Picking a starting weight

Too light costs you a week. Too heavy costs you form, confidence, and sometimes an injury.

First session: find your weights

1. Do a warm-up set with the empty bar, a light dumbbell or bodyweight.
2. Add a little weight and do a set at the bottom of the rep range.
3. If it felt easy and your form was clean, add a little more for the next set.
4. Stop at the weight where the set is hard but you could have done 2–3 more reps. That’s your starting weight.

Useful numbers

• A standard barbell weighs 45 lb (20 kg) on its own. Some gyms have lighter 33 lb (15 kg) or technique bars.
• For bands, start with a band you can use for the whole range with control.
• For bodyweight exercises, use the easier version on the exercise page (e.g. push-ups with hands on a bench) if you can’t reach the bottom of the range.

The first two weeks

Keep adding weight while every set stays clean. Beginners usually go up quickly. That’s normal, not a sign you started too light.