4 Signs You Need to Lift More Weight

You are only limited your mind. i don't buy the there are limits. Go for the big weights they are fun.

Set a goal and work towards it. If at 52 I can do 1125lbs on the reclining leg press anyone can work their way up. - 4/9/2013 4:56:41 PM

I know when the number on the bar in under 3 digits

4 if you could the leg press . - 4/9/2013 4:53:51 PM

Oh, and for those who commented below regarding concern about being able to increase the weight forever: Don't worry- you can't. There are simply limits to how much your body can lift given your sex (women who aren't on steroids lift less than men of the same height/weight because we are short on testosterone), height,and weight (bio-mechanics play in, here), and physical limitations. I have been lifting what most people would consider "Heavy" for many years now, and my increases now come infrequently and in very small increments.

No one can add 10 lbs a week until they are lifting thousands of weight, no matter how hard they try. - 4/9/2013 1:35:33 PM

Well, yes to all the above, but you also need to change up exercises regularly if you want to see a change in your body shape. - 4/9/2013 1:29:03 PM

I don't think anyone can tell usat what weight we have to stop. The article doesn't talk about excersizing like a body builder, it simply shows us how to change things up so we don't waste our time at the gym. All of the suggestions built up on the extreme example at the beginning. I thought the article and advice was good. I always change things up at the gym; different weights, different routines - keeps it interesting. Thank you! - 4/9/2013 10:40:29 AM

Thank you for the advise. I think it's excellent advise for beginners. Though I do agree with Fiddlemom's question, "when is enough enough?" - 4/9/2013 10:24:18 AM

Funny, they never talk about when to stop upping things - whether it's weight or reps. Always it's articles and advice like this.

If this follows through, logically, we're all supposed to end up lifting like a competition "strongman", lifting several hundred pounds. OR we're supposed to end up in the gym all day because we've increased our reps to the point where we have no time for anything else.

Will they ever tell us when we can say when?

If the only way to keep fit is to keeping upping everything into infinity, then I'm not interested. I don't want to be a bodybuilder/stron
g-woman. I don't want to spend my day exercising. To me, that's not living. There are other things I want to do with my life. - 4/9/2013 8:07:39 AM

Very well written! Thank you! - 2/15/2013 9:53:10 AM

I've been a Personal Trainer for over 20 years, the owner of several gyms and a Weight-Lifting instructor at our local Jr. College and one of the most common mistakes that I've watched people make around Strength Training is that they don't have a good idea of how to determine how much weight is appropriate. When a person changes programs (i.e. from 15-20 reps to 8-10 reps), the resistance logically needs to change as well. Great article and hopefully readers will take it to heart! - 6/26/2012 11:50:59 AM

Thanks, useful suggestions. Particularly about the muscle fatigue - idea. - 6/25/2012 1:23:29 PM

My health has deteriorated, and not long after increasing my weights, which greatly pleased me, I have had to decrease. It is back to square one for me. - 6/23/2012 11:08:08 PM

good information going to try and increase the weights today at the gym - 6/23/2012 9:54:09 AM

And that's why I work with a personal trainer. Not all the time. Sometimes for a 10 week stretch when I want to learn something new. Sometimes just to check in with him. But it makes SUCH a difference when someone objective watches what you do.

Great article. - 6/23/2012 6:53:56 AM

Great article! I've never been told exactly WHEN to increase my weights before. I also liked the comments about the reps (use a range). - 10/8/2011 11:13:11 AM

I aim to see progress with every workout.

This could be increased number of reps, or increasing the weight I lift. . . within the time limit I set.

2/3 - 10/1/2010 7:17:45 AM