PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD

Introduction:

Progressive overload or from now on we’ll be referring to it as PO is one of the most important aspects of strength and hypertrophy training. It can simply be defined as ‘doing more over time’.

A more technical definition is “a method of strength training that advocates for the gradual increase of the stress placed upon the musculoskeletal and nervous system.”

But why is this important? Integrating PO will not only help with your muscular gains but it is a great way to skyrocket your strength as well. This due to adding metabolic stress on your muscles in increments, gradually increasing the load over time. There are several ways you can incorporate PO into your workouts. From adding depth to your squats, increasing the weight on your bench press or adding more reps to your deadlifts, etc.

Improving Form:

This should be your priority in the gym, practising and maintaining good form and range of motion will not only improve muscular gains but will help you avoid injury in the long run. If you are a beginner, you should start new exercises in an RPE of around 5 – 7 this will allow you to practice certain movements while getting accustomed to the weight. Once you believed that your form is good (if you are unsure what proper form looks like check out our video series on different exercises) then proceed to increase the weight or volume.

Adding Weight:

Increasing weight to your exercises will often be the first thing people think of when it comes to PO, and that’s for good reason. Incrementally increasing the load week by week has shown great strength and muscle results. One way we can do this is by increasing the weight in short amounts. For example, when your RPE drops from an 8 to a 6 you can proceed to increase the weight until you are back at an RPE of 8.

Repetitions and Double Progression:

Another great way to incorporate PO is to add more reps to your set. Here’s an example, let’s say your average reps per set is 6, once that starts to get too easy, the next time you do that exercise, increase it to 8 and so forth. Something similar to this is called double progression. Double progression works by setting strength goals with a set number of reps. This works by starting several reps under your goal and increasing your reps each week until you hit your goal.