Progressive overload.
You’ve got most likely heard of this subject being preached on TikTok and different social media websites as the easiest way to maximise muscle progress. However what precisely is it? To maintain issues easy, progressive overload entails regularly rising muscle stress over time to trigger progress and variations.
The 2 most typical methods to advertise progressive overload are to extend the load lifted or the variety of repetitions carried out. Just lately, a brand new examine in contrast these frequent strategies.
I imagine it’s price it to dissect this paper and focus on different potential coaching methods you would possibly use to raise your physique and power. And whether or not we should always think about rising units or coaching frequency to progressively overload the muscle tissues.
Desk of Contents
The Analysis Breakdown
Skilled Particular person Analysis
Completely different Methods However The Similar Good points?
Is It Higher To Improve Frequency or Units?
Can You See Power Good points?
Outro
The Analysis Breakdown
A brand new paper within the Worldwide Journal of Sports activities Drugs in contrast the results of progressive overload on muscle power in 39 beforehand untrained people in resistance coaching by evaluating the influence of accelerating load versus rising repetitions.¹ Whereas this will not apply to most of you studying this, don’t fret; I can even add analysis based mostly on educated people.
The topics have been educated by doing 4 units of unilateral leg extensions 2 to three occasions per week for ten weeks with one leg. They adjusted the load masses to repeatedly attain failure in each set of 9 to 12-rep ranges. The opposite leg was educated otherwise.
In addition they carried out reps to failure every set, however as an alternative, they caught with the identical weight from the primary session. So, to succeed in failure, they have been progressively overloaded by rising reps as an alternative.
By the top of the ten-week examine, topics progressed from a mean of 9 reps per set to fifteen reps. To maintain the assessments honest, the variety of dominant legs was divided between the circumstances, and topics alternated which leg was educated first in each session.
Not like some research I’ve learn, this analysis’s check topics have been subjected to the identical circumstances, with every leg being educated otherwise. Due to this, genetics, diet, and outdoors life-style variations are much less more likely to muddle the examine outcomes.
Power positive aspects on the leg extension have been comparable between each circumstances. Muscle hypertrophy, indicated by the vastest lateralis progress, was additionally comparable between the circumstances. This means that rising reps was as efficient for muscle progress as rising the load load.
Determine 1: Chaves TS, et al. (2024)
Skilled Particular person Analysis
Whereas the people within the new examine have been untrained, an older examine from 2022 used 43 people with at the very least one yr of constant decrease physique resistance coaching expertise.²
Topics carried out 4 units of 4 actions (again squat, leg extension, straight-leg calf increase, and seated calf increase) twice weekly. One group aimed to extend the load whereas holding repetitions fixed, and the opposite group aimed to extend repetitions whereas holding the load fixed.
The examine assessed one repetition most (1RM) within the Smith machine squat, muscular endurance within the leg extension, countermovement leap top, and muscle thickness alongside the quadriceps and calf muscle tissues. The outcomes have been just like these of the untrained group in that each sorts of development coaching have been viable methods.
Determine 2: Plotkin D, et al. (2022)
I did discover it fascinating that the outcomes additionally confirmed that rectus femoris progress modestly favored rep coaching, whereas dynamic power barely elevated with load coaching. Total, the information signifies that rising load or reps will be comparable for constructing muscle in untrained and educated folks.
I would say that this analysis doubles down on proving that a number of totally different coaching methods can be found so that you can maximize muscle progress and likewise opens up some questions as to which one it’s best to think about as a part of your coaching routine.
Completely different Methods However The Similar Good points?
This half is not going to be as a lot about utilizing progressive overload throughout coaching periods; as an alternative, it would break down the a number of totally different coaching methods you can use in a coaching session.
Should you have been to make use of a rep vary just like many of those analysis articles, sometimes within the 8-15 rep vary, this might open up a number of coaching paths so that you can progressively overload your muscle tissues.
