Some exercises, like squats, Ive been doing basically forever.
But what if its your first time doing a particular lift?
or youre returning to something you havent done in a while.
(Its been years since I last did a hip thrust.)
Fortunately, its not hard to figure out what weight to start with.
Heres how I approach every new exercise.
Both use a dumbbell, but a Kroc row will require aheavierdumbbell.
On the other hand, a bent-over row usually calls for a barbell.
Check your program, and maybe look up some YouTube videos, so you know what youll be attempting.
Start with just a bodyweight movement, then add a little weight.
For a barbell movement, the ideal starting point is often just the empty bar.
(If the empty bar looks intimidating, grab a smaller barbell or a pair of dumbbells.)
Work up to more weight
After trying that light weight, ask yourself how it felt.
Were you able to do the movement in approximately the same way it was demonstrated?
If so, put that dumbbell back and pick up a heavier one.
(For barbell lifts, add plates to the bar.)
Again, you still want to err on the side of being too light.
Itstotally fineif it takes you many attempts to find a weight that feels appropriately challenging.
The heavier the final weight, the more jumps youll take along the way.
Add a pair of 25-pound plates, for a total of 95.Yeah, definitely still light.
Add the 25s back: total 185.
Add the 25s back: 275.It finally feels like were getting close.
Add a pair of 10s.
295.Better, but still notquitechallenging enough.
With experience, you might skip some of these steps.
Hip thrusts are usually heavier than deadlifts.
Deadlifts are usually heavier than squats.
Bench press is almost always heavier than overhead press.
Explosive moves (like push press) are almost always heavier than controlled moves (like strict press).
Barbell lifts are usually heavier than dumbbell lifts (for example, barbell bench versus dumbbell bench).
This is standard gym practice.
Welcome to the club.
