What Is Progressive Overload? And Why Does It Matter?

Progressive overload is a fundamental principle in exercise science that involves gradually increasing the intensity, frequency, or duration of exercise to continually challenge the body and stimulate further adaptations. By progressively overloading the muscles and cardiovascular system, individuals can improve their strength, endurance, and overall fitness levels over time. This gradual increase in stress placed on the body forces it to adapt and grow stronger to meet the new demands. Implementing progressive overload in a structured and systematic way is key to achieving continual progress and avoiding plateaus in physical performance and development.

This progressive challenge stimulates muscle fibers, triggering growth and enhanced performance. Without progressive overload, the body would not need to further develop its strength, bone density or muscle mass beyond its current state. Therefore, incorporating progressive overload into a workout routine is essential for achieving long-term progress. This does not mean one needs to increase the loads or demands each training session, or every single week for that matter, but the trend should be seen over the long term - think months/years. One also does not need to push to their absolute max capacity each week either. This principle can be practiced gradually over time. Here are a few examples:

Metric: Plank Duration

Weeks 1 & 2 = 2 sets of 20 seconds

Week 3 = 3 sets of 20 seconds

Week 4 = 2 sets of 30 seconds

Week 5 & 6 = 3 sets of 30 seconds

…skip to Week 12 = 3 sets of 60 seconds

So you can see that the volume was increased in week 3, but not the duration. Then in week 4, the duration was increased but not the volume. Etc.

Metric: Chin Up Ability

Weeks 1, 2 & 3 = 2 sets of 5 band-assisted chin ups with heavy band

Week 4 = 3 sets of 3 band-assisted chin ups with lighter band

…skip to Week 12 = 2 sets of 1 unassisted chin up

So over the course of time, the assistance level decreased to a point where they could pull their own body weight.

Metric: Barbell Deadlift Load

Week 1 & 2 = 3 sets of 5 @ 45lbs

Week 3 = 3 sets of 5 @ 65 lbs

Week 4 = 3 sets of 5 @ 70 lbs

…skip to Week 12 = 3 sets of 5 @ 125 lbs

So here the load was the factor that was steadily increasing over time.

Metric: Push Up Volume

Week 1 = 1 set of 5 push ups

Weeks 2 & 3 = 1 set of 7 push ups

Week 4 = 2 sets of 5 push ups

Week 5 & 6 = 2 sets of 8 push ups

…skip to Week 12 = 1 set of 15 push ups

So the goal was to improve the number of push ups they could perform.

There are many metrics we could use to measure progressive overload. A well periodized program (see article about periodization if you wish to learn what this is) with guidance from a coach is the best way to ensure you practice safe and sustainable training and avoid getting complacent over time.

And if, for some reason, you are trying to practice progressive overload but you aren’t making progress over the course of several weeks/months, then chances are you are being held back with regards to recovery and fuelling. Read here for more information about those things.

The bottom line is, the body will adapt to anything, including not challenging it enough. Peak muscle mass begins to decline in our 30s, and our bones don’t have a reason to remain strong and resilient if we don’t stress them and this can lead to all too common issues like osteoporosis. You are never too young or too old to start practicing progressive overload, you just need to be smart about implementing it and take a sustainable, long term approach.