Progressive Loading

Understanding the Basics

You’ll notice something different here – You’ve probably heard of “Progressive Overload” and this sounds similar (boring), but it is not the same. We seek to challenge conventional wisdom about the benefits and sustainability of an “overloading” approach to training. Read on to understand the nuanced but important differences between the two.

The idea behind “progressive overload” is that your body adapts when it’s forced to confront a stimulus that exceeds its current capacity. This stimulus, which can be defined by factors such as exercise selection, weight, sets and reps, is what we call the training stimulus. When you consistently expose yourself to a level of stress that challenges your current abilities, your body responds by rebuilding itself stronger and more resilient.

There are two ways this can be viewed. “Progressive Overload” zealots see it as a call to incrementally increase the training stimulus to provoke adaptation. Here, the notion is that every time you push your limits - whether through an extra rep, an added set, or heavier weights - you’re signalling your body to adapt.

The second (more intelligent) perspective flips the script; as your strength and performance improve, your current loading becomes less challenging relative to your increased capacity. Essentially, it’s not that you’re simply progressing by adding weight; it’s that your body has adapted, and now you need to elevate the stimulus to continue making gains.

In other words, letting the results come to you, as opposed to trying to force them. This is not to say that you don’t need to train hard to see progress – You do. It is also not to say that you don’t need to train with immense consistency – You do. It is however to say that if you always add 2.5kg every week you’ll be setting new world records in no time – And it should be obvious that this line of thought is clearly irrational.

The Role of Training Stress and Perceived Load

A key concept to understand is the distinction between the programmed training stimulus and the perceived load – I.e: The unique training stress experienced by each individual and their response to it. Two individuals following the same program could experience very different perceived loads due to individual differences in their current levels of fitness, recovery or stress. Metrics such as RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) or RIR (Repetitions in Reserve) are tools used to subjectively gauge perceived load, with the aim of making training challenging enough to drive adaptation while managing fatigue.

This duality between stimulus and stress underlines the importance of being attentive to your own responses. An effective program isn’t rigid. It must allow for adjustments based on how well recovered or fatigued you might be on a given day. The progressive loading model reminds us that progress isn’t just a linear march upward but a dynamic process that requires constant recalibration.

Experienced lifters will call this “listening to your body”; an often used cliché that absolutely has merit – The issue is that inexperienced lifters often haven’t developed this skill to the same extent as someone who’s trained 5 days a week for the last 10 years. We feel that these individuals will benefit to a meaningful degree from having a personalised program that “meets them where they are at” in terms of their current fitness, recovery and stress levels, while also helping them develop this skill (and a greater internal locus of control) over the course of several years of consistent training.

Balancing Adaptation and Fatigue

One of the practical insights offered by progressive loading is the balance between driving adaptations and managing fatigue. Every training session elicits stress and future adaptation - like increased muscle size, strength and / or cardiovascular capacity, as well as fatigue. Balancing these outcomes so that the stimuli continue to elicit improvements without overwhelming the body’s recovery capabilities is what masters of physical development achieve (along with nailing their nutrition and sleep).

When the training load is too heavy (intensity too high) or the number of exercises / sets too many (volume too high), fatigue may accumulate faster than your body can adapt, which can stall progress or even lead to injury. It is important to recognise that it is the cumulative effect of training consistently at appropriate volumes and intensities over many years that leads to remarkable progress - not the effort given to one individual session.

In practice, this means that a lifter must be willing to adjust variables like the number of sets, the loads being lifted, or even the relative intensity (as indicated by RPE) based on continual assessments of performance. When an exercise feels easier (following a period of consistent training), it may be a sign that you have adapted and upping the challenge is warranted.

Conversely, if you’re hitting a plateau and feeling run down due to your training (uncommon) or other lifestyle factors (common), it might be time to temporarily reduce the load or volume to allow for recovery. This adaptability is what makes progressive loading not just an abstract concept, but a necessary practical strategy for continuous improvement over long periods of time.

Practical Strategies for Progressive Loading

Translating theory into practice requires a thoughtful approach – Something a knowledgeable coach should be able to help you with if this article has provided you with a novel way of thinking about your future training… A good starting point is to establish a baseline using a rep scheme or intensity that you can perform with a degree of confidence - say, sets of 4-6 reps performed at an RPE 7 (I.e: 3 reps in the tank). This level should present a solid challenge without reaching the point of excessive fatigue for most. Over time, as your strength builds, what loads felt like an RPE 7 at a given number of reps might feel easier both to perform and to recover from, signalling that it’s time to either increase the load or adjust another program variable based on the individual’s goals.

One effective strategy is to use incremental adjustments. For instance, if you’re consistently completing your prescribed sets and reps with good technique and with a sense that you could push further, add a small increment of weight next session, (if you arrive at that next session feeling sufficiently recovered and your warm up sets are feeling good). Gradually, these small changes accumulate, leading to a measurable improvement in performance over weeks and months.

But progressive loading isn’t solely about adding weight. Changes in the training stimulus can also come from changing other variables in your program – altering rep ranges periodically, or modifying exercise selection. Such variation not only helps prevent plateaus but also reduces the risk of repetitive strain injuries by diversifying the types of training stress you are exposed to. However, it is important to note that randomly chopping and changing variables in a program that is being inconsistently followed is akin to following a map with a blindfold on.

The Bigger Picture

Ultimately, progressive loading is about building a system of training that evolves with you. It’s a recognition that the journey to greater strength and improved capacity is ongoing, requiring awareness and a willingness to adapt. It is important to note that while this concept may seem fundamentally simple for an experienced coach or lifter to understand, the execution of it is not necessarily easy and can require a considerable degree of individualisation.

For those committed to their health and physical improvement, understanding and applying progressive loading is worthwhile. It’s not enough to simply show up in the gym to tick a box following a cookie cutter program. Instead, focus on intelligently managing your training stimulus - adjusting loads, volumes and learning to “listen to your body” (without becoming neurotic or paranoid about how it feels). This approach not only drives gainzzz but also builds a resilient framework for long-term progress.

In essence, progressive loading is more than just adding more weight to the bar - it’s a smart, adaptive strategy that bridges the gap between the training you do today and the performance you aspire to achieve tomorrow. Stay disciplined, stay consistent, and let a progressive loading approach guide you along your journey to becoming stronger, healthier, and better prepared for every challenge both inside and outside the gym.