10 Simple Ways to Know Your Making Progress within the Gym
Today, I want to show you 10 simple ways to know your making progress within the gym.
When it comes to strength training and making progress within the gym, there are many key training components to consider (which I’ve already done that work for all my online clients🙃). However, there is one essential training component that is the most important - progressive overload.
Progressive overload is simply “doing more over time” and it continues to be the main driver for both gaining strength and muscle while continuously making progress within the gym. In fact, it is one of the oldest, most researched, and well established training principles.
The first thing people usually associate progressive overload which is adding more weight to the bar. The truth is adding weight (aka load) to the bar is only one method of adhering to progressive overload.
Today, I want to go over the 10 ways you’ll be making progress within the gym within your training program.
1) Progressive overload starts with proper form and a full range of motion
Without question, these are two constants you must adhere to regardless of which exercise you’re doing otherwise it will begin to screw with the other forms of progressive overload.
Leave your ego at the door and focus on the execution of every rep. Start light to build movement quality, and confidence, before gradually increasing weight.
By focusing on the execution of each rep, you’ll be reward with better overall progress and be able to better handle heavier loads.
In short, you need to earn the right to go heavier, and it begins with proper form and getting a full range of motion.
2) Lifting the same load and volume with better form, more control, and less effort
This progressive overload method focuses on becoming more efficient while lifting. By having more control and better form, this is another way to adhere to progressive overload. This will help build your confidence in your lifting ability while still making progress.
For example, let’s say you are doing 5 sets of 5 reps of front squats at 185lbs. The first week you are able to do the exercise, yet it was challenging. The next week, you’re now able to add a small pause in the bottom of the squat with the same weight. That’s progress!
You’re more in control of the overall movement as the squat feels more fluid, and you can probably feel your legs/glutes a bit more. We want to make what was a challenging exercise and/or challenging a bit easier to perform.
3) Lifting the same load for more reps (volume)
This is a fairly easy method to understand. Let’s say in week one you are able to do 3 full range chin ups. In the next week, you’re now able to do 5 chin ups. That’s progress! You are doing more work (i.e. reps) than you did last week. Even that small of a difference over time can quickly add up to some impressive gains.
4) Lifting heavier loads (more weight)
You are focusing on the intensity, i.e adding weight to the bar. This is what people usually think of as progressive overload. This example would be week 1 doing 5x5 of 185lb squat, week two doing 195lbs squat, week 3 205lb squat, etc. You are simply adding weight to the bar to challenge your muscles.
5) Lifting the same load and volume with less rest time between sets
Let’s stay with our squat example. Let’s say it’s week one, and you rested 120 seconds (2 minutes) between sets. On week three, you’re now resting 90 seconds (1.5 minutes) between sets with the same exact amount of weight. That is also another form of progressive overload.
6) Doing more sets with the same load and reps (volume)
This is another common method to progress within the gym. Let’s say you can do 3 sets of 10 reps of a 55lb squat. The following week, you’re able to do 4 sets of 10 reps of a 55lb squat. That’s making progress as well.
7) Lifting the load with more speed and Acceleration
This form of progressive overload focuses on how fast or quickly you can perform your reps and sets. This method of progressive overload will primarily be used for explosive movements (i.e. cleans, jerks, snatches, swings,) or reserved for dynamic effort days, which you’re focusing on lifting moderately heavy weight (~40-60% of your 1RM) for speed.
8) Doing more work within the same amount of time
This form would be looking at how long it took you to complete the entire session (the duration of your workout). Let’s say week one it took you 75 minutes to do your workout. By week three, it now takes you 60 minutes to complete your workout. Again, that’s another form of progressive overload.
Another example would be a density finisher. FOr that density finisher, you’ll have a set amount of time to complete as many rounds as possible with a set amount of weight. Let’s say in week one, you complete 5 rounds, and in week two you now complete 6 rounds. That’s progress!
9) Lifting the same load and volume more often throughout the week (frequency)
You are increasing the frequency of how many times you’re working a muscle group. Let’s say you’re only hitting your chest once a week and now you’re working your chest 2-3 times a week. That’s going to be another way to increase your muscle stimulus throughout the week.
10) Doing the same work while losing body mass
This is where you’re maintaining or improving your strength while losing body fat. our relative strength i.e the total amount of weight your body can lift relative to your bodyweight. For example, let’s say you are squatting 185lbs for 5 sets of 5 reps at 190lbs bodyweight. After going through a fat loss phase, you are now squatting that same amount of weight, sets, and reps at 180lbs now.
There you have it!
10 Simple Ways to Know if you’re making progress within the gym!
At the end of the day, you need to challenge yourself so your body can respond with meaningful adaptations. To drive these adaptations, you need to do more weight, more sets and reps, decrease rest time, or more of everything listed above.
Progressive overload is your gateway to achieving the results you desire, regardless if you won’t lose those unwanted pounds, be built like a brickhouse, or make strength training a regular thing. By adhering to progressive overload and the execution of your lifts, you’ll be treated to life long progress and gains.