Why I don't prescribe weights to clients
...and why I prefer to teach them how to choose for themselves.
At many gyms, coaches prescribe the exact weights you should lift, usually based on a percentage of your one-rep max. While this makes perfect sense and follows standard strength training principles, it requires many things to go according to plan.
But life isn’t predictable. If you slept poorly or had a stressful week with work or family, lifting 85% of your one-rep max probably won’t feel the same as it did last week. That’s why I prefer to let you lead your training decisions.
You lead the way
Instead of instructing clients on how much to lift on a given exercise, I ask questions like:
“How did that feel?”
“Was that easy, medium, or hard?”
“How many more reps do you think you could you have done?”
While you may not always know the answer, especially if you’re new to training, this is my way of checking in. I’m trying to get a sense of how you’re feeling with the movement. Are you confident in your technique and ability to “own” the weight? It’s also my way of trying to create this habit for you so you can start to ask yourself these questions.
Once I have a sense of how comfortable you are, I’ll make a suggestion based on what makes sense for next steps. We may another 5 pounds or go up in reps. If something feels off in the movement or we’re making adjustments, we might decrease the weight to focus on technique and movement quality. It’s also okay (and often a good idea) to simply repeat what you did last week.
When is it time to “go up”?
A good rule of thumb is to use our “easy, medium, hard” scale. This measure is a simplified version of a strength training system called RPE, or “rate of perceived exertion.”
If the movement is new or you’re new to training, you’ll want to keep things in the easy/medium range. This gives your body time to adapt to the exercise, learn the movement well, and make adjustments to your technique without too much additional load. Once you’re more familiar with an exercise or have a higher training age, you can start to push things when the time is right.
When you’re unsure and could use more information to help make this decision, we may use an AMRAP set (as many reps as possible). If you’re hitting 15 solid goblet squats, it’s clear you’re ready for more weight. The point of this is for you to feel, see, and know where you’re at so you can confidently and strategically take the next step without second-guessing yourself.
Why can’t you just tell me what to do?
At the end of the day, no one knows your body better than you. While I’m always here to guide, suggest, and support you, the decision is yours. Want to push heavier? Great. Want to stay where you’re at? Great. Want to go lighter? Great. My goal is to help you become independent with your training so that you can make these decisions with confidence.