Selecting the appropriate load 

Selecting the appropriate load is important for eliciting certain adaptations to training.  

If you know what your 1RM is this table is useful when selecting the load for rep ranges that are targeting the development of strength (1-6 reps).  

If you don’t know your 1RM, you need to select a weight that you feel you will be able to complete the rep range with. This weight wants to be “heavy”. To help you understand the % of 1RM you are working at, ask yourself the question; How many reps could I do after the prescribed reps? You can then use the table above to understand the rough % you are working at.  

For greater rep ranges that look to target either hypertrophy or muscular endurance (8+ reps), the specific selection of weight isn’t as crucial. Here you want to select a weight that you feel you will be able to complete the rep range with, this weight doesn’t have to be “heavy”, but it still needs to challenge you. 

Progression of load over a block of training:  

Over a block (4-6 weeks) of training, we are looking to increase exercise load <5% per week.  

Using the “load” column in your programme to note down the weight used for each exercise will help to ensure that progression is occurring.  

However, if your technique is compromised during a specific exercise this is an indication that you wouldn’t be ready to increase the load. In this instance you would keep the weight the same and potentially progress the next week. When learning a new exercise, load isn’t important, focus on technique before adding load to the exercise.