Progressive Overload: Your Key to Progress in the gym

While there’s always benefits to exercising, if you’re using it to reach a certain goal, you must have a calculated plan. This plan, in order to succeed, should implement some type of progressive overload. Today we’ll define progressive overload, discuss the many different types, and plan how to move forward in your fitness and wellness journey.

Before we get started, please note, I am not a doctor. Check out my disclaimer here.

Defining progress

The groundwork for understanding and applying progressive overload is focusing in on the first 8 letters: progress. Progressive overload is simply always aiming to make some kind of progress.

This works for everything. Performance goals, aesthetic goals, and everything in between. Whether you want to work on your strength, endurance, flexibility, or technique… progressive overload can be implemented. Sure, it may be a different approach depending on your goals, but the truth remains: progress is the focus.

While saying “progress is the focus” seems super broad, there are actually several specifics when it comes to progressive overload. Each type is dependent upon your goal, and some of them even mesh with each other. Keep your goals in mind when reading the rest of this article to decide which types of POL may be best to focus on.

Progressive overload is a simple concept, but can sometimes feel complicated.

To place the blanket of “just make progress every time” over progressive overload isn’t effective. For many, it’s not as intuitive as we’d like it to be. Some workouts feel different than others, some days you’re stronger and others not so much. Keeping track of numbers or notes to refer back to where you began is a great way to start. Tracking your progress is a major key to implementing POL.

While it may be a simple concept, applying progressive overload should be a done with a calculated and concise approach. Here are some ways you can apply it in your own training regimen.

Increasing Range of Motion (ROM) & bettering technique

Let’s begin by getting into into a category that isn’t always mentioned when it comes to progressive overload. It’s easy to think “i’ll just lift more weights, do more reps and add a set or two every time!” However, if you aren’t doing the exercise with proper technique and a good range of motion, it’s likely that eventually the added weight, reps, and sets may not be your best friend.

Mobility and technique are extremely important, more important than lifting more weight or doing more sets. While it may take some guidance, taking time to understand the exercises you want to progress will always benefit you. If you want to use progressive overload in this category, choose a few staple exercises to really focus in on. Work hard on them- mentally and physically.

Working on your mobility & technique isn’t just research & mental understanding, though that’s important. It’s always getting better at a specific movement. This can include things such as focused warm ups, doing the movement slow, high repetitions, isometrics, or complementary exercises. Essentially, you’re really just trying to get better at the movement(s) you chose. Repetition of the same movement and a light load will benefit your form and range of motion greatly.

Applying progressive overload when it comes to mobility & technique may not be as numbers-based as when you track load, but it’s still possible to track it. One way I like to do this is by taking photos or videos. You can see different angles & actually see how you’re moving rather than just feel it. This is great to do weekly or monthly. Another method is to mark down the wall at your lowest point (or highest depending on the movement) and work from there. These are great markers that can really encourage you once you get into your POL journey.

Increasing weight

If you choose to increase weight as your method of progressive overload, you are adding more weight to the same movement you did at a lower weight last time. This is a great approach to build strength and get a visibly muscular figure. This is also probably the most popular and known form of progressive overload, i mean… it’s in the name. You’re essentially progressing your load.

Increasing the weight you’re lifting can be done with any kind of resistance. Heavier dumbbells or kettlebells, adding weight plates to a barbell, adding resistance bands to a movement. There are several ways to incorporate load-focused progressive overload.

Increasing weight is pretty straightforward, yes- but don’t expect it to happen so fast. If you’re a beginner, you may start out with a faster increase in load once you get into understanding the movements and tapping into your strength. However, once you’ve been lifting a while, it may end up moving up in significantly small amounts. Many times you will be progressing amounts from 1-5lbs at a time. This is still progressive overload and actually yields great results!

Tracking this is also super easy- simply write down the weight, reps, and sets of your last attempt. Many people like to do their 1 rep max- which ultimately allows them to track the highest weight they can lift at one repetition. This is great- but not always safe if you don’t have a lifting partner or trainer. My advice is to pick your preferred rep range, anywhere from 1-6 reps, and find your heaviest lift with your best form. Take notes every time you do the exercise and try to gradually increase the weight, even if it’s just a few more pounds.

Increasing repetitions or sets

Increased repetitions is simply doing more reps of whatever exercise you did last. An effective approach with this type of POL will aim for using the same weight as a previous attempt and increasing the reps.

Similar to increasing reps, adding a set or two of the exercise can be a great way to progress with a movement and build strength. It’s a great way to up the intensity of your workouts as well. While adding a set or two may be a simple concept, there are plenty of ways to spice it up and keep it exciting.

