Training guide · 3 min read · MyoAmigo
Picking a Starting Weight
How to find your working weight on any unfamiliar lift
The most common mistake on a new lift is loading too much too soon. It looks unimpressive to work up slowly. It also means you finish the session with clean data, a body that learned the movement, and no injury to explain to anyone. The alternative, guessing high, usually produces sloppy reps, no useful data, and a soreness that lingers.
MyoAmigo estimates a starting range for lifts you have not performed by drawing on the weights you have logged on similar movements. Treat that estimate as a ceiling for your first session, not a target.
Ramp sets: the standard approach
Start at roughly 50% of what you think your working weight will be and do 5 easy reps. Rest 90 seconds, add weight, do 3 reps. Add weight again, do 2 reps. Keep stepping up until you reach a weight where 1 rep feels genuinely effortful but still fast and controlled. Then back down slightly. That neighborhood is your working weight for today.
Ramp sets serve two purposes: they groove the movement pattern before fatigue sets in, and they give you real feedback rather than a guess.
What RPE 7 actually feels like
RPE (rate of perceived exertion) on a 1–10 scale is the standard way to describe how hard a set was. RPE 7 means you finished all the reps, the last one was noticeably harder than the first, and you think you had about 3 more in the tank if you had to. It does not mean you were grinding. It does not mean the bar was flying.
For a first session on an unfamiliar lift, RPE 7 is the right ceiling. You are gathering data, not testing your limits. Even if it feels too easy, that is fine. You will have a solid baseline to add to next time.
Signs you went too heavy
- You had to change your technique to complete the reps (bar path shifted, back rounded, knees caved)
- The speed of the bar slowed dramatically on the last rep or two
- You needed more rest than planned between sets to complete the next one
- Your form cues disappeared: you stopped thinking about the movement and just survived it
If any of these apply, strip weight for the next set. There is no benefit to logging a heavy sloppy set. There is real benefit to logging a moderate clean set: you know exactly where to start next time, and you can add to it.
The one-session rule
Give yourself explicit permission to spend one full session just finding the number. Not every session needs to be a PR attempt. A session where you identify your working weight, move well, and leave feeling confident is a productive session. The weight you write down today is the floor you build everything else on.
