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Strength Training 101: How much weight should

I be lifting?

By Staci Ardison • Last Updated: June 6, 2019 • 76 comments

“Do you even lift?”

After today’s guide, not only will you be able to say “YUP,” but you’ll also know exactly how
MUCH you should be lifting!
We’ll help you get big and strong so you can fight back against your older brother when he
tackles you in the hallway.

As part of our Strength 101 series, we’re going to tell you exactly what you need to know
about lifting weights and strength training:
 Why you should lift your own bodyweight first.
 How to start lifting with barbell training.
 How much does a barbell weigh?
 Adding weight to a barbell.
 When should you add even more weight?
 How to determine your 1 rep max?
 How much should YOU be lifting?
 Do you even Lift?
If you find yourself with a billion other strength training questions as you build your own
workout, or you’re overwhelmed at all of this and not sure how to get stronger…you’re in good
company!
It can be scary enough to keep MOST people from starting, which is actually why we
created our Coaching Program.
Your NF Coach will do an initial assessment to calculate exactly how much weight you should
start lifting. They’ll then design a program that they’ll adjust regularly based on your progress
and schedule.
Plus, with our app, your coach can do regular video form checks to make sure you safely make
consistent progress.
Do you even lift? I hope so! Let's get you strong as hell. Learn more about our Online Coaching
Program!

With that out of the way, let’s jump into the nitty-gritty of “how much weight should I
lift?”
Why You Should Lift Your Own Bodyweight First
Stop! (Wait a minute…)
Before trying to figure out how much weight you can lift, let’s make sure you know how to do
the movement, as flawless as possible, without any weight at all.

Why?
Because if you can’t do a movement correctly without weight, how can you expect to do it right
WITH weight?

Think about it – if you can’t walk up a flight of stairs normally, would you expect to be able to
walk up the flight of stairs carrying a sack of hammers?

No – you would only hurt yourself.

Also, what are you even doing with a sack of hammers?

STEP ONE: learn each movement without any bars, dumbbells, or added weight.
Which might make you say:

“Staci, how on earth do I do a deadlift or an overhead press without any weight? And I know I
can do a bodyweight squat, but isn’t it completely different doing a barbell back squat?”
Easy – grab either a broomstick (be careful for splinters!), mop handle, or PVC pipe (I use
a 1.25” PVC cut in half) and pretend it’s a barbell.
If you’re trying to mimic a dumbbell movement, either grab a short dowel, PVC, or just hold
your hands in a fist as if you were holding on to something.

While it’s not the exact same as holding actual weight, it will allow you to practice getting into
the correct positions.

Practice the movements in your own home without other people around you (so you’ll be
less nervous).
Also, you can video tape yourself pretty easily. I use my computer’s web cam, or my phone
camera and a little tripod.
Here’s a video of me doing this back when I started lifting in 2011, when I was trying to figure
out how to deadlift, to get an idea of what I’m talking about:

Now, I can deadlift 425 pounds and I’m a Senior Coach for our Online Coaching Program:
 Want me to teach you how to deadlift? Learn more about our Online Coaching Program:
If you don’t have a good beginner strength training workout to follow:
 Go from zero to barbell with our 6 Beginner Gym Workouts.
 Pick one of our Beginner Strength Workouts.
 Build your own workout!
If you are interested in nerding out about proper form for each barbell movement, start
here:
 How to do a proper barbell squat.
 How to do a proper deadlift.
 How to do a proper overhead press.
 How to do a proper bench press.
We also HIGHLY recommend you pick up Starting Strength, widely considered to be the Bible
of barbell training.
Once you feel good about your form, you can see if you can “pass the bar.”
(guaranteed to be the nicest lawyer joke you’ll ever read on Nerd Fitness, by the way).
Now, if want a full Bodyweight Workout Program that you can follow along with at home that
will help get you prepped to start strength training?
You can download the worksheet to follow along here when you sign up in the box below:
Grab Your Beginner Bodyweight Routine Worksheet.
No Gym Required!
 Complete this workout at home, no equipment required
 Avoid the common mistakes everybody makes when doing bodyweight exercises
 Learn how to finally get your first pull-up

Level Up!

