How to Ensure You're Training Hard
The foundational training principle that pushes anyone to the next level.
In this article:
A sure way to ensure you’re training hard in the gym.
Two ways to implement progression in your training.
A video message from me to you.
Reader views on training hard and how they got there.
The Purpose Behind This Article
As I’m sitting down to write this article, I’m finishing up the last bite of my post-workout meal. It’s a bowl of cottage cheese, strawberry fat-free Greek yogurt, and a handful of raspberries on top. This is one of my favorite protein/carb meals because it’s easy to make, has great macros, and tastes great.
I mