How to Incorporate Progressive Overload in Your Workout Plan

Progressive overload is the process of making a workout more challenging over time. Resistance and strength training cause microscopic damage to muscle fibers. As they heal, muscles get stronger and grow in size through a process called hypertrophy. As your workout performance improves, you should continuously adapt your exercises to stress your muscles—a resistance training principle known as progression. 1. Repetitions Increase the number of repetitions (reps) you do in each set. For example, if you did 10 reps in each set of bicep curls last week, increase to 12 reps this week. 2. Sets Add another set to each exercise. Similar to increasing reps, you can increase the number of sets you do over time. So, if you did three sets of 10 bicep curls last week, do four sets of 10 this week. 3. Weight or Resistance Increase the amount of weight or resistance you use for each exercise. This will allow your muscles to adapt slowly over time. However, it's important not to overdo it. Increase y...