How to Start Barbell Training with Lifting the Bar

Once you’re comfortable with each movement with a broomstick or PVC, then you can
move to the bar.
Your first gym workout shouldn’t go any heavier than “just” the bar, which means the bar
without any added weight.
As we know from our guide on strength training equipment:
 A standard barbell weighs 45 lbs (20.4 kg).
 A “women’s barbell” weighs 35 lbs (15.8 kg).
Now, don’t be discouraged if this seems really heavy – especially on upper body
movements.
When I started out, I could not bench press or overhead press an empty barbell.
If the bar seems too heavy to start:
1. See if the gym has a lighter barbell – some have a “women’s bar” or a “training bar” that
usually weigh 30-35 lbs and 15 lbs, respectively. These are usually shorter, but that’s okay!
2. Start out with dumbbells – while the movement is not the exact same, it allows you to build
up the strength to be able to correctly handle the bar.
3. Focus on bodyweight training (push-ups, pull-ups, lunges, squats) until you build the strength
to handle the bar.
Now, on opposite ends of the spectrum, if the bar seems really light, I would STILL
encourage you to complete your first workout with just the bar.
Focus on getting each rep correct, and worry about adding weight next time.

Check your ego at the door!

I would rather see somebody in the gym lifting the bar with proper form than watch somebody
with awful form lift 400 lbs.

I honestly cringe when I see that happen, which is far too often.
Note: If you finish your first workout with the bar and still aren’t comfortable with the
movements, it’s never a bad thing to do your next workout with just the bar again.
If you’re not comfortable with the movement and you start adding weight, not only will you be
more likely to injure yourself because your body isn’t ready, but you’ll be more likely to hurt
yourself because you won’t be confident under the bar.

Confidence is something that is very important as you start lifting heavier and heavier.
If you’re planning on using dumbbells as your main lift (and not a barbell), start with the 5-10 lb
dumbbells to get a feel for things.

Whether you’re starting with dumbbells or ready to move onto a barbell, it’s important to
do it properly!
We check the form of EVERY online coaching client on their workouts so they have the
confidence that they’re doing these moves correctly!
 Get your form checked by an expert, and never worry if you’re doing the movement right:
We’ve also created a specific sequence of workout routines you can follow along with for
free in our guide Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know.
Grab yours free when you sign up in the box below:

Download our comprehensive guideSTRENGTH

TRAINING 101!
 Everything you need to know about getting strong.
 Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.
 How to find the right gym and train properly in one.

Get it now

How To Start Adding Weight to the Barbell

If you’re looking to start on a beginner program, such as the workouts in our Beginner
Strength Training Workouts or our 6 Beginner Gym Workouts, you need to start light!
A few common rep ranges for beginner programs are:

 5 sets of 5 reps
 3 sets of 8 reps
 3 sets of 10 reps
Let’s do an example. Your program has you doing 5 sets of 5 on a particular lift.

1) After a proper warm up routine, start with the empty bar again, and complete the
prescribed number of reps (for this, it would be 5).
“But I thought you said we could add weight this time?” you might be thinking.
You can – but no matter how heavy you are going, always start with just the bar to warm up for
EACH exercise.
If you watch the best lifters in your gym, you will notice they all warm up with “just the bar” to
start, often for multiple sets!

This helps get your body warm, primes your nervous systems and all of your muscles for that
movement, and gets you ready to lift heavier weight.

As a beginner to strength training, this is especially important to ingrain proper technique.

2) Add a small amount of weight to the bar. Depending on how heavy the bar felt, start by
adding anywhere from 2.5lbs to 10lbs to each side. When in doubt, add the lower amount. You
can always add more! Do another set of 5 reps at this weight.
(Note: If you’re doing dumbbell training, instead of adding weight to the bar, increase the
weight of the dumbbell. Start with 5 lb. dumbbells, then 10 lb. dumbbells, for example)
3) If you were able to complete those reps both without losing form and without the speed
of the bar slowing, add more weight to the bar.
Base the amount of new weight off how it felt – if the last set felt really light, add 10’s, if it felt
heavy, add 2.5’s or 5’s.

4) Continue to do this until your form starts to break down or the speed of the lift gets
slower on any of your reps.
The weight you used right before your form started to break down is your
starting weight on which you will base all future workouts!
5) If it is a lower number than you expect, that would be the right number!
Don’t try to be a hero your first workout, it is better to start out too light than too heavy.

Remember – we’re trying to get solid, productive sets in, not find our max, so we want all of the
reps to be fast and with as perfect form as our body allows.

And since during this process you’re testing out heavier weights for the first time, never be afraid
to have a spotter, or to use pins to ensure your safety!

If you don’t want to figure ANY of this out on your own, and you just want somebody to tell
you exactly how much to lift, how many sets, reps, etc., I hear you.
I’ve had a lifting coach for years and it’s the best investment I make each month!
No more guesswork. Let us build a custom program for you to follow in our Online Coaching
App! Learn more:

How do I know when to add more weight?

