Creating A Sustainable Approach

When I first started working out, I was eager to see quick results and believed that adding weight every week was the key. For a while, it seemed to work, but soon I hit a wall. The weights felt heavier, my form started to suffer, and I even experienced some minor injuries. It was frustrating and disheartening.

Eventually, I realized that this simplistic, singular-direction approach wasn't sustainable. I began to explore other tactics, such as focusing on control, tempo, and range of motion before increasing weight. Progressive overload is a fundamental principle in strength training but is often perceived as merely adding more weight over time. This longer runway of progression not only enhanced my skills and reduced injury risk but also ensured consistent progress and motivation. By mastering each step before moving on, I found that I could achieve sustainable gains and build a healthier, stronger body.

Limitations of Traditional Progressive Overload

The problem with the traditional view of progressive overload is that the runway of progression is short, meaning your ability to keep adding weight has a low ceiling. You can't just keep piling pounds on the bar forever. While it may seem like a short runway is a good thing – the faster you reach the peak of your (strength) abilities, the better – this approach often leads to skipping crucial steps, getting in your own way, and not seeing the desired results.

In the rush to see progress or reach a goal, many people sacrifice proper form, technique, and control, leading to plateaus, disappointment, and even injury. Instead, focusing on other aspects of the exercise before increasing weight can create an environment for more sustainable progress, leading to better long-term results and a reduced risk of setbacks.

Why You Should Use Other Ways To Progress

Using other tactics to progress your exercises and creating a longer runway of progression offers two key benefits:

1. Improved Skill and Mastery: Focusing on control, tempo, and range of motion before increasing weight helps you develop better technique and form.

2. Reduced Injury Risk: As you build skill, you're less likely to get hurt, which means you can be more consistent in your training. This consistency further enhances skill, leading to better results, confidence, and motivation.

Delaying gratification and being patient may not be glamorous, but they're essential for seeing the results you really want. Building a better progression runway allows you to stay healthy and achieve better long-term outcomes without sacrificing form or safety.

The Playbook For Exercise Progression

So, what do we do instead of just adding weight? Here are the areas to focus on before touching that weight:

1. Improve Control of the Movement: This is the foundation. If you can't control the movement, you'll struggle to improve.

2. Slow the Movement Down (Tempo & Pauses): Focus on the stretch and pause at transition points. They are big catalysts for progress.

3. Increase Range of Motion: We want enough range of motion, but more isn't always better. Work within the muscle(s) range of motion, not the joint.

4. Increase the Number of Sets: Add sets before reps to ensure good rep quality.

5. Increase the Number of Reps in a Set: Once you've mastered the previous steps, it's time to push fatigue within each set.

The Final Takeaway

Increasing weight is a reasonable choice after all these areas have been tapped into. So, take a deep breath, be patient, and focus on building that runway. Your body (and your results) will thank you.

Now, it's your turn. What's the most challenging part of progressing in the gym for you? Share your struggles in the comments below, and let's work together to build a stronger, healthier you.