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The short answer
Add weight once you hit the top of your rep range on every set with clean form and a rep or two still in the tank. Then add the smallest jump available: 5 lb (2.5 kg) on a barbell, the next dumbbell up only once you’ve built extra reps.
The main signal: the top of the range
If your program says 3 sets of 8 to 12, the weight is right as long as you land between 8 and 12 reps. The day you get 12 clean reps on all three sets, it’s too light: time to go up. That’s the idea behind double progression.
A well-known variation is the “2-for-2 rule”: if you can do two more reps than planned on your last set, two workouts in a row, increase the weight.
Key takeaway
Every set at the top of the range, with clean form: then, and only then, you go up.
The second marker: reps in reserve
Reps in reserve (RIR) are the reps you could still have done at the end of a set. For most sets, leaving 1 to 3 in the tank is a good balance between stimulus and fatigue.
You had plenty left: the weight isn’t pushing you anymore.
Hard enough to progress, clean enough to recover well.
Failing sets or form breaking down: hold the weight, or drop it.
You don’t need an exact number. A quick check after each set (easy, solid or very hard) captures what matters, workout after workout.
How much should you add?
| Exercise | Suggested jump |
|---|---|
| Squat, deadlift, leg press | 5 to 10 lb |
| Bench press, rows, overhead press | 5 lb |
| Dumbbells (curls, raises, presses) | the next pair up, after building extra reps |
| Machines | one pin on the stack |
| Pull-ups, dips | reps first, then 5 lb on a dip belt |
Jump more than about 5% at once and you’ll likely miss reps over the next few workouts. When the available jump is too big (light dumbbells, machines with heavy increments), keep the weight and push to the top of the range, even a rep or two past it, before moving up.
On a barbell the smallest jump is usually 5 lb: a 2.5 lb plate per side (2.5 kg in a metric gym). A few years in, fractional plates of 0.5 to 1.25 lb let you take smaller steps. To load the bar right, our guide on barbell weights and plate math walks you through it.
Beginner, intermediate, advanced: different speeds
Beginner
Your first months of consistent training: you can often add weight almost every workout on the big lifts.
Intermediate
More like every one to three weeks, confirming each weight before going up.
Advanced
Gains come over weeks or months, and as much from reps and volume as from load.
The further you’ve come on a lift, the harder the next pound is to earn. Keep the jumps small and be willing to repeat a weight a few times before going up.
When not to go up, even if the numbers say so
- Joint pain, as opposed to normal muscle burn: hold the weight, or drop the exercise and get it checked if it sticks around.
- Form slipping on the last few reps.
- A short night, being sick, or heavy fatigue: hold the weight or lighten the workout.
- Coming back after several weeks off: start lighter and build back up over a few workouts.
What if you miss a set?
One missed set is no big deal: keep the same weight next time. If you fail two or three workouts in a row at the same weight, drop 5 to 10% and build back up. If everything has been stuck for weeks, you may be dealing with a plateau, which calls for a different fix.
Keep reading
Progressive overload, made simple
The one principle every program depends on, and the easiest way to put it into practice.
3 min readRead →Strength plateau: why you’ve stopped progressing
Get the diagnosis right before changing everything, then a four-step plan to get moving again.
2 min readRead →How much does a barbell weigh?
What every type of bar weighs, and how to work out which plates to load.
2 min readRead →