Once you’ve find your starting weight, you’ll want to start using something called
“progressive overload.”
This sounds a lot fancier than it really is.

As we lay out in our Strength 101 intro, progressive overload means gradually increasing
the stress put on your body during training.
In other words, we need to increase something, regularly. Usually this means the amount of
weight we lift.

And for beginners, that can often happen in every workout.

During every workout, our muscles are torn and broken down. Then after every workout – for
the next 24-48+ hours, our body repairs itself. If you’re getting proper sleep and nutrition, it
heals back stronger than it was before.

Conversely, if you do 5 sets of 5 squats at 100 lbs every single workout for months, are you
getting stronger?
Most likely not.

Your body is actually just getting more efficient at lifting 5×5 at 100 lbs, burning fewer calories
and using less energy to make that movement happen.

So, how much weight do you add when you’re ready to increase your workouts?
That depends on how difficult was the sets last time.

This is where great note-taking comes in (I’m a huge fan of a simple notebook, or Evernote docs
on my phone).
Be sure to document for each workout:
 How much you lifted.
 How many sets and reps.
 How your lifts went.
 How you felt during the workout.
Did you go to failure on your last set?

Did your form break down on any of the reps?

You’ll end up in one of two positions:
PATH A: You failed to complete any of your reps or your form started to break down. Do
the same weight again next workout, and focus boosting your form and technique of each rep.
Remember, if you are doing the same workout as last time, but each rep is more solid and with
better form than before, you’re still doing better than you were last workout.

In other words, you’re still leveling up.

You don’t necessarily have to go up in weight every workout to see gains. Less rest between
sets, more control and better form, and more repetitions all mean you are getting stronger.

PATH B: You were able to get through all of your sets with great form, and without the
bar slowing down. Congrats! Consider adding more next week. It’s not unheard of for beginners
to add 10-20lbs a week to some lifts (especially squats and deadlifts), though don’t get
discouraged if you’re only adding 2.5 or 5!
The BEST THING YOU CAN DO: slowly add the smallest amount of weight possible, and
progress consistently. This is much preferred to progressing quickly then hit a plateau.
Each week, as you add a little bit of weight, you are building strength, confidence, and
momentum.
Note: For some lifts, especially the overhead press or bench press, adding just 5 lbs may be too
much to go up per workout.
I personally have a set of 1.25lb plates that I bring with me to the gym so that I can still progress
regularly.

Remember: You’re going to have shitty days at the gym. There will be days when you can’t
add any weight, or you feel like you have to take a step backward.
So many things affect how your lifts are going to feel – from a baby crying all night, to lots of
stress at the office, to drinking too much at the big game, or just not eating enough for your
goals.
It’s important to listen to your body over listening to some number telling you what you
should be lifting.
You want to make progress every time you walk into the gym, and that means having a specific
plan to follow.

Don’t have a workout to follow? Tired of not getting results despite all the effort?
This is what we do for a living! Help people like you get out of ruts and finally get them the
results they want.

After doing my own workout programming for 5 years, I hired a coach and it changed my life.
Let us help you hit your goals too.
No more guesswork. Let us create an exact program for you to follow! We'll be with you every
step of the way. Learn more:

How Do I Calculate My 1 Rep MAx? I want to know how

much I can lift!
It’s really fun to find the maximum amount of weight you can do for one repetition (one
rep max) every once in a while.
However, as a beginner who is just starting strength training, it’s better that you start with getting
the movement right and adding weight slowly before trying to find a one rep max.
I would suggest you follow a program for at least six weeks before even attempting “a
heavy single”.
Why?
Even if your form is as good as you can get it now, you will get far better, learning how to make
tweaks and corrections as you go.

When you first start out, you’re still getting everything down, so your one rep max won’t be a
“true” one rep max.

Plus, when you train, you’re training everything in your body.

Some things, like muscles and bones, get stronger, while others, like your nervous system, get
more efficient.

The more you do something, the better you get at it. And in the beginning you’ll get better very
quickly.

It’s unwise to attempt a 1 repetition maximum when you’re learning the movement.
This is one of the classic blunders! The most famous of which is “never get involved in a land
war in Asia,” but only slightly less well-known is this: “Never attempt a 1-rep max as a
beginner.”

Even if you can do it with proper form with lighter weights, as soon as the weight gets close to
your 1 rep max your form will start to break down, and you are more likely to hurt yourself.
When your form starts to break down, you need to have the experience behind you to finish (or
bail out of) the lift safely.

