Progressive overload is a technique that’s as outdated as 6^th century athlete Milo of Croton and his legendary bull carrying routine. With this coaching type, you’re attempting to enhance the depth of every exercise to keep away from a plateau in dimension and energy. Principally, it’s doing a little bit greater than you probably did beforehand. This may occasionally appear a no brainer to a lot of you studying, however a few of us overlook the plain, so it pays to refresh the message.

Rising weight, reps, and units is the only approach to obtain progressive overload. Growth, prompt features, however plateaus are unavoidable for those who’ve been within the lifting sport for any size of time. Then, attempting to bust out of them could result in some ego lifting, that’s good for the ego however not so good to your physique. You’ve all seen that individual half-repping heavy squats or getting the barbell caught on their chest.

There’s no disgrace in pushing the envelope, however three higher and safer methods exist to realize progressive overload with out growing load. It’s so easy you would like you’d’ve considered it.

3 Strategies To Attaining Progressive Overload

Rising Vary of Movement

Placing the muscle by means of a larger ROM makes any train more difficult as a result of it will increase your time beneath pressure (mechanical pressure) and the suck. The muscular time beneath pressure (and never the suck) is a driving power for muscle. Not solely does it encourage muscle-building, however it could possibly strengthen weak factors inside a raise.

For example, growing the ROM with a deficit deadlift will work on weak factors like being gradual off the ground and lockout.

One other instance is the Rear Foot Elevated Break up Squat. The elevated floor will increase the demand for hip mobility and makes the glutes and quads work onerous to drag you up from the underside of the squat. The cut up squat and the elevated variation are the identical train, however the elevated ROM will increase the depth.

[Please note this works for only specific exercises like the ones described above but not for pressing variations like the bench press, where increasing the ROM puts the anterior shoulder at risk.]

Including half a rep to an train is one other underrated methodology of accelerating ROM and time beneath pressure. You take probably the most difficult a part of the train, like the underside of a press or a squat, rise midway up, return down once more, after which rise all the best way up.

One in a half-rep methodology works for many workout routines however is especially efficient with squat and press variations.

Advantages of Rising Your Vary of Movement

There’s an outdated saying round fitness center circles that mobility coaching is energy coaching and vice versa. Taking your muscle groups and cell joints by means of a whole and prolonged ROM safely will increase time beneath pressure and can enhance your mobility with out fancy drills. Including half a rep to particular workout routines will strengthen probably the most difficult a part of the raise, hopefully strengthening your raise whereas including muscle.

How To Incorporate It

Rising ROM and including half a rep works greatest utilizing sub-maximal weights (60-85% 1RM) as a part of your accent routine. Including half a rep works for many workout routines, whereas growing ROM primarily works for leg workout routines; exceptions to the rule exist. Performing two to 4 units utilizing a rep vary of six to fifteen works greatest. Right here’s an instance.

1A. Rear Foot Elevated Break up Squat: 8 to 12 reps per aspect

1B. Unilateral Dumbbell Row With Pause: 10 to fifteen reps per aspect

Attaining Mastery

The extra you push it, the extra good type begins to slide, which is okay generally however turns into an issue if you do it constantly.  Sure, I see the one that’s swinging backwards and forwards doing barbell bicep curls.

Weaknesses and compensations could seem in your raise that don’t occur with sub-maximal weights —for instance, scuffling with a lockout within the barbell overhead press or shedding full physique pressure within the deadlift. If that sounds such as you, utilizing accent workout routines to strengthen weaker factors to forestall compensations from occurring is a great guess.

Some lifters make the widespread mistake of testing energy somewhat than constructing it as a result of who doesn’t wish to see how a lot they will raise? Sometimes, testing your 1 RM is inspired, however concentrating on good type and mastering the train with the load you’re utilizing is what you have to be doing more often than not.

Mastery is a extremely underrated type of progressive overload.

As a substitute, make sure you do the train to one of the best of your means and with good approach. Take psychological notes on the way you’re doing and whether or not the load is inflicting any type points. Work on these type points by programming accent workout routines to strengthen weak point, lighten the load, or scale back the reps to concentrate on approach.

Advantages of Attaining Mastery

You raise to get higher wanting and carry out higher at life or your chosen sport; none of that occurs if you end up harm. Searching for mastery along with your energy work will hold you more healthy for longer. Moreover, creating a greater mind-muscle connection gives you a greater sense of consciousness and help along with your muscle-building features.

How To Incorporate It

There’s a time and a spot for physique English to get the job carried out, however you have to be in search of mastery of your predominant lifts more often than not.

Tempo Lifting

Every repetition you carry out has 4 components: the eccentric, backside place, concentric contraction, and lockout. Shortening or lengthening how lengthy every a part of the rep takes is tempo. Tempo, every a part of the rep, is represented by the variety of seconds it takes.

For example, let’s use a 3322 tempo barbell squat for example—it takes three seconds to decrease into the underside of your squat (eccentric), a 3-second pause on the backside, 2 seconds to push again up (concentric), and a pair of seconds to pause on the high.

Probably the most important good thing about performing tempo lifting, in addition to embracing the suck, is it will increase the time beneath pressure. Utilizing tempo encourages you to gradual the train down and concentrate on type, which is important for mastery and selecting up any type glitches. Kind hitches are simpler to choose up if you’re going gradual somewhat than quick.

Advantages of Tempo Lifting

Rising the muscle’s time beneath pressure is the place it’s at for constructing muscle and for higher type and approach. Tempo lifting, much like mastery, will create a greater mind-muscle connection to enhance your consciousness and features,

How To Incorporate It

For tempo, use a 2-3 second concentric, and a 3 to 4 eccentric contraction works effectively for muscle and energy. The pause and lockout may be manipulated to fit your objectives.

Like growing the vary of movement, tempo works greatest as a part of your accent routine utilizing weights between 60-85% of your one rep max. You won’t be able to carry out as many reps as you often do with a given weight, however the enhance in pressure will compensate for that. Three to 4 units utilizing a rep vary of six to 12 reps works effectively for many workout routines. Right here’s an instance.

1A. Tempo Bench Press (3131): 6 to eight reps

1B. Higher Again Foam Roll: 10 to fifteen occasions.