Load progression decision
When should you add weight to an exercise?
Decide when a load increase is earned using target reps, technique, effort, and several comparable exposures—not gym-day optimism.
The short answer
Add weight when you can complete the programmed reps and sets with the intended technique and a repeatable effort margin. Use the smallest practical increase and compare more than one exposure when performance is noisy. If range shortens, assistance rises, or effort jumps beyond the target, the heavier number is not a clean progression.
Make the smallest move
Add weight from evidence, not memory.
LogFast places last load, reps, range context, and effort beside the exercise before you choose the next increment.
Build load historyCheck four conditions
Before increasing, verify the target repetitions, full intended range, stable setup, and effort. A load that technically moves but changes the exercise may train something useful, yet it should not be recorded as direct progress on the prior variation.
- Reps and sets meet the prescription
- Technique and range remain comparable
- RPE or RIR is within the intended band
- The next increment is small enough to be practical
Let repeated evidence beat one peak day
Sleep, exercise order, rest time, and ordinary variation affect performance. A rep PR can justify a small jump, but holding the result across two exposures gives more confidence when the next increment is large or the movement is sensitive to setup.
Example: if 80 kg × 8 moved at RPE 8 twice and the range target is 6–8, 82.5 kg is a reasonable next exposure. If 80 × 8 was RPE 10 with shortened range, repeat it.
Know when not to add load
Do not let a progress rule override pain, loss of control, a new exercise variation, or a return from a break. Holding load while improving reps, range, tempo, or effort can still be progression.
Frequently asked questions
How much weight should I add?
Use the smallest increment that keeps you inside the programmed rep and effort range; upper-body movements often need smaller jumps than lower-body movements.
Should beginners add weight every workout?
Only while the program targets session-to-session progression and the completed work still meets its technique and effort rules.
What if reps fall after adding weight?
A modest fall toward the bottom of the target range is expected. A collapse below the range suggests the jump was too large or context changed.