How to Choose the Right Weights for Your Workout

Choosing the correct weights for an exercise can feel like a guessing game. Workouts generally do a wonderful job of providing concrete information on how many sets and reps to perform, while leaving weight choice a tad more ambiguous.

Sometimes you will see a percentage of your 1RM or 3RM, which is great if you have this information. But what if you don’t?

The good news is that you don’t need to get it exactly right on the first try. The weight police do not exist.

Let’s discuss a few things to consider when choosing your weights for a workout.

Start with your last workout

If you’ve done the exercise recently, your last workout is an excellent starting point.

Think back to how your individual sets felt. Were you able to complete all of your reps with good control and proper form? Did you finish feeling like you could have done a few more? If so, you might be ready to increase the weight slightly. If the last few reps were already challenging, staying with the same weight may make more sense.

This is also why tracking your workouts can be beneficial. You don't have to rely on memory power every time you walk into the gym.

Use your warm-up sets

Before jumping into your working weight, give yourself at least one warm-up set. Oftentimes you will see this programmed into a workout, especially for more complex or explosive movements, such as deadlifts or cleans. Even if a warm-up set is not programmed into a workout, you absolutely have permission to utilize this tool.

Beyond preparing your body and tissues for the movement, warm-up sets give you information. A weight that felt great last week might feel heavier today. Or you might start moving and realize you're ready for more than you expected.

Use what you notice during the warm-up to choose your working weight rather than feeling locked into what you planned ahead of time.

Consider the goal of the set/workout

Your weight should match what the workout you are doing is asking you to do. The purpose. Workouts and programming exist for a reason, allow them to do their job.

The weight you choose for 5 reps probably won't be the same weight you use for 8, 10, or 12 reps. In general, you're looking for a load that allows you to complete the prescribed reps with good control while still making the final few reps appropriately challenging. 

The goal isn't simply to use the heaviest weight you can manage. It's to choose a weight that makes sense for the exercise, reps and sets, and purpose of the workout.

Adjust as you go

Your first working set gives you even more information about how things are feeling that day.

If you finish and realize the weight was far too easy, increase it for the next set. If you're struggling to complete the prescribed reps with good control, decrease it. 

You're allowed to make adjustments during your workout. In fact, that's part of learning how to train well for the long-game. Zoom out and remember the bigger picture and your bigger goals and intentions for working out.

Choosing your weights gets easier with practice. Start with what you know, pay attention to how you're moving and feeling, and use each set to help you decide what comes next.

A final friendly reminder:

The right weight isn't a number you're supposed to magically know. It's something you figure out by paying attention, experimenting, and getting to know how different movements feel for you over time.

We help you do this throughout all of your workouts in Ridgeline Performance. Click below to learn more about how the remote training app created by a Doctor of Physical Therapy can help you.