Progressive overload: what it means, with a worked example in kg and lb

What is progressive overload?

Progressive overload is the idea that your muscles adapt to the work you give them, so to keep improving you must slowly raise the demand. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) position stand says progressive resistance training protocols are necessary to stimulate further adaptation.¹

One review describes how this works in practice. Kraemer and Ratamess say progression in resistance training is a dynamic process, needing an exercise prescription and an evaluation of progress, and that the training variables must be varied over time.⁴ These are non-UK sources, and we read only their abstracts.

The UK health bodies do not use the term. The NHS says to start gradually and build up over a period of weeks.⁸ It also says to increase the repetitions of each exercise gradually over time.⁹ Arthritis UK likewise says to start off gently and build activity up over time.¹⁰ That is progressive overload without the label.

If you are new, read how to start strength training first. The official minimum is strengthening on at least 2 days a week, covering all the major muscle groups.¹²¹¹

Five ways to progress

You can make a session harder in more than one way. The table sets out the main levers, an example of each and what the sources say.

A network meta-analysis of 178 strength studies found that all resistance-training prescriptions improved strength and muscle size compared with no exercise, and that the higher-ranked prescriptions for muscle size included multiple sets.³ A review of loading zones found that muscular adaptations can be obtained, and sometimes optimised, across a wide spectrum of loading zones.² So there is more than one way to do it.

For the numbers behind sets and repetitions, see sets and reps.

Double progression: a worked example

Double progression uses two levers in turn. You keep the load fixed and add repetitions until you reach the top of the NHS range of 8 to 12. Then you raise the load and drop back to the bottom of the range.⁸

Here is one exercise with a 20 kg load, 3 sets, built from those numbers. The weekly volume is sets × reps × load, a bookkeeping figure of ours.

• Start: 20 kg × 3 sets × 8 reps = 480 kg of volume. In pounds, 20 kg is 44.1 lb.
• Add reps over the weeks at 20 kg. At 3 sets × 12 reps you reach 20 × 3 × 12 = 720 kg of volume.
• Raise the load to 22.5 kg, which is 49.6 lb, and drop back to 8 reps: 22.5 × 3 × 8 = 540 kg of volume.

Notice that the step from 20 to 22.5 kg is (22.5 − 20) ÷ 20 = 12.5%. That is larger than the 2 to 10% window in the ACSM abstract.¹ It also shows why the weight steps your kit allows matter. At 10%, the step from 20 kg is 20 × 1.10 = 22.0 kg, which is 48.5 lb. At the bottom of the window, 20 × 1.02 = 20.4 kg. With a heavier load such as 40 kg (88.2 lb), the window runs from 40.8 to 44.0 kg.

This is an example, not a rule. The abstract describes loads measured as repetition maximums and applies to the person who can already do one to two more repetitions than the target.¹ Treat it as a ceiling for how big a jump should be, not a target. If you only have 2.5 kg steps, a 12.5% rise is the smallest your kit allows at 20 kg, so repeat the top week once more if it feels hard.

An eight-week plan for one exercise

The table is an example for one lift, trained twice a week, which is 8 × 2 = 16 sessions in total and the NHS minimum of 2 days.¹² None of the sources we read gives a schedule for when to raise the load, so this is our own construction inside the sourced ranges. Repeat any week that feels too hard.

A drop in volume when you raise the load is normal and is not a step back. Week 6 volume of 540 kg is lower than week 5 at 720 kg, but the load is 2.5 kg heavier.

How fast to progress, and when to hold back

None of the NHS, CMO or ACSM abstracts we read says how often to raise the load, so we do not set a calendar. The NHS says to start gradually and build up over a period of weeks.⁸ Arthritis UK says it is normal to feel mild discomfort while exercising and some soreness afterwards, especially when starting, but that if pain during or after exercise is significantly more severe you should stop and talk to a healthcare professional.¹⁰

Hold back when a movement loses its form, when you cannot finish your reps, or when you feel pain or become unwell. The NHS says to stop the exercise immediately in that case.¹⁵

Evidence on volume is graduated, not unlimited. A meta-analysis of 15 studies found that each added weekly set per muscle was linked to about 0.37% more muscle gain.⁶ Another found that training each muscle group twice a week gave better muscle size results than once a week when volume was matched.⁷ Those are group averages and not a promise for you.

Deload weeks

A deload is a period of reduced training stress. A Delphi study led from Sheffield Hallam University, in which 34 coaches took part in the first round and 21 completed the third, describes it as a way to mitigate fatigue and promote recovery.⁵ The same study calls deloading a ubiquitous yet under-researched strategy and says the best way to build it into a programme is unknown.⁵

So a deload is an expert opinion and not a proven necessity. The abstract gives no figure for how much to reduce, so we give none. If you want to try one, some coaches use a lighter week after a hard block, and you can use the same log to compare.

Logging progress and applying it at home

To see overload you need a record. Write the date, the exercise, the load, the sets and the reps, and one line on how it felt. The sets and reps log has a template.

At home you can progress with bands, adjustable dumbbells or a machine. REP Fitness UK sells QuickDraw adjustable dumbbells in pairs of 15, 20, 25 and 30 kg, shown at £309.98, £379.96, £449.95 and £519.92 on 2026-10-16. Its page says weight changes from 2.5 kg to 30 kg in seconds on the largest option.¹⁴ The prices are as shown on the maker's page, and the REP cart text reads “Tax included. Free Shipping.” For the wider picture, read strength training at home and home gym equipment.

Model I, a wall-mounted cable machine, offers motorised resistance from 2 to 50 kg (about 4.4 to 110 lb) in steps of 1 kg, and its app has 114 exercise videos.¹³ That is a different route from the 2.5 kg step: a 1 kg step is 1 × 2.20462 = 2.2 lb.

When to speak to a GP

The NHS says to ask a healthcare professional such as a GP first if you are not sure that exercises suit your fitness level, or if you are pregnant or have recently given birth.¹⁵ Stop any exercise that causes pain or makes you feel unwell. If you are concerned about any symptoms, or they do not go away, the NHS says to get help from 111 online or call 111 for advice.¹⁵ In an emergency, call 999.

Frequently asked questions