The commonest pathway is to make use of the identical weight throughout units after which prepare to failure inside a rep vary. Whereas this can be a unbelievable possibility and might undoubtedly make it easier to obtain your targets, there are different choices I feel you must also think about, similar to rising the load throughout units, leading to fewer reps.
A examine from the European Journal of Utilized Physiology in contrast people who had one leg educated extra historically.³ On the similar time, the opposite leg was subjected to both crescent pyramid or drop set coaching.
Determine 3: Angleri V, et al. (2017)
Regardless of each legs performing totally different kinds, they achieved comparable ends in muscle progress, muscle hypertrophy, and power. One other various I might suggest that you simply take a look at, as damaged down in a 2022 paper, is to lower the load throughout units.⁴
All topics educated curls to voluntary failure with these variables. On the primary set of every train, all topics used a weight they might solely do for a most of ten reps.
The management group saved the identical load on all of the units, the second group decreased the load by 5% on the ultimate two units of every train, and the ultimate group decreased the load by 10% on the ultimate two units.
When examined, all teams noticed comparable will increase in muscle thickness and enhancements of their 10-rep most. What I discovered to be probably the most thrilling a part of this analysis was that the group that decreased the load by 10%, regardless of additionally coaching to failure and seeing comparable enhancements, rated their coaching periods subjectively as being barely simpler.
The primary takeaway is that many alternative pathways to muscle hypertrophy exist, and so long as you might be prepared to stay to 1 lengthy sufficient, you’ll be able to see vital outcomes.
Is It Higher To Improve Units or Frequency?
Progressive overload merely means coaching arduous to stimulate variations persistently. Nevertheless, merely rising units or coaching frequency will not essentially assist to attain this.
For instance, say you carry out 4 units of squats throughout your exercise; the subsequent exercise with squats, you resolve so as to add one other set.
As an example you had sufficient muscle stimulation within the first session with out the extra set. In that case, you’ll almost definitely go simpler on the sooner units to “save your self” to your final set, thus making them much less efficient.
The one factor that the additional set that you simply added is doing is rising the work that you simply’re doing, making it more durable to keep up enough stress all through each set. This similar precept applies should you resolve to strive rising exercise frequency.
As an example you carry out the identical exercise we mentioned above; if all you do is add one other coaching session in every week, assuming enough variations have been stimulated from the primary session, all these units will lead to much less muscle fiber recruitment and total stress.
So, all this additional session does is create extra work, not outcomes. Finally, should you strive including too many additional units or coaching periods, you will begin to run into points with restoration.
This does not imply that it’s set in stone that it’s best to by no means enhance units or coaching frequency. In one other 2024 examine, outcomes indicated that including 4 or six units per week each two weeks elicited larger lower-limb power in resistance-trained people over a 12-week coaching interval in comparison with performing the identical variety of units weekly.⁵
This journal is not definitive proof that it’s important to add units throughout weeks since all teams progressively overloaded by rising the load on their units all through this system. Nonetheless, it’s worthwhile to experiment with this coaching model and see if it could be just right for you.
It’s completely okay to do the identical variety of units and use the identical coaching frequency each week; it’s regular and fairly frequent. I might suggest that you simply often add adjustments each couple of months.
If you need additional programming info to maximise your positive aspects, I extremely suggest you take a look at our SFS Hypertrophy Coaching Program under.
Put together to maximise your positive aspects with our unique 12-week hypertrophy coaching program. Select between a 4 or 5 day coaching break up and acquire 2-12 kilos of muscle over 90 days…
Can You See Power Good points Utilizing Progressive Overload?
Let’s circle again to the brand new analysis paper and the paper concerning the educated people. We will see that the power positive aspects have been comparable between rising the resistance and the rep depend regardless of having totally different talent ranges.
Nevertheless, when most individuals consider power, myself included, they give thought to the utmost quantity of weight you’ll be able to raise. Primarily based on my expertise, that is greatest achieved with decrease rep ranges and better masses.
