How much weight to add: a simple rule for every exercise
By Louis Ferret, founder of PrimeFeat · About · Updated on November 5, 2026
Add the smallest jump your equipment allows, and only after you hit every rep on every set. That usually means about 5 lb (2.5 kg) on upper body lifts and 5 to 10 lb (2.5 to 5 kg) on lower body lifts, and around 10% of the weight you just lifted at most. There is no fixed weekly amount, so some weeks you add nothing.
The short answer
Three checks decide your next weight:
- Did you earn it? You hit your target reps on every working set, with good form.
- How big is the step? Take the smallest practical jump for that exercise: about 5 lb (2.5 kg) for most upper body lifts, 5 to 10 lb (2.5 to 5 kg) for squats, deadlifts and leg presses, and about 2.5 lb (1.25 kg) for arm work if your gym has weights that small.
- Is the step too big for this weight? If the jump is more than about 10% of what you just lifted, make it smaller, or add reps instead.
People usually ask this per week, but the calendar is the wrong trigger. Your last workout decides. A beginner may go up at every session for a while. Someone with years of training may wait a month for the same 5 lb, and nothing is wrong with either of them.
The step sizes in this article are practical rules, not results from a study. Use them as a starting point and adjust to how your training goes.
When you have earned an increase
Pick a target before you start, such as 3 sets of 8. If you log 8, 8, 8, you have earned the increase. If you log 8, 8, 7, you have not, and you repeat the weight. That is strict on purpose: if the last set was already short, more weight will rarely make it better. If you are stuck on that decision, read what to do after missed reps.
If you train with a range, such as 8 to 12 reps, the bar is higher. You stay on the same weight and add reps until every set reaches 12, then move up and start again near 8. This method is called double progression, and we explain it in add reps or add weight first.
Effort matters too. Hitting 3 x 8 with nothing left is different from hitting it with reps to spare. A simple way to judge this is RPE, a rating of how hard a set felt from 1 to 10, where 10 means you could not have done another rep. If your sets averaged 9 or higher, stay at the same weight once more and let it get easier first.
Some guidelines ask for more proof. The American College of Sports Medicine's 2009 position stand suggests raising the load when you can do one or two reps over your target on two workouts in a row. That is a cautious approach, and a good fit if you tend to rush.
How much to add, by type of exercise
Gyms differ, so check what yours has. This table shows the usual smallest jump and a sensible step. Dumbbell figures are per hand.
| Equipment | Usual smallest jump | Sensible step | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell, lower body (squat, deadlift) | 5 lb (2.5 kg) | 5 to 10 lb (2.5 to 5 kg) | Use the smaller end while the bar is still light |
| Barbell, upper body (bench press, overhead press) | 5 lb (2.5 kg) | 5 lb (2.5 kg) | The overhead press often needs more time at each weight than the bench |
| Dumbbells | 5 lb (2 to 2.5 kg) per hand | The next dumbbell, once your reps are at the top of your range | On light dumbbells the jump is large in percentage terms |
| Machines (leg press, chest press) | One pin, which depends on the brand | One pin at a time | Numbers on two machines are not comparable |
| Cables (lat pulldown, pushdown) | One pin, which depends on the brand | One pin at a time | A pulley can change how heavy a pin feels |
The barbell jump is 5 lb (2.5 kg) because you have to load both sides. Two 2.5 lb plates add 5 lb, and two 1.25 kg plates add 2.5 kg.
Why a percentage cap matters for light weights
A fixed step means something very different at 45 lb and at 225 lb. Adding 10 lb to a 225 lb squat is a rise of about 4%. Adding 10 lb to an empty 45 lb bar is a rise of about 22%. In kg, adding 5 kg to a 20 kg squat is +25%, while adding 5 kg to 100 kg is +5%.
So a step that suits a strong lifter can be far too big for a beginner, and the same goes for any exercise done with light weights. A cap fixes this by tying the step to the weight you are lifting.
There is published guidance behind that idea. The ACSM position stand recommends a 2 to 10% load increase, with the lower end for small muscle groups and the higher end for large ones. It is a general guideline for healthy adults from 2009, not a measured limit. Still, 10% is a reasonable ceiling to keep in mind.
A cap has one weakness: on very light weights, 10% is too small to load. You cannot add 0.6 kg to a gym dumbbell. That is why you also need a minimum step, or a switch to adding reps.
Worked examples: a beginner squat and a lateral raise
A beginner squat
You squat the empty 20 kg bar (44 lb) for 3 x 8 and hit every rep. A standard 5 kg step would be +25%. A 10% cap makes the next step 2 kg. If you keep hitting your reps, the numbers look like this:
| Workout | Weight (kg) | Weight (lb) | Step |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | 44 | Start |
| 2 | 22 | 48.5 | +2 kg |
| 3 | 24.25 | 53.5 | +2.25 kg |
| 4 | 26.75 | 59 | +2.5 kg |
| 5 | 29.5 | 65 | +2.75 kg |
| 6 | 32.5 | 71.5 | +3 kg |
Real plates will not match these figures exactly, so load the closest weight you have. With 1.25 kg plates, 22 kg becomes 22.5 kg. With a 45 lb bar and 2.5 lb plates, your first step is to 50 lb. This table shows the math, not a prediction: nobody hits every rep forever.
A lateral raise
You do lateral raises with 6 kg dumbbells (about 13 lb) and hit 3 x 12. Ten percent would be 0.6 kg, which is too small to load, so a minimum step of 1.25 kg applies. That gives 7.25 kg (about 16 lb), and most gyms have no such dumbbell. The next real size is often 8 kg, which is +33%.
So the math gives you a useful answer: the next dumbbell is a bigger step than the rule allows, and you need another way to progress for now.
What to do when you cannot add weight
Sometimes the next step does not exist or is too large. You have options:
- Add reps. Stay on the same weight and work up toward the top of your range.
- Slow the lowering phase or pause at the hardest point.
- Add a set, if you are recovering well.
- Use smaller weights such as fractional plates or add-ons, if your gym allows them.
Adding reps counts as real progress. In a 2022 study by Plotkin and colleagues, 43 lifters with at least a year of training either raised the load or raised the reps for 8 weeks. Muscle and strength gains were broadly similar between the groups. The study covered lower body exercises only, it lasted just 8 weeks, and the participants were already trained, so it does not prove the same holds for every lift. It does suggest the bar does not have to get heavier every time.
The dumbbell case has its own guide: what to do when the next dumbbell is too heavy.
And if an exercise hurts, adding weight is the wrong question. Stop the exercise and see a doctor or physical therapist.
How PrimeFeat decides your next weight
Our app applies this logic to your most recent logged sets on each exercise. The suggestion is free, and here is the full rule, so you can also use it with a notebook.
| What happened last time | What the app suggests |
|---|---|
| First time on this exercise | No weight yet. You choose, and the suggestions start at your next workout. |
| Every set reached your target (or the top of your rep range) | Add one step (see below). |
| Same, and your average RPE was 6.5 or lower | Add up to two steps, because you had a good margin. |
| Same, but your average RPE was 9 or higher | Keep the weight and consolidate. |
| You train in a rep range, and every set reached the bottom but not all reached the top | Keep the weight and aim for one more rep. |
| You missed reps, and your average was 80% of the target or more | Keep the weight. |
| You missed reps, and your average was under 80% of the target | Drop by one step. |
| Bodyweight exercise, every set reached your target | Aim for 2 more reps than the target, or 3 if your average RPE was 6.5 or lower. At RPE 9 or higher, or if you missed reps, hold the target. |
RPE is optional. If you do not log it, the app uses the standard step.
The step depends on the muscle group:
- Legs and glutes: 5 kg (about 11 lb)
- Back, chest and shoulders: 2.5 kg (about 5.5 lb)
- Arms: 1.25 kg (about 2.75 lb)
- Everything else: 2.5 kg (about 5.5 lb)
An increase is then capped at 10% of your last weight, with one exception: the cap never pushes the step below 1.25 kg (about 2.75 lb). So on weights under 12.5 kg (about 27.5 lb) the rise can go past 10%, as it did with the lateral raise.
Two examples. A 60 kg (about 132 lb) bench press goes to 62.5 kg. A 40 kg (about 88 lb) squat goes to 44 kg, because 10% is less than the 5 kg step. With an average RPE of 6.5 or lower, that bench press would go to 65 kg, and the same cap applies.
The result is rounded to the nearest 0.25 kg, and the app calculates in kg behind the scenes. If you use lb, it shows the nearest half pound, so a 135 lb bench press becomes 140.5 lb. Treat that as a guide and load the closest weight you have, because the app does not know which plates or dumbbells your gym stocks.
If you would rather not do the math, a free workout tracker that shows the weight to try does it for you. To follow your numbers over time, see how to track progressive overload or keep your sets in a workout log. A 1RM calculator also helps you compare sets done at different weights and reps.
FAQ
Should I add weight every week?
Only if your last workout earned it. Beginners can often add weight at most sessions for a while, because they are still learning the movement. As you get more experienced, increases come less often, and a few weeks on the same weight can be normal.
Does a 5 lb increase mean 5 lb per dumbbell or in total?
With dumbbells, people usually mean per hand, so moving from 20 lb to 25 lb dumbbells adds 10 lb in total. That is one reason dumbbell jumps feel bigger than barbell jumps. On a barbell, 5 lb normally means the total, with 2.5 lb on each side.
Should I increase the weight on all my exercises at once?
No. Treat each exercise on its own. Your bench press may be ready to go up while your rows need another workout at the same weight. Moving everything together usually means some lifts go up too early.
What weight should I start with on a new exercise?
Pick a weight you can lift for your target reps with a couple of reps left in the tank, using good form. It is fine to start too light, because you can move up over the next workouts. Starting too heavy costs you more.
Log your sets and see the weight to try at every workout. Free, with no ads.