Progressive Overload Explained (and What to Do When It Stalls)

Progressive overload is the idea behind almost every program that works. Here is how I explain it to a brand-new client, how I apply it, and what I do when it stops working.

Progressive overload is adjusting your training based on the level of improvement you are actively experiencing.

The key words are "actively experiencing". The training changes because you changed, not because a calendar says so.

Why do you need progressive overload?

Because if you use the same load forever, your body has no stress to adapt to. My example: if you can do 5 reps with 5 pounds on day one and you're stronger by week four, add weight or add reps. Both count as progressive overload. Without that, there is no reason to improve.

Should you add reps or weight first?

Add reps first, then weight. I rank my favorite ways to progress like this:

1. Add more reps.
2. Add more weight.

You can think of it as a staircase. A lifter who completes more reps with a given weight has gained something, and when the reps climb, the weight can climb too.

How much weight should you add at a time?

Beginners should add 5 pounds per set, 10 pounds at most. How often depends on the program, progress and goals. It can happen every set, every week, or every month. In my squat plan, for example, a lifter climbs 5 to 10 pounds every two sets within a session, see how to squat 315 from 225.

How do you know progressive overload is working?

The weights you move should climb on schedule, every week. If they stop, check recovery before anything else, and read what a deload week is. For what to log, see how to track your workouts.

What do you do when you can't add weight every week?

Slow the lowering phase or pause at the stretch, once you are sure recovery is not the problem. Assuming you're not overtrained and are properly recovered, which makes it a pure training plateau, I move lifters into training that challenges the nervous system. My first two steps:

• Slow the eccentric. The eccentric is the lowering phase of a lift, so a slower lowering makes the same weight harder.
• Pause at the stretch. Hold the lift for 3 seconds at the maximal lengthened position, then push through.

What an 8-week progression looks like

My picture of a strength block moves through stages:

1. Start high. Higher overall reps and volume, which can come from tempo too.
2. Get heavier. As the 8 weeks go on, the weights increase and overall volume decreases, while sets may increase.
3. Add speed. Toward the end, mix in faster, dynamic lifts to drive the nervous system.
4. Finish sharp. At the end of a strength program you move light weight very fast, and you move maximal weight for very low reps, potentially in different ranges of motion.

A six-week example of reps first, then weight

Here is one way to apply "reps first, then weight" to a single lift. The weights are an example.

For three weeks the weight stays put and each set gets one more rep. When every set reaches 8, the bar goes up 5 pounds and the reps start over at 6. The jump is the 5 pound step I use with beginners. Each week is harder than the last in a way you can measure, which is the whole point of the idea.

Other ways to make the same weight harder

My tools for a plateau are tempo and pauses. A few other levers lifters commonly use are more sets, shorter rest between sets and a fuller range of motion. Those are general options, not part of my answer. The rule for all of them is to change one thing at a time so you can see what worked.

Mistakes that stall progress

• Changing everything at once. If the weight, reps, tempo and exercise all change in the same week, you cannot tell what helped or hurt.
• Letting form slip to add weight. I put good form ahead of any potential gain. See advice for new lifters.
• Chasing the early pace. Rapid early gains do not last, so build the habit of small steps.
• Not writing it down. Without a record, "progressive" is just a feeling. See how to track your workouts.

Why do beginners stall?

Early plateaus in beginners are usually technique, not load. See the beginner lifting guide.