Progressive overload is the cornerstone of strength training and muscle growth. If you’re serious about seeing steady progress in the gym, understanding and applying progressive overload effectively is essential.

What Is Progressive Overload?

Simply put, progressive overload means gradually increasing the stress placed on your muscles during training. This consistent increase forces your body to adapt by growing stronger and building more muscle tissue.

4 Key Ways to Achieve Progressive Overload

There are multiple strategies for progressively overloading your muscles, each with distinct advantages and challenges:

Increasing Weight

• This is the simplest and most direct method. Gradually add weight as you grow stronger.

Increasing Repetitions

• If adding weight isn’t immediately possible, performing additional reps with the same weight can also stimulate muscle growth.

Increasing Sets

• Adding more sets can help, but there’s a limit. Excessive sets lead to fatigue and diminished returns.

Increasing Frequency or Intensity

• Training more frequently or with higher intensity (e.g., dropsets, shorter rest times, forced reps, slower tempos) can help break through plateaus. However, these methods are harder to track consistently.

Best Way to Track Progressive Overload

For most gym-goers, increasing weight and repetitions is the simplest, most measurable method of progressive overload. Here’s how you can practically apply it:

• Week 1: Bench press 60kg for 3 sets of 5 reps.
• Following Weeks: Gradually aim for 6 reps, then 7, then 8.
• Next Step: Once reaching 8 reps for all sets, increase weight slightly (e.g., 65kg), and repeat.

This method ensures steady and safe progression, aligning well with your body’s natural adaptation abilities.

Why You Shouldn’t Rush Progression

Rushing the process by rapidly increasing weight or intensity can significantly increase your injury risk. Your muscles may handle the extra load, but your joints and tendons take longer to adapt. A slower, steadier progression helps keep injuries at bay and ensures sustainable long-term growth.

Understanding Plateau and Progression Speed

It’s important to recognise that your rate of progression will vary across exercises.

• Compound lifts (like squats, deadlifts, and bench press) typically progress faster due to their multi-muscle engagement.
• Isolation exercises (like bicep curls or lateral raises) progress slower. Even incremental improvements here are excellent signs of progress.

If you’re improving on just a few key lifts per session, that’s perfectly normal and a positive indicator of ongoing progress.

Progressive Overload Beyond Weightlifting

This principle isn’t exclusive to resistance training. It applies equally well to activities like running or walking by increasing distance, pace, incline, or total steps.

Practical Tips for Applying Progressive Overload

• Track Your Workouts: Keep a workout journal or use fitness apps.
• Be Patient: Steady progress beats rapid gains every time.
• Listen to Your Body: Avoid training through pain or significant discomfort.

Take Your Training to the Next Level

Applying progressive overload effectively can transform your physique and performance. If you’re looking to tailor this principle specifically to your fitness journey, consider our personalised 1-1 online fitness coaching. At AXIVM Coaching we specialise in creating customised programs designed to help you break through plateaus and reach your ultimate potential.