Adding a drop set is a method that I personally enjoy and actually puts these two types of POL together. A drop set decreases the load significantly to an amount you can do very high repetitions. It is a low weight, high rep, 1-2 sets added at the end of your regular superset (such as your load-focused sets). Though the load is light, it is extremely difficult at high repetitions & after a heavier weight has been lifted. This is a great way to really burnout the muscles and push yourself!

Decreasing break time / exercise time

Another way to progress is doing the same reps, sets & weight in a faster time frame / taking shorter breaks in between each bout of exercise (therefore, moving through your sets faster).

Many times, if you’re pushing yourself you will become tired or out of breath. This is totally normal and it’s likely many people actually move through their sets faster than is needed. This isn’t a bad thing- but recovery is so important.

If you want to incorporate this type of progressive overload, I would first focus on being very aware of your heart rate & state of mind in between sets to start at a reasonable recovery time. Then, slowly decrease it by a few seconds. This can teach your body to recover faster and also is a big challenge for the cardiorespiratory system.

Increasing time

I know, this one seems like it contradicts the last one… but bare with me. This category is more applicable to endurance training. Let’s use running for example. If I want to get better at running and be able to increase my endurance, I will try to run for longer distances at a time. Here’s what progressive overload may look like for someone focused on longer bouts of endurance training:

• Run #1: 12 minutes without stopping
• Run #2: 14 minutes without stopping
• Run #3: 15 minutes without stopping

This is increasing the time you do a specific exercise, whether it’s in intervals or all one bout. Behold, another way to challenge yourself and progress past your last best.

Increasing frequency

Increasing frequency is not the same as increasing reps, sets, or weight. It’s simply adding the same exercise into your routine more often. For example, if I want to apply progressive overload in the frequency category, this is how I would do it:

• Week 1: total of 6 sets deadlifts ( Monday 3 sets / Thursday 3 sets )
• Week 2: total of 8 sets deadlifts ( Monday 4 sets / Thursday 4 sets )
• Week 3: total of 10 sets deadlifts ( Monday 3 sets / Wednesday 3 sets / Friday 4 sets )

Regardless of my reps or weight, there are more times during the week that you’re doing that exercise. You are hitting that muscle group / exercise more frequently. This is great to use for 1-2 exercises you really want to progress in. It’s also a great addition to use if you’re using progressive overload in the increased ROM & better technique/form category.

Increasing the frequency of a movement allows your mind-muscle connection to fire more often and lets your body become more acquainted with the movement. Regularly exercising is great, regularly doing the same exercise movement over and over is even better. Progressive overload in this category, and really, all of them, is proof that you benefit from repetition in a workout plan! It doesn’t always have to be complicated or something new.

Is it possible to apply progressive overload intuitively or should I keep track?

If you have a very specific goal, such as lose X amount of weight, gain X amount of muscle, or anything of the like… I highly recommend keeping track of your progress as specifically as you possibly can. Of course, there are several ways you can do this.

If you don’t have the time or understanding to keep track of all this, hire a coach. A good personal trainer will try to help you use progressive overload or keep track of it for you.

If you want to do it yourself, choose the areas of progressive overload you want to implement. If you’re new to working out, I would choose focusing on form and technique first. Then, move to load, reps, and/or sets. My favorite type of progressive overload to use is increasing load because it’s a good indication that you’re getting stronger.

If your goals are a bit more broad- you simply want to get stronger, feel more energetic, healthier, whatever- being intuitive about your progress is fine! In fact, I think this is a great option to be more in tune with your body and be aware of your limits. Try to be very present during your workouts, keep in mind what you’ve been doing and do your best. If you’re doing this correctly, you will always get better- it just won’t be as numbers or performance focused.

Lastly, an important reminder…

Progressive overload DOES NOT mean reaching your goals faster.

I know I mentioned a simple few examples of running a minute or two longer every run, please note that is just an example. Progressive overload may be an effective method to help you progress in the gym, but it doesn’t mean you don’t have to be patient with your goals. Building strength, better endurance, losing or gaining weight… each of these things, though different, take a lot of time, effort, and consistency. If you feel like you’re progressing slowly, you’re probably doing it at a normal rate. Be patient with yourself and take your time.

While incorporating POL doesn’t mean reaching your goals faster, it does mean reaching your goals in general. Being consistent with the right focus & progression will always keep you working towards your goals.

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If you’ve never incorporated progressive overload before, I encourage you to try it. It not only keeps you challenged, but it makes you better. Let me know if you have any questions, and thanks again for checking out today’s post. Much love, and see ya next blog.