What percentage increase in weight during a 2 week period should we be aiming for?

[shiphen]

Hi

Hi

I am a bit puzzled by how much the "increment" should be.

What overall percentage increase during a 2 week period should we be aiming to acheive?

Background
It is stated a couple of places "5 to 10 pounds" and in one place "5 to 20 pounds".
(e.g. Here http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_notes.html )
But for certains exercises (e.g. lateral raises) where my max is a low absolute number (e.g. 10Kg) this clearly makes no sense, as it would involve zero resistance weights!


John
John Smith

 

[LDU]

people generally agree the best approach it to start around 75% - 80% of you RM and work up to 100% of your RM over the 2 weeks.

For exercises like lateral raises (which i never do) you could repeat the load. Ie 7.5kg, 7,5kg, 7.5kg, 10kg, 10kg 10kg. Or even start at 5, 5, 7.5, 7.5, 10, 10. something like that.
Id just do Dumbell or barbell press, lately ive been using the hammer strength shoulder press.

 

[Toolman]

I personally take my RM for a given rep range, and add 5-10% which for most exercises is limited to the smallest increment my gym has, which is 5 pounds. I assume I'll be stronger at the end of the two weeks than when I did my max RM test, or during the last cycle if I'm carrying an exercise over. That is how I set my goal for each two week period. I then subtract 5% (again usually 5 pounds) for each workout leading up to the last workout of that two week period. This way, I am able to beat my best every cycle.

So, for a 100 pound 15 RM, for example, I set the goal for the 6th workout of the HST cycle at 105. Then working backwards, I determine that the weight for my first workout should be 80 pounds, and then increasing by 5 pounds for each workout thereafter.

As your weights get bigger, the increments (in pounds) will usually increase proportionately. If your leg press is 400 pounds, for example, your next goal should be somewhere between 420 and 440, however I don't think it's a bad thing if you keep to a 5 pound increment, even at the higher weights. Certainly towards the end of the five's a twenty or thirty pound jump from one workout to the next may be a lot to ask.