Maximizing Gains: The Power of Progressive Overload and Incremental Improvements for Muscle growth
- Brayden Picknell
- Dec 13, 2023
- 1 min read
When you start working out, one of the most important things is setting goals and progressing towards them. Whether it's hitting a certain strength goal, such as a 50KG Bench Press, or increasing the size of your biceps, it's important to progress each time you are in the gym. In the later stages of your fitness journey, it's normal to hit plateaus, but as a beginner, there should be noticeable increases.
These increases can be seen in many different ways, most commonly as higher reps, higher weight, slower reps, better form, or making the exercise more difficult, like elevating your feet in a pushup.
Without this progressive overload, our bodies become used to the load, and we no longer get the same benefits from the movements. This results in less muscle mass growth and lower bone mass density.
These changes need to be small, as jumping up too high can lead to injury. If you find you are unable to go up to the next weight, try more reps, less rest, or slower reps. Make sure you have a spotter available if you're attempting a heavy weight, especially in exercises like bench press.
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