🌱 The Progressive Overload Principle

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THE PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD PRINCIPLE

417 words | 1 min 31 sec read

Progressive Overload is a term that you will have likely heard of before.

The concept is that every time you step into the gym, the aim is to stress the body a bit more than you did in the training session before.

The body needs to be challenged in order to adapt.

If we completed the same reps of 12 with 10kg dumbbells every week its unlikely that, over the long term, your arms would grow very much.

That’s because your arms have become comfortable with that weight - no challenge equals little-to-no growth.

So here’s what you need to do…

Firstly, check out this video by Coach Becca on Progressive Overload.

She discusses how using fractional plates (1.25 - 2.5kg) help you make small progressions every week.

Small increments may not feel like much - but if you added 2.5kg to your Bench Press weekly you would have added 130kg in 12 months.

Impressive right?

But, Progressive Overload is more than just adding weight to the bar.

Sometimes we may not be in a position to increase the load (just yet).

But we can Add Reps, Reduce Rest Times, Add Sets, Perform Exercises as Supersets, Add Circuit Rounds.

All of these will get you a little bit bigger, stronger, and more athletic in the long run.

Caffeine is a hugely studied area of research in the training and performance space.

A recent position stand states that caffeine ingestion an hour before training and performance has the greatest effect.

With 3-6mg/kg/bodyweight seeming to have the greatest effect on aerobic and anaerobic exercise performance.

Caffeine can be consumed in a number of ways (coffee, pre-workout, gels, gums).

Finding a dosage and a strategy that works for you is my biggest recommendation.

As tolerances differ between individuals which may impact things like sleep, anxiety etc.

But the research is absolutely clear that caffeine is effective in improving performance.

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ACTIONABLE NEXT STEPS

If you want to see progress you need to step out of your comfort zone and push yourself every time you step into the gym.

We can make lots of small, 1% progressions, in many different areas of our training.

Track your training (sets, reps, weight), nutrition, step count, sleep and your goal is to beat that number each and every day.

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