How often should I increase the load?

Progressive overload is a fundamental principle in strength training that refers to the gradual increase of stress placed on the body during exercise to continue making progress and adaptations. This can be achieved by increasing an exercise's load, reps, sets, or volume over time. The goal of progressive overload is to keep the relative stimulus on the body constant to allow it to adapt and improve, whether that be in terms of muscle size, strength, endurance, or other physical qualities.

Progressive overload is essential because the body is constantly seeking homeostasis or a state of balance. When you expose the body to stress through exercise, it will adapt and become more efficient at handling that stress in the future. However, if you do the same workout repeatedly without increasing the challenge, the body will eventually plateau and stop making progress. By gradually increasing the demands of your workouts, you can continue to challenge the body and make progress over time.

There are many ways to implement progressive overload in your training program. One common approach is to increase the load, or weight, on an exercise over time. For example, if you are bench pressing with 100 pounds and can perform the exercise with good form for 8 reps, you might aim to increase the weight to 105 pounds and aim for 6 reps on your next workout. Another approach is to increase the number of sets and reps you perform or the volume of the exercise. For example, you might start by doing 3 sets of 8 reps on an exercise, and then aim to increase that to 4 sets of 10 reps over time.

How often should you increase the weight?

How often should you increase the load in training? The answer is a with so many other things in training it depends. The simplest answer to this question is when you get stronger. But there can also be many other reasons for increasing load that depends more on your training strategy.

Long-term your adaptions to training and the principle of progressive overload will necessitate that you increase the load. But in the short term, things such as training programming and strategy or a change of focus can also result in a load increase.

Usually, from week to week, you can choose to increase either reps or load just due to natural progress in training ability. But the choice to increase RPE can also be used to progress training.

Another reason to increase the load can be due to the cyclic nature of strength training. When one transition form focuses on hypertrophy to strength or from strength to maximal strength. The load will have to go up. Mainly due to the principle of specificity. The training that is most ideal for hypertrophy/muscle gain isn't likely to also maximize general or maximal strength.

Factors that determine the frequency of weight increases

Several factors may influence how often you can and should increase the load in training. They include:

1. Training age: The longer you have been training, the less frequently you will be able to increase the load. As your body has adapted more to the demands of training it will also take more for it to adapt to larger imposed demands.
2. Training volume: The amount of volume (total number of hard sets) you are performing can also affect the frequency of load increases. Too much or too little training will affect how you can progress in training.
3. Programming: Making the right plan is important to your progress in the gym. We all respond differently to training and intelligent exercise, rep and load selection can make a big difference in the results we get out of training.
4. Recovery: It's important to allow your body sufficient time to recover between training sessions. How much stress you impose both inside and outside the gym plays an important factor in your ability to adapt to training. More relaxation and sleep outside the gym may allow you to progress faster in training.
5. Individual differences: Everyone is different and will respond differently to training. Some people will adapt more and faster to training. While others need to fight for all the gains they can get. Most of us luckily lie in between.

Intelligent progress in training is important. Rapid increases may lead to overreaching or even overtraining. While slow increases will leave gains on the table.

What is the role of individual differences in determining the rate of progression in training

Individual differences can play a significant role in determining the rate at which a person progresses in their training. Some factors that may influence an individual's rate of progression include their genetics, their initial skill level, the intensity and frequency of their training, their nutrition and overall health, their motivation and commitment to the training, and any external stressors or distractions they may be facing.

Genetics can influence an individual's natural aptitude for a particular skill or activity, which may affect the rate at which they progress in training. For example, some people may have a natural predisposition to building muscle mass, getting stronger, or even with superior motor-learning abilities.

Initial skill level is also a significant factor in determining the rate of progression in training. Someone who is already skilled in a particular area may progress more quickly in their training than someone who is starting from scratch, as they will have a foundation of knowledge and skills to build upon.

This goes for people returning with prior experience from lifting weights. But general physical ability might help improve in the long run. There is some merit to the idea that one should have a broad base of physical skills.

The intensity and frequency of training also affect an individual's rate of progression. Commitment and effort will go a long way toward getting results. However, doing too much training may result in a quick accumulation of fatigue.

Proper nutrition and overall health are also important factors in determining the rate of progression in training. Eating a balanced diet, getting 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, getting enough calories, and getting enough rest and sleep can help support the body's recovery and adaptation to training, which can lead to more rapid progress.

Motivation and commitment to the training can also play a role in an individual's rate of progression. Someone highly motivated and dedicated to their training is more likely to put in the necessary effort and make consistent progress over time.

Finally, external stressors or distractions can affect an individual's rate of progression in training. If a person is facing significant stress or other distractions in their personal life, it may be more difficult for them to focus on their training and make progress.

Tips for tracking progress and determining the appropriate rate of weight increase

Tracking training can be both enlightening and useful. With enough data and a keen eye, you can find patterns in your training that will both allow for more gains and maybe also a better experience.

Most people respond to training in a fairly predictable way. But we all have small individual differences in how we respond to different stimuli. Some of us might even be outliers and diverge from what is normally a strength training convention.

Rigorous tracking of training will allow us to find out kinks in our response to training, gain knowledge about how much training we can endure, and find at which intensities, rep ranges, and exercises give us the best gains.

The best way to start tracking training is the old-school way. Start by writing sets, reps, and weight down in a small book, and maybe even add RPE to describe how hard the sets were. Over time this will leak information for the analytical observer.

For the slightly more nerdy or diligent athlete, I recommend trying some of the free tools provided by RTS.

Common pitfalls to avoid when progressing in training

Increasing absolute effort over time is important to keep making gains in training. However, progression is not without pitfalls that may lead to poorer long-term results.

The most common problem when adding weight or reps to an exercise is simply greed or ego. Sadly enough wishing for something to happen isn't always enough to make it happen.

Anyone with experience in the gym knows the feeling when you want that new PR or when you want to add those 2.5 kgs to your bench press.

This is a problem most prevalent in beginners, though some people never outgrow it. It is adding weight to the bar at the cost of the technique. If I just squat a little higher I can put just a little more on the bar.

However, this is a bad idea. We know that range of motion is important to hypertrophy and in the long term that means our results in the gym.

A much better strategy is to leave a few reps in the tank, at least for most sets, and practice perfect technique. Not only will doing full RoM make you a morally superior human being. But in the long run, ingrained practice will make you both stronger, and more efficient in the lifts and even allow you to train efficiently closer to failure.

Conclusion

In conclusion, progressive overload is a key principle in strength training that involves gradually increasing the stress placed on the body through exercise to continue making progress and adaptations.

It is essential to avoid plateaus and allow the body to continue adapting to new challenges. Progressive overload can be achieved by increasing the load, reps, sets, or volume of an exercise, and can be influenced by factors such as training age, volume, programming, recovery, and individual differences.

It is important to pay attention to these factors and make appropriate adjustments to effectively implement progressive overload and continue making progress in strength training.