If you watch any weightlifting or powerlifting competition, sometimes the lifts are not the
prettiest lifts you’ve ever seen.
However, the lifters are experienced enough to handle this, and know how to bail if something
goes wrong.

As a beginner, you are not.

Team NF’s Steve worked with a coach for 4+ years to finally get his 420 lb. deadlift:
If you want to work with a coach that can help you perfect your form and train to hit 1-rep
maxes too, we’re here for ya! We’re slightly biased, but having a coach in your corner is an
absolute game-changer.
Want to lift more than you’ve ever lifted before? Work with our Online Coaching Program and
start getting results! Learn more:

what is a respectable amount to be lifting?

The simple answer? The weight that’s right for you.

You are not competing against the guy next to you; you’re competing against the YOU from last
week (like racing your ghost in Mario Kart).
As far as what you can strive for, there’s no easy calculation or formula.
While some people have put out strength standards, it’s truly up to your body, your body type,
your background as an athlete, your genetics, and many other factors.

You should be lifting the amount that’s right for you today. In your next workout you should
be trying to lift more (even if you can’t do more weight, try doing one more rep, or with less rest
between sets) than you did last time.
That’s it.
As a part of this journey, I want you to completely forget about strength standards and forget
about everyone around you.

I don’t care if the guy (or girl) next to you is squatting 500 lbs for sets of 10.

If you’re squatting 50 lbs, and that’s the weight that is challenging for you, then that’s the weight
you should be lifting.

These are the BIG mistakes you need to avoid:

Never EVER try to outlift the person next to you.

Never EVER adjust the weight to impress someone.

No one’s judging you based on the weight on the bar, and if they are, they aren’t worth your time
or energy.

To recap “How much should I lift?”:

1. The strongest lifters do a dynamic warm-up first.
2. The strongest lifters warm up with “just” the bar.
3. The strongest lifters focus on getting their reps in, and aren’t ashamed that they’re lifting less
than the guy next to them.
4. The strongest lifters take time to get things right, even if that means lifting less weight than
they know they “can” do.
5. The strongest lifters started off doing a beginners program just like you.
So remember – start slow, add weight slowly, and stay conservative.
It’s amazing how much even adding just 5 lbs (2kg) a week adds up to! It’s far better to play it
safe in the beginning than to find yourself injured and frustrated before you have a chance to
progress.

Our strength coaching program changes lives. Learn more:

Do you Even Lift?

Hopefully this article EXCITED you about strength training, and you now know exactly
how much to lift.
For people looking for the next step, we’ve got 3 options you want to check out:
1) If you want to follow a strength training program that’s specific to your goals, check out
our popular Online Coaching Program.
You’ll work with a certified NF instructor who will get to know you better than you know
yourself, check your form, and create a workout strategy that will evolve alongside you.
Put a Yoda in your pocket with our Coaching App! Wake up knowing exactly what to do every
day:

2) Good at following instructions and want a blueprint to follow? Check out our self-paced
online course, the Nerd Fitness Academy.
The Academy has 20+ workouts, a benchmark test to determine your starting workout, HD
demonstrations of every movement, boss battles, meal plans, a questing system, and supportive
community.

Pick one of 20+ workouts, take on boss battle workouts, and level up your life in the Nerd
Fitness Academy!
3) Join the Rebellion! Join hundreds of thousands of people like you. It’s free to join, and we
have a dozen free guides for you when you sign up in the yellow box below.
Download our comprehensive guideSTRENGTH
TRAINING 101!
 Everything you need to know about getting strong.
 Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.
 How to find the right gym and train properly in one.

Get it now

Let’s get these questions answered so you can get back to getting stronger!
What are your other big questions about lifting weight and how much you should be lifting?

-Staci
PS: Be sure to check out the rest of Strength Training 101 series:
 Strength Training 101: How to get Strong
 Strength Training 101: Where do I start?
 Strength Training 101: Finding the Right Gym
 How to Train in a Gym: 6 Beginner Gym Workouts
 Strength Training 101: Equipment
 Strength Training 101: Building Muscle & Muscle Training
 Strength Training 101: How to Squat Properly
 Strength Training 101: The Overhead Press
 Strength Training 101: The Deadlift
 Strength Training 101: Inverted Rows
###
photo source: Bigm141414: Gainsdalf, Jacobunny: Papa Smurf, Odalaigh: Farmer’s
Walk, Koukouvaya: 10 Plate, Koukouvaya: Mismatched Barbell, moominmolly: stand on
plate, Ben Freeman: Extended Platform, Lego Lifting.

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