Hi,
I feel I am currently stagnant at some exercises of workout (which is almost full body workout). The current weight is easy; but when I incremented it, I have failed to accomplish all the reps with the correct form.
I have thought of two alternatives:
1) Add the reps of the current weight, and try to increment it later.
2) Increment the current the weight while decreasing the number of reps, and then I increase the number of reps gradually.
Which of these alternatives is better? Are there any other alternatives?
Thank you.
Stagnant Progress
Moderators: cassiegose, Boss Man
Re: Stagnant Progress
Something springs to mind.
The increase in weight is too much, causing reps and / or technique to suffer.
So therefore you need to focus on what you're doing and adjust what you're doing, as one or both of those aforementioned things could be what is occurring.
The increase in weight is too much, causing reps and / or technique to suffer.
So therefore you need to focus on what you're doing and adjust what you're doing, as one or both of those aforementioned things could be what is occurring.
Re: Stagnant Progress
Thank you Boss Man
Sorry, I didn't get how to adjust what I am doing.
I am doing hammer curls holding 10 kg dumbbell in each hand. When I try to lift 12 kg dumbbell with each hand, I cannot complete the reps, yet body seems to be well adapted with the 10 kg dumbbells as they are relatively easy. I only struggle a little bit with the last two reps of the last set (third set). I probably didn't understand your point, did you mean that I should continue with current weight for a while before try to increment again?
Sorry, I didn't get how to adjust what I am doing.
I am doing hammer curls holding 10 kg dumbbell in each hand. When I try to lift 12 kg dumbbell with each hand, I cannot complete the reps, yet body seems to be well adapted with the 10 kg dumbbells as they are relatively easy. I only struggle a little bit with the last two reps of the last set (third set). I probably didn't understand your point, did you mean that I should continue with current weight for a while before try to increment again?
Re: Stagnant Progress
Yes, you should persist at the current weight before increasing the increment, as you handle the lower weight comfortably, but the higher one causes a couple of reps at the end to lose form, which means you're not ready to step up, unless realistically, you were going to be hitting 5-6 full reps after an increment, because going higher right now would be a it of an issue when you're struggling to nail 2-3 reps.
So you could increase the weight if your current number of reps are high enough, but I'd wait until you're at least able to knock them all out without doing a couple of substandard ones, as it sounds like you're going to failure on it and you don't need to failure train, as that's just a waste of extra energy that you don't need to be expending and usually if your final rep is around 4 seconds plus, which you can often tell, particularly as your main reps will often be be around 2-2.5 seconds on pretty much any exercise, then you pump out a rep that goes around 3-3.5 seconds, then you're starting to fail, so stop there.
If however you're struggling to hit good form at the end of a set, then the first rep you do where you struggle to hit good form, as opposed to executing a substandard rep, then stop the exercise, because there's then no point doing 0.75 of a rep, just to then try and struggle to hit a final rep of 0.5 or less of a rep, as you're trying to hit failure and that's not necessary.
Hopefully that all makes sense.
So you could increase the weight if your current number of reps are high enough, but I'd wait until you're at least able to knock them all out without doing a couple of substandard ones, as it sounds like you're going to failure on it and you don't need to failure train, as that's just a waste of extra energy that you don't need to be expending and usually if your final rep is around 4 seconds plus, which you can often tell, particularly as your main reps will often be be around 2-2.5 seconds on pretty much any exercise, then you pump out a rep that goes around 3-3.5 seconds, then you're starting to fail, so stop there.
If however you're struggling to hit good form at the end of a set, then the first rep you do where you struggle to hit good form, as opposed to executing a substandard rep, then stop the exercise, because there's then no point doing 0.75 of a rep, just to then try and struggle to hit a final rep of 0.5 or less of a rep, as you're trying to hit failure and that's not necessary.
Hopefully that all makes sense.
Re: Stagnant Progress
Yes, I got it.
Thanks a lot
Thanks a lot
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AnthonyDee
- STARTING OUT
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- Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 4:53 am
Re: Stagnant Progress
Maybe you are rushing to progress?
As a general rule, try to increase weights only when you manage all the reps and sets with the current weight you are using.
So if, for example, you bench for 3 sets of 8-10 reps, increase weight when in the previous workout you have managed to get 3 sets of 10 reps with good form.
You would typically increase weights by 5-10% on lower body lifts and 2.5-5% on upper body lifts.
Hope this helps.
As a general rule, try to increase weights only when you manage all the reps and sets with the current weight you are using.
So if, for example, you bench for 3 sets of 8-10 reps, increase weight when in the previous workout you have managed to get 3 sets of 10 reps with good form.
You would typically increase weights by 5-10% on lower body lifts and 2.5-5% on upper body lifts.
Hope this helps.