Training article
Progressive Overload, Actually Explained
The one principle that makes every programme above work
General information about training and eating, not personal advice. It is not medical or dietary advice and it cannot account for your circumstances. If you are pregnant, have a medical condition, take medication, or have a history of disordered eating, talk to a GP or a registered dietitian before changing how you eat or train.
Progressive overload is the whole reason any of the programmes on this page work: your body only has a reason to get stronger if you keep asking it to do slightly more than it's used to. That's it — everything else is detail.
More weight is the obvious lever, but it's not the only one. More reps at the same weight, more sets, less rest between sets, or better technique that lets you feel the same muscle work harder all count. On a bad week, just holding your numbers steady while everything else in life is hectic is still a win — it's the months-long trend that matters, not any single session.
Pick a rep range for each main lift and try to add either a rep or a small amount of weight every session or two. When you can't add anything for two or three sessions running, that's your cue to either hold at that weight for a week or drop back slightly and build up again.