase your working weight?