This post first appeared in Aug of 2019. Last updated: November 2020

Have you ever found yourself using the same dumbbells, for the same exercises, for months at a time?

Or maybe even for the past couple of years?!

Or, perhaps you haven’t realized, until now, that you’ve been using the same 10 pound dumbbells for bicep curls since last January!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news here, but if you aren’t increasing the weights that you are working out with, you are wasting your time😳

I know, crazy right?!

No one wants to have their time wasted, especially when it comes to working out and exercising.

Especially because we all are busy & short on time!

Simply put, no one wants to learn that they’re wasting their time, especially when they thought they were doing something productive!

But here’s the thing, our muscles only reap the benefits of working out, if they are being challenged!

So maybe, in the beginning, curling 10 pounds was a challenge and your muscles were loving all the benefits you were providing them (strong muscles, stronger bones, increased metabolism, etc.), but now, your muscles are bored, and they aren’t benefiting from the exercises anymore!

The Progressive Overload Principle

What Is It?

This principle is basically saying that we need to gradually increase the stress placed on our bodies to reap the benefits, i.e. we need to gradually increase the weights we are exercising with, every so often (about every 4 weeks or so). 

If you find that you’ve hit a plateau & are no longer making progress, are bored with your workouts, or feel like you’re making progress slower than a snail, it is time to enact the Principle of Progressive Overload!

How Do I “Use” the Progressive Overload Principle?

You want to first start with increasing the weight we’ve been using.

About every 4 weeks, you should be upping the weights.

A good rule of thumb to follow is increasing the weight you use for smaller muscles (biceps, triceps, shoulder muscles) by 2.5 - 5 lb.

& increasing the weight for larger muscles (lats, glutes, pec major) by 5 - 10 lb.

If you’re limited on weight choices (because your belong to a small gym or prefer to workout in the comfort of your own home), you can apply the same principle by adding more sets or reps to your workout, as opposed to increasing the weight that you use.

If you’re always squatting 3 sets of 12 reps with 10 pound dumbbells, add a 4th or 5th set to your workout.

Or try squatting for 15 or 20 reps!

Note that this WILL increase the time that you spend working out, so if you’re crunched for time, it’s best just to buy a heavier set of dumbbells (or an adjustable set of dumbbells!). 

This same principle applies to all the cardio lovers out there!

If you’ve been running 3 mile at the same pace forever, it’s time to either (1) increase your speed & run the miles faster or (2) add more distance to your run.

It’s totally up to you, as one method of progressive overload isn’t better than the other.

What IS important is that you continue to challenge yourself!

Why It’s Important to Challenge Yourself

If we aren’t challenging ourselves, we aren’t maximizing the benefits of working out!

Whether you work out because (1) you simply love it, (2) for the health benefits, or (3) because you’re trying to change your life, it’s important that we are working out safely & effectively!

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure we are all busy & have 239,853 other things that need our attention.

So no one wants to waste a precious moment doing something that isn’t really going to benefit us, you feel me? 

Did you find this post helpful?

Go ahead and share it so we can spread the word on how to effectively workout!

Still have questions about the Principle of Progressive Overload?

Leave a comment below and I’ll answer them!

Stay healthy my friends✌🏽

Veronica

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