Workout Progression – When and How?

 

As we mentioned in our progressive overload principle article the number 1 key to get the best results from your workouts is progressive overload.

There we explained how to do it, in which ways to do it and told you that in order to progress by increasing the stress you put on your body after some time.

Now if you haven’t read that you should inform yourself about everything that we mentioned about progressive overload principle:

1. Progressive Overload: What is it and how to use it?!

2. Progressive Overload: Crucial Elements

3. Progressive overload: Prioritization 

4. Progressive Overload: FAQ

Now let’s continue…

You’ve learned everything you need to know about progressive overload and now let’s learn how and when to apply those principles of progression.

Here’s the first thing you should do…

• Find yourself ideal weight, rep, and set for the exercise
• Increase that weight by the smallest percentage there is
• Complete rep and set goal with that heavier weight
• Increase that weight by the smallest percentage AGAIN
• Repeat the whole process again as often as you can make it happen

Now if this is complicated for you to understand let’s give it an example which again can be found in our previous articles but here we are going to explain it in every possible detail.

 

An example:

Let’s say you are doing some exercise and you’re lifting 30kgs and doing that exercise for 4 sets of 10 reps.

It goes something like this:

1. Set: 30kgs for 10 reps
2. Set: 30kgs for 10 reps
3. Set: 30kgs for 10 reps
4. Set: 30kgs for 10 reps

Now you see that you lifted 30kgs for 4 sets of 10 reps. You have reached prescribed set and rep goal for that particular exercise so now it is time for step #2 which is increasing the weight by the smallest percentage. So next time you perform that exercise it should go like this:

1. Set: 31.25kgs for 10 reps
2. Set: 31.25kgs for 10 reps
3. Set: 31.25kgs for 10 reps
4. Set: 31.25kgs for 10 reps

This is the perfect example of progressive overload! You were able to increase the weight and perform the same amount of sets and reps for given exercise.

Now it’s time to repeat that principle of progression once again.

But remember this!

Most of the people won’t be able to increase their weight and meet their required set/rep goal every week (beginners might be able for some time, but most of the people won’t) so you will need to be patient with your body strength and give your body the time to adapt to that change and stress that you’re putting on it.

Now let’s say that you performed your exercise like this after you increased the weight:

1. Set: 31.25kgs for 10 reps
2. Set: 31.25kgs for 10 reps
3. Set: 31.25kgs for 8 reps
4. Set: 31.25kgs for 7 reps

First of all don’t feel bad about yourself and don’t beat yourself up because that is the key step to FAIL and GIVE UP! And you surely don’t want that to happen…

This is completely normal and even this should be considered a successful workout as you’re still progressively overloading. Now your goal is to meet that set/rep range so the next time you perform that exercise it goes like this:

1. Set: 31.25kgs for 10 reps
2. Set: 31.25kgs for 10reps
3. Set: 31.25kgs for 10 reps
4. Set: 31.25kgs for 8 reps

And the week after that:

1. Set: 31.25kgs for 10 reps
2. Set: 31.25kgs for 10 reps
3. Set: 31.25kgs for 10 reps
4. Set: 31.25 kgs for 10 reps

And the week after that:

1. Set: 32.5kgs for 10 reps
2. Set: 32.5kgs for 10 reps
3. Set: 32.5 kgs for 7 reps
4. Set: 32.5 kgs for 7 reps

 

Listen:

As you progress and add more and more weight on your exercises you won’t be able to complete 4 sets of 10 or whatever type of set/rep range you’re doing on that particular exercise. Sometimes you won’t even do 10 reps in the 1st set but the most important thing is this…

NEVER and we mean NEVER beat yourself up and think that you’re not strong enough to continue to progress!

There will be times when you will do 7,7,6,6 reps for example or 8,7,7,7 reps or whatever but the main point is that you PUSH yourself to do more and more. That is the key to progressive overload.

We mentioned in our previous article that there are many ways to overload workout (weight, reps, sets and so on).

What you can try is to add 1 more rep to each set if weight becomes the problem, add 1 more additional set, add 1-2 more reps on the last set or any other progressive overload principle.

Whatever you do it will still be PROGRESS and results will show eventually!

 

What’s the next step?

Well, the next step is for you to design your workout routine and implement this in the efficient and effective way.

This is where our WorkoutMemo mobile app helps you a lot to track your workouts. Click here to find out more.

But you need to remember, and we can’t emphasize this enough…

Your workouts contain only partial role in what is needed to reach your goals. The significant role belongs to DIET! And you need to take your diet seriously and implement it in your routine.

Those two factors will provide you with everything you need to reach your goals.

And we will help you overcome that part as well.

 

TEAM GYMBERS