How many people do you know that just go to the gym and lift the same weights week in,week out?
How about putting a few extra plates on the bar, try using the next weight up on the rack or add some weight to your pull ups or maybe add an extra set?
Where’s the challenge in doing that same old weight, over & over.
You know you can do it comfortably, why not step out of that comfort zone?
Let’s say you usually bench press 80kg for 3 sets of 8, next week try 82.5kg for 3 sets of 8. You may not get all the sets for 8 reps but it gives you something to work towards.
4 Week Example Of Linear Progressive Overload:
Week 1 – 3 x 8 @ 80kg
Week 2 – Target 3 x 8 @ 82.5kg. You may get 8 reps on the 1st, 8 reps on the 2nd and on the last set you get 6 reps. Do not add load next week.
Week 3 – 3 x 8 @ 82.5kg. This time you manage all 3 sets with the weight. Then we have 2 options we could add an extra set or we could increase the load.
Week 4 – Target 4 x 8 @ 82.5kg. 3×8, 1 x 6. Repeat liek the previous weeks until you get all the sets with 82.5kg.
If you can do more weight with correct technique go for it.
As the saying goes
” Strength is never a weakness”
Everyone has different goals I understand that, but I think a great part of training is the challenge it brings, that you can keep on trying to push your own boundaries to get stronger and make progress.
This is a simple method of progressive overload that works really well for novice/intermediate trainees.
Apply this principle to multi joint movements, trying to keep adding weight on single joint movements will reach a point where it really isn’t necessary to keep going up as the risk outweighs the reward.
The more advanced you become adding 2.5kg every week becomes hard to do, otherwise we would be surrounded by humans lifting tons!
Take home points:
– Keep some sort of training log, this could be a simple notepad and use that to work against each week.
– Add weight to exercises when you can
– Get stronger
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