Why You Aren't Making Progress In The Gym
Adding this principle will change your workouts forever
Making progress in the gym is hard.
Building muscle is the result of hard work multiple days a week over months and years. If you do this, you get to reap the rewards of your labor. You feel better, look better, and become stronger. This is the positive feedback loop that keeps people going to the gym.
The problem is, you can’t go to the gym and randomly do things and expect to get results. And you might still not get a girlfriend. There are principles of muscle and strength gains that must be adhered to in order for the body to make those adaptations.
The single most important principle in making progress in the gym is the idea of progressive overload.
Progressive overload: Progressive overload is a method of strength training and hypertrophy1 training that advocates for the gradual increase of the stress placed upon the musculoskeletal and nervous system
Let’s break this down.
First of all, I prefer calling progressive overload a principle rather than a method. It's a fundamental aspect that any strength or hypertrophy training program should incorporate.
This principle “advocates for the gradual increase of the stress placed upon the musculoskeletal system and nervous system.”
Stress= Volume
Volume= total amount of work done by your musculoskeletal system (muscles, tendons, bones, ligaments).
In the exercise world, volume is the product of a simple math equation.
Volume= Sets x Reps x Weight Lifted
For example, this week I did dumbbell bench press with 65 lb dumbbells. I did 4 sets of 8 repetitions each.
Using our equation:
Volume= Sets x Reps x Weight Lifted
Volume= 4 x 8 x 65= 2,080 lbs
Why is it important to know this? Let me explain.
Let’s say I go to the gym and do that volume. Then I come back the next week and do that volume again. Then, because I am a creature of habit and had a long day, I come back the next week and do it again, just going through the motions.
In the first weeks, I placed a novel stress on my system. This stress caused micro tears in my muscle fibers. My body adapted to the stress, and my muscles repaired themselves stronger than they were before.
By week four, my body was used to volume. It is nothing new. The stress on the system is no longer enough to stimulate muscle growth.
There are two options when I reach this point:
Increase the stress on the system and get jacked
Keep going through the motions, get bored because I’m not seeing results, and fall off the wagon.
I like option one.
Are you with me here?
I think about the principle of progressive overload a lot. It applies to literally every skill.
Running? You better add miles or speed as you train for a marathon. Playing the guitar? You better learn new chords, or you'll be playing "Wonderwall" forever. It’s all new stress, which forces the body and mind to change.
Nothing changes if nothing changes.
Ways to Increase Volume
There are several ways to increase volume:
Add reps
Instead of doing 4 sets of 8 reps, do 4 sets of 10 reps.
Add sets
5 sets of 8 reps instead of 4 sets of 8 reps.
Add weight
Instead of doing 65 lbs, use 70 lbs .
Increase the time under tension of the muscle
Move the weight more slowly. For example, with the dumbbell bench press, count 2 seconds pushing up, 1 second hold at the top, and 2 seconds lowering the weight.
The volume equation I used doesn’t account for time spent during the lift, but it’s important.
Change the rest periods
I suggest increasing rest periods. This allows your muscles to recharge more between sets, allowing you to do more volume
Example of Increasing Volume Using Progressive Overload
This is what I recommend, using the dumbbell bench press example:
Increase Reps:
3 sets x 8 reps x 65 lbs = 1,560 lbs
3 sets x 10 reps x 65 lbs = 1,950 lbs
Add Sets:
3 sets x 10 reps x 65 lbs = 1,950 lbs
4 sets x 10 reps x 65 lbs = 2,600 lbs
This might be too much, in this case, maybe your last two sets you drop down in weight (this is called a drop set)
2 sets x 10 reps x 65 lbs + 2 sets x 10 reps x 55 lbs = 1,300+1,100= 2,400 lbs
Add weight, decrease the reps
3 sets x 8 reps x 70 lbs= 1,680 lbs
Repeat with 70 lbs
3 sets x 10 reps x 70 lbs= 2,100 lbs
4 sets x 10 reps x 70 lbs= 2,800
Drop set would be 2 sets x 10 reps x 70 pounds + 2 sets x 10 reps x 60 lbs= 1,400+ 1,200= 2,600 lbs
Do this until you can do 4 sets of 10 reps at the new weight, for a total volume of 2,800 pounds
Here is the data in grid form. Each row represents the dumbbell bench press as part of one workout. The next row shows that same lift during the next workout. It’s okay if you need to do the same volume two times in a row.
For the 4th and 8th rows, these are drop sets, which can be used as a tool to decrease the volume if adding a full set is too much.
Notice the total volume over time.
Workout one: 1,560 lbs
Final workout: 2,600-2,800 lbs
This is progressive overload in action, and understanding this principle will be a game changer for you. You might not get a girlfriend, but you will be jacked and strong.
If you're interested in a customized exercise program, send me a message or click this link to fill out a form. I'll get back to you for a free video consultationt:
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