How do you guys decide when to add weight to squat, bench, and deadlift without stalling too early?

[jasonp]

I’m trying to get better at knowing when to actually increase the load instead of forcing progress too fast and hitting a wall.

Do you usually wait until all your sets feel solid at a certain weight, go by RPE, add weight on a fixed schedule, or just judge it based on how the lift is moving?

I’m especially curious how you handle it differently between squat, bench, and deadlift since they don’t always progress at the same rate.

 

[bigdave]

If the bar speed is still snappy and my RPE is 8 or lower, I add weight, but if the reps start grinding or my form shifts, I stay put another week.

 

[rob_irl]

I wouldn’t use the exact same progression rule for all three lifts.

For squat and deadlift, I usually like seeing the work sets move cleanly for at least a session or two before adding weight. If the last reps are turning into grinders, I’d rather stay there and own the weight first.

Bench is different for me because progress is usually slower, so smaller jumps make more sense. Even adding 2.5 to 5 lb can be enough instead of forcing a bigger increase just because the program says so.

RPE is useful, but I’d combine it with bar speed and technique. If the set is supposed to be around RPE 7 or 8 and it suddenly looks like a max effort, that’s probably not the day to add load.