I think you're confusing sets and reps. The number of "reps" is how many times you lift the weight when you do an exercise; you were using 3 as your example. The number of "sets" is how many groups of 3 reps do you do. I don't think anyone is going to increase weight on each rep (e.g. I do one squat with 65lbs on the barbell, stop, add weight, then do another squat, then stop, add weight, do my third squat!), but on sets she might.
I only start stage 2 next, so I haven't had to deal with the same exercise in a subsequent stage yet, but I see that step ups from stage 1 are repeated in stage 2, so I will have to deal with it very soon. I think I will probably do one set in the first workout at the weight I used for the last set in my prior workout with step ups, and if it seems reasonable to add for the next set, I will add.
During stage 1, I added an average of 5lbs. to every exercise, every workout. If a weight seemed hard for all three sets one day, the next time I would do the first set at the same weight, and judge if I should add or not, depending on how it felt that next time. Sometimes I'd add the weight for sets 2 and 3, and sometimes not. I did add weight for all sets when switching to a lower number of reps. So, if I was doing 12.5 lbs. for DB shoulder presses at 10 reps, then the next workout was 8 reps, I would go to 15lbs. right away.
I think you need to just listen to your body mostly. It will tell you if you are doing too much weight and you should back off. If you make 3 reps easily on every set, you're not challenging yourself. I always figured that on my last set, the last few reps should be really hard, then I know I'm working to potential.
Hope that helps.
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