On this examine within the Journal of Power and Conditioning Analysis, researchers examined people pre- and post-study for one repetition most (RM) power within the bench press and squat, higher physique muscle endurance, and muscle thickness of the elbow flexors, elbow extensors, and lateral thigh. Over the course of eight weeks, each teams carried out three units of seven workout routines for the key muscle tissues within the higher and decrease physique.⁶
One group adjusted masses to maintain coaching to failure within the two—to four-rep vary, whereas a second group adjusted masses to maintain coaching to failure within the 8—to 12-rep vary. The conclusion confirmed that bench press and again squat power positive aspects favored coaching with two to 4 reps.
Determine 4: Schoenfeld, Brad J., et al. (2015)
From this, we will deduce that strength-related variations will be maximized by coaching nearer to your one rep max.
Outro
Exhausting coaching produces variations that assist us enhance the weights we use and the reps we do. Whereas utilizing one method is greater than enough for producing outcomes, I feel there are just a few the reason why it’s best to think about using a combination of each to attain higher outcomes over the long run.
By diversifying our coaching strategies, we will stimulate our muscle tissues from numerous angles, scale back the danger of plateaus, and enhance the possibility of balanced improvement. For instance, greater reps and exercise frequency can profit muscle density and dimension, whereas decrease reps are higher for power positive aspects.
A combined strategy additionally retains issues recent and fascinating. When you have any questions concerning the new progressive overload coaching analysis, please be happy to depart a remark under. Should you really feel like I missed one thing, be happy so as to add it to the feedback under!
References
Chaves TS, Scarpelli MC, Bergamasco JGA, Silva DGD, Medalha Junior RA, Dias NF, Bittencourt D, Carello Filho PC, Angleri V, Nóbrega SR, Roberts MD, Ugrinowitsch C, Libardi CA. Results of Resistance Coaching Overload Development Protocols on Power and Muscle Mass. Int J Sports activities Med. 2024 Mar 12. doi: 10.1055/a-2256-5857. Epub forward of print. PMID: 38286426.
Plotkin D, Coleman M, Van Each D, Maldonado J, Oberlin D, Israetel M, Feather J, Alto A, Vigotsky AD, Schoenfeld BJ. Progressive overload with out progressing load? The consequences of load or repetition development on muscular variations. PeerJ. 2022 Sep 30;10:e14142. doi: 10.7717/peerj.14142. PMID: 36199287; PMCID: PMC9528903.
Angleri V, Ugrinowitsch C, Libardi CA. Crescent pyramid and drop-set methods don’t promote larger power positive aspects, muscle hypertrophy, and adjustments on muscle structure in contrast with conventional resistance coaching in well-trained males. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2017 Feb;117(2):359-369. doi: 10.1007/s00421-016-3529-1. Epub 2017 Jan 27. PMID: 28130627.
Lima BM, Amancio RS, Gonçalves DS, Koch AJ, Curty VM, Machado M. Deliberate Load Discount Versus Fastened Load: A Technique to Cut back the Notion of Effort With Comparable Enhancements in Hypertrophy and Power. Int J Sports activities Physiol Carry out. 2018 Oct 1;13(9):1164-1168. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2018-0072. Epub 2018 Oct 22. PMID: 29584518.
Enes A, DE Souza EO, Souza-Junior TP. Results of Completely different Weekly Set Progressions on Muscular Diversifications in Skilled Males: Is There a Dose-Response Impact? Med Sci Sports activities Exerc. 2024 Mar 1;56(3):553-563. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003317. Epub 2023 Oct 5. PMID: 37796222.
Schoenfeld, Brad J., et al. “Results of Low- vs. Excessive-Load Resistance Coaching on Muscle Power and Hypertrophy in Properly-Skilled Males.” Journal of Power and Conditioning Analysis, vol. 29, no. 10, Oct. 2015, pp. 2954–2963, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25853914/,