When To Stop Each Weight Lifting Exercise

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When To Stop Each Weight Lifting Exercise

by Matthew Burg
(SLC, UT. USA)

How do I know when I've reached the point in my lifting work out, when it's time to stop for the day?

There is a lot of different information out there, but none of it is the same.

Do I stop when my muscles stay "pumped" or when the muscles feel like they are "cramped up"?

Then how long do I rest that muscle group before working it again?

Thanks, M. Burg

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When To Stop Each Weight Lifting Exercise

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You Need A Good Weight Lifting Program...
by: Josh -- Author WLC System

Hey Matthew,

A good weight lifting program will answer all of those questions for you.

For example, let me use one of the workout programs in our step-by-step guide to explain how one of our weightlifting programs work.

Every weight training program has different guidelines so this is just an example.

You're having trouble because MOST programs out there have no plan of progression or no way for you to make progress. Those programs are horrible and you should never use ANY program that doesn't tell you how to make progress from workout to workout.

As an example... here's what one of our beginner workouts look like:

1) Barbell Squats, 5x5
2) Barbell Bench Press, 5x5
3) Barbell Pendlay Rows, 5x5
4) Parallel Dips, 3xFailure

So, with the workout above -- you would do 5 sets of 5 reps of Squats. You'd do all the sets for Squats with the same weight. If you complete all 5 sets with that weight, you would increase the weight the next workout by 5 to 10 pounds. And so on.

You would do the same with the other exercises. Each workout, your goal is to complete all 5 sets and 5 reps for each set with a heavier weight than the previous workout.

Of course, the workout above is not the only workout in the program. You have another one that you alternate with that workout.

But I'm trying to answer your question about when to stop each exercise... so, you would stop each set at 5 reps no matter what. If it's still easy at 5 reps, that's fine. You would still stop because that's the design of the program. If it's really easy, you would just increase the weight by a larger amount for the next workout.

See what I mean?

Again, this is the plan for that particular program. Every weight training program will be different.

Each weightlifting program you use should always have a plan for you. You need to know exactly what to do each workout. And that's what our workout programs do for you.

You always know what to do with our step-by-step programs.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

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When to Stop Each Exercise...
by: Josh -- Author WLC System

If you are talking about stopping each set of any given exercise, this will also depend on the weight lifting program and the plan... it also depends on your weight training experience.

Let me explain...

There are 3 factors in weight training that I manipulate when I design weight lifting programs: frequency, volume, and intensity.

Frequency: How often you train your body and each individual major muscle group.

Volume: How many total sets and reps you do for each muscle group and for your entire body.

Intensity: The intensity level for each individual set, e.g. not to failure, to failure, beyond failure.

So... the question about when to stop each weight lifting exercise is a matter of the 3rd variable there -- intensity.

Within the WLC System Manual, I teach everyone to start their weight training programs by stopping each exercise when the rep speed begins to slow down. This keeps overall intensity low which is a must for full body style workouts.

All beginners should begin with full body training and that's why I say to stop each set when the rep speed slows down. This ensures progress for 99.99% of people out there. Only people with the lowest of lowest levels of recovery from weight training may have trouble making progress when stopping all sets well short of failure.

Each and every person has different levels of recovery from weight training workouts and the WLC System teaches you how to find YOUR optimal weightlifting intensity.

You start out with low intensity levels. I teach you how to experiment by increasing intensity and measuring results. If you go too intense for too long you can easily overtrain...

That's why having a copy of the WLC Workouts Manual is so important. I show you exactly how to work your way through different styles of training with different levels of frequency, volume, and intensity.

There's a HUGE give and take relationship with frequency, volume, and intensity.

IN GENERAL:

If you workout frequently, you will have to lower volume and/or intensity.

If you workout with more volume, you will have to lower frequency and/or intensity.

If you workout with more intensity, you will have to lower frequency and/or volume.

See what I mean?

And that's where the WLC Workouts Manual comes in... it's included in the WLC System Package and shows you how to work your way through the different styles of training with workouts already designed with optimal levels of frequency, volume, and intensity.

You will always have a plan when you go to the gym, and you will always be moving towards your goals with the WLC System.

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