At the end of a cycle

[Quixotic]

I understand that as I start a new cycle, I am supposed to increase my maximums for each rep range by five pounds or so. How do I know that my muscle has grown enough to manage that increase in poundage at the end of each two week rep range? Is it a problem if I get to the end of the 10's, say, and I can't manage to get to 10 reps with the new weight?
Also, I'm fairly new to lifting, and several exercises have very low maxes. In an exercise like, say lateral raises where I have a 12 lb/dumbell for 10 rep max, what would be the best way to break down the increments? I did 6/8/8/10/10/12 on my first cycle. Is there a better way to break it down? That's only two pound increments, which seems small compared to what the HST writings suggest, but much larger and I won't have any weight on the dumbells at all to start with.
Thanks!

 

[mikeh]

Quote[/b] ]Is it a problem if I get to the end of the 10's, say, and I can't manage to get to 10 reps with the new weight?

No, just stop short of failure

Quote[/b] ]I have a 12 lb/dumbell for 10 rep max, what would be the best way
to break down the increments? I did 6/8/8/10/10/12 on my first cycle.

Your next cycle would be 8/10/10/12/12/15.
If you only lift 8 reps with 15 that's ok and use the same weight your cycle.
I also have had to use the same weight for another cycle with lateral raises

 

[Quixotic]

All right, but eventually won't I hit a wall. If muscle growth isn't keeping up with the advances, then eventually what I've got for 10 rep maxes will really be 5 rep maxes, etc.

Perhaps this is hypothetical, and I should wait and see if it actually happens, but I was curious how the system can rely on growth keeping up with a steady five pound increase, cycle after cycle.

Does one ever get to the point where one backs off and continues at the same maxes for another cycle until growth catches up?