“Don’t ever let yourself get too comfortable.”
That’s some advice you could apply to many aspects of life, but it’s especially true when it comes to fitness. To get stronger, you need to challenge yourself. When it comes to strength training, this principle is known as progressive overload—gradually adding more intensity, either in the form of more weight or more repetitions. This works your muscles harder than they are used to working, ultimately pushing you toward your fitness goals, whether those goals have to do with strength, endurance, or size.
Your muscles respond to the demand—and by increasing the demand, in whatever format that is, your muscles will become stronger. While any kind of resistance training (and any kind of physical activity in general) is good for you, continuing to lift the same weight for the same number of reps will deny your body stimulus and you’ll plateau.
You might have heard the concept of progressive overload summed up with the expression, “No pain, no gain,” but it’s important to emphasize that increasing the overload should never be painful. Pushing yourself too hard too quickly will end up hurting you, ultimately setting you back from making any progress.
Many people opt to add more weight, but you might also choose to add more reps or sets instead. You could even add more time under tension, holding weight in place for a longer period of time.
Try varying the types of overload, as each will challenge your body in a different way:
Increasing Weight: When you find that lifting or moving the amount of weight you’ve been using no longer challenges you, add 5 pounds and work with that until it becomes too easy. If you’re being consistent (training two to three days per week), you should be able to safely add 5 pounds at least once a month.
Increasing Reps or Sets: If you’re not ready to add more weight, or if you don’t have heavier weights available, you could always opt to increase the number of repetitions or sets you do with a given weight. Think of it this way: If you’ve been lifting a dumbbell 10 times (repetitions) and repeating those 10 repetitions for two more sets, this combo of reps and sets will eventually get to feel easy. Start pushing yourself to15 repetitions per set or try five sets of those 10 repetitions.
Increasing Time Under Tension: Holding your muscles under tension for a longer period of time helps them get stronger. When you lift a weight, hold it in that position for 10–15 seconds before slowly lowering it. If holding it for 15 seconds becomes too easy, instead of adding more weight, you could simply hold it for 20 seconds, 30 seconds, or to the point of fatigue.
Increasing Frequency: Don’t overlook the frequency with which you target a specific muscle group. If your strength training is feeling easy, you can always start to do those exercises on a more frequent basis as a way of applying progressive overload. However, take caution with this approach, and allow yourself time for rest and proper recovery between workouts—targeting the same muscle group every day could make you prone to injury, but if you’re doing a specific exercise once a week, why not challenge yourself to do it three times a week with a rest day in between each workout?
As you’re applying progressive overload to your workouts, remember to make your form and technique a priority in everything you do—you should only add to your workout if you’re able to do the exercise properly. Continuing to train with your current weight, reps, sets, pace, and frequency is better than trying to push yourself if it means compromising form.
Additionally, keep an eye on your progress. If you’re feeling constantly sore or fatigued, or if you find yourself faced with an injury, this could be a sign you’re overloading too fast. Slowing down, giving yourself time to heal, and consulting with a professional trainer can help you stick with your strength training routine and make progress without putting yourself at risk.
