add weight or do an advanced version of the exercise?

M

mary.j

0
what is the best way to progress with weight lifting? for example if i can do 12 forward lunges each leg with 20 lb dumbbells, should i progress to 25 lb dumbbells or should i do a more difficult version of the same exercise with the same 20 lb dumbbells like back lunges?

thank you
mary j
 
In that sort of case, you're using the same muscles as you would with the forward lunge, just in the opposite order, so you should already have the ability to do them with the weight you're using. Try the backward ones, and if they feel alright, then increase your weight and continue doing both exercises.

The same goes for any exercise. Unless you're adding or subtracting muscles from the equation, the weight should be consistent. And you should be doing variations of any exercises anyway to train your stability and different ranges of motion.
 
The would depend entirely on what direction you want to move in. IMO, progress to more complicated/technical exercises until you've reached the level of complexity that is suitable to your goals, then add weight to the exercises from there. If your goals are aesthetically driven or just about having more strength/speed/endurance, you don't need a lot of complexity for that. Strength is built as the weight increases, speed is built as the movement becomes quicker, endurance is built as the exercise can be performed for longer. Fancier exercises than what is needed can be counter-productive, as they have you spend more time than necessary learning skills you don't need for the task at hand. Of course, if your goals include acrobatics or gymnastics or some other activity that requires a lot of skill and coordination, then you'll have to progress through to some rather complicated exercises.
 
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