So, I started going to the gym about a month ago. Doing dumbell curls I started at 10lbs. I tried 50lbs at first.
Mistake!
Sized down until I got to 10lbs. I was looking for the first one I could do 20 reps. Then, as days went on, I kept moving up sizes. I’m currently at 25lbs. I keep wanting to move up to 30lbs, but my body gives way around the 12-15 rep range. So, not quite there yet. But the first 10 reps of 25lbs aren’t even hard anymore. It only gets increasingly more difficult after the 10 mark, but more often than not the 15 mark. 15-20 are the hard ones.
But with 30lbs it’s hard right from the start.
So, should I be doing the 30lbs reps, even if its less than 20 reps? Or do the 25lbs reps which I can easily do 3/4ths of before it becomes a struggle for the last few reps?
Are you giving your body enough time to recover? Also, rather than reps, focus on time under load. Aim for a weight light enough such that you do two or three verrrry slow reps for more than 60 seconds, but too heavy for 90 seconds. Source: “Body by Science” by Little and McGuff; “SuperSlow” by Hutchins. According to Little and McGuff (and their bibliography), most people require 7 to 10 days in between weight training muscle groups in order to fully recover. Any less than that and gains are being left on the table.
I didn’t quite believe it myself, but it wouldn’t hurt to try. Sure enough, I started being about to go up about five pounds every 6 to 8 weeks, weight training once every 7 days.
7 to 10 days between gym time??? I’m in the gym 4-5 days a week for 3-4 hours a day. Now granted some of that time is rest, but that sounds nuts! I just got off an exercise bike, and went for 20 minutes straight. Which is a new personal best. Said I burned 150 calories. I might do it again in 2 hours.
But for now, it’s weights time.