by Neil Anderson
Q: "It says AHAP. How much weight should I do?"
N: Only ONE of us would know how much weight you are capable of safely lifting with good form. And it ain't me. In fact, this may be the worst question you could ever ask someone else.
To answer this question I'd need to know an awful lot about you. Probably more than you'd be comfortable with me knowing. Some of the things I'd need to know about you would include:
1. How are you feeling today?
2. How much sleep did you get last night?
3. How hydrated are you?
4. How much stress are you under?
5. How is your nutrition?
6. How fit are you?
7. How much do you know about this particular lift?
8. How much experience do you have with this lift?
9. When was the last time you performed this lift?
10. What weight did you use last time?
There are many more...
Can you imagine how freaked out you'd be if I were able to answer all of these questions about you off the top of my head? Hey, it would be no treat for me to know that much about you either.
How much you can lift on any given day for any given movement will change constantly. The ONLY way to know how much you are going to safely lift today (before actually doing it) is to be totally in-tune with yourself at all times. Little hint here: NOBODY is that in tune with himself.
Because of this, we suggest performing a few (2-5) warm-up sets before you attempt ANY lift. Start with a ridiculously low weight and add a few pounds each set until you know exactly where you are that day. Then, start your workout. It is the only way. Well, only way outside of me being charged with stalking.