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New to the machine or exercise? you should ALWAYS START WITH LOW WEIGHT. Resistance machines are not calibrated to true actual weights and the load can vary significantly.
For beginners just get use to doing the movement properly in the correct range of motion, alignment and concentrate on normal breathing. There should be only a slight struggle in the final set which is set 2 or 3.
Intermediates should have an idea on their near max load should be. Lat Pull Down, 110 pounds 10 reps? Then plan on working up the sets like so:
Set 1: 70 pounds - 10 reps (60%)
Set 2: 90 pounds - 10 reps (80%)
Set 3: 110 pounds - 10 reps (100%)
Set 4: 110 pounds - 10 reps (100%)
In strength training the general rule is to challenge the muscles involved. The level of challenge is determined by experience and by proper form.
Master the staple basics! Fancy exercises can be fun and keep you motivated but too fancy is difficult to monitor progress. Performing the basic movements such as the Barbell Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift and Lat Pull Down can build a very desireable physique with a great balance of strength.
However the alternative exercises are important to improve ranges and muscle recruitment, so you can performer better in the staple movements.
If your goal is aesthetics, then you`ll need a variety to define your muscles.
Old school method of loggin in workouts. It`s here for visualing purposes. I highly suggest everyone to lose the paper and spreadsheets and utilize EfitX to keep track of your workouts.
When should I increase load? The most safest method is to increase load when that last set is too easy. However this method has a pitfall. It`s easy to get stuck at the same weight over and over again. When this happens it is important on how to manipulate load, reps, rests and frequency to get through a plateau.
OSPM favors the Linear/Step progresssion (exclusive technique). The technique is to add an additional set to increase more volume within that particular exercise. Then within a few weeks, increase the load 5% in a step.
