How much weight to start with when training and did the Old Timers train to failture

Ok I will address this in two parts in this post,as these are vital to success in physical culture.

Most people now adays believe in training with weights so heavy that there is a tendency to  go stale on a regular basis,and personally I feel this is unhealthy and counter intuitive to training and nature,so i will address the concept of did the old timers train to failure.

No they did not and I will draw upon their own words to prove that;

George A Jowett from his Progtessive Barbell training course: page 4:

Never exercise each muscle group to the point of exhaustion.You should finish your entire daily training feeling just comfortably tired.The last repetition oin each exercise should be one of greater effort then the first,but do not otherwise allow it to be a forced effort that taxes the muscles to the point when breathng in the prescribed manner becomes difficult.A repetition that causes too much effort prevents the exerciser from performing the exercise correctly.

George Hackenschmidt  from The Way to Live 52

Never on any account contine the exercises until exhaustion sets in.

page 97
Do not preform any exercises to excess,so as to tire yourself out.If you feel tired and exhausted,give yourself the necessary rest,and as in everything else,use moderation and common sense.

page 98

REMEMBER that excessive and rapid exercising is harmful.Overwork,like laziness ,spells disease.


page 99

To go ahead gently.Increase your weight and exercises gradually and slowly.

W.A.Pulum from How to use a barbell.

page 34

Learn to distinguish between that degree of work which merely insists that you strenuously exert yourself and that which really taxes you to perform it. The former is the limit beyond which it is never beneficial to proceed.


Now regarding how much weighta  trainiee should use:

George Hackenscmidt in The Way to Live
 page 79 suggested:

HOW CAN ONE GAUGE THE MOST SUITABLE WEIGHTS FOR EXERCISE? and went on to say:

This is quite easy.When in an unfatigued condition try an exercise say ten times.If you can accomplish this by using all of your strength you have found the proper weight with which to begin your exercises five times in succession.
( I now ou are now grinning and rubbing your hands together saying AHHH HAA he just contridicted Mr.Pulam..And i say not so,if you use all you strenght for ten reps in good form you'll be using for less weight then if u used bad form and tossed the weight around)

Henry Higgins from his Strngth and muscle course:
page 4

By lifting well within himself in practice,a man will do much better in training.

page 23
It is always safe to lift less then your full stength will permit.
Wise pupils,no matter how strong they maybe,will not be in a hurry to try their strength in any sence to it's utmost until they have been in training at least a year.

The Mark Berry Barbell courses:
Course 1
page 7

in reccomending a starting poundage we always try to be on the safe side,by suggesting a weight that we feel is boudn to be light enough for oen who is unaccustomed to this type of exercise.

page 8

Another reason for starting the pupil on a fairly easy poundage is that the exercises must be performed int he correct way.


course 2

page 2

You must use your own judgement to soem extent.It is always safe to use weighst well within your strenngth limit.


I feel that if we follow these tips we willl be training ina  safer,sanerr yer more productive manner.