1. [Home](https://www.workoutsmart.com/) 2. [Ask Dan](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan) 3. [Weight Training](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training) Weight Training # Should all sets end at failure. With some of the exercises listed in my program… The question Should all sets end at failure. With some of the exercises listed in my program the weight is way to low for that many reps. For example, the toe press is listed at 35lbs for 12 reps, but i can do 12 reps with 140lbs. I was just curious Dan's answer Dan Wirth, MA, CSCS Hi, Very simply, you should be able to get all your reps. If you do a set and you could have easily done 2 or 3 more repetitions than you should increase the weight. Don't actually do more reps or add another set. However, if you can not perform all the repetitions then you should decrease the weight on that particular exercise. As you progress through your program your body will be changing and this is exactly why we let our members change the weight but not add sets or reps\! If you change the sets and reps you would be changing the volume parameters of your program. This can dramatically effect the overall focus of the program. For example, if a program calls for doing 10 reps and the member decides to do 15 reps this would change the focus of the program from hypertrophy to muscular endurance\! Dan designed the periodization models the Wave Engine runs. See how the Wave Engine turns his programming rules into your workouts. [How the Wave Engine works](https://www.workoutsmart.com/wave-engine) ## More in Weight Training - [I have just started working out and on one day split up my workouts but for example i do 5 exercises for biceps with 5 sets but how do i know how much i should lift when im done im tired but i still feel that i could do more. First set i do 15 pounds 15 times to warm up then i do 20 pounds 12 times twice then i do twenty five pounds 8 times twice and then 30 pounds once. I do this for a few different types of exersice and of course I'm sore afterwards but i dont feel tight its like i should lift more, should I?](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training/i-have-just-started-working/134) - [I have been working out for about continuously for about the last 5 years. I am 31 year old male 5'8" and 180lbs. Over the last 6 months I have been doing a lot of training with squats, bench press and especially dead lifts. I was dead lifting in the 375 to 400 lb range at one point. My question is this I am 2 weeks into your Get Lean program. Will I lose a large percentage of my strength and mass by doing this program or will I be OK. I hate to give up the dead lifts. Should I be doing a different program so I don't lose all the gains I have mmade. I do want to lean out.](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training/i-have-been-working-out/370) - [How important is doing the exact weight? I have a multi station and the plates are 10LB each, which makes it impossible to do 5 LB increments. so I just use the same weight for each of the sets. Is that OK? Also, some of my body parts are never sore while others ones are sore for a couple of days. Does this mean that I am not working certain parts hard enough (even though they are exhausted during the workout) or am I not using enough weight or am I doing to much with the parts that are sore. I am the kind of person who feels that no pain is maybe not really a gain.](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training/how-important-is-doing-the/123) - [I am curious, what formula do you use to determine what weight someone should lift after determining their 1 rep max from bench press, squats and reps of crunches?](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training/i-am-curious-what-formula/133) - [I've been following your website for a long time now, and I think its great\!\! I have a question, On the days I work my bis,tris, and forearms, I dont get sore the next day. Is this ok?? I mean I got sore on the first week, but after that, I rarely get soreness the next day. Is this alrite or is this the sign of me not working out hard enough? I do 5 sets of 6-8 reps with 3-4 exercises per muscle. BUT the day I work my chest, back and shoulders I do find myself sore the next day. So is the lack of soreness a sign of a waste of a workout???](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan/weight-training/ive-been-following-your-website/1245) ## Train on the programs Dan writes. [Start 14 days free](https://www.workoutsmart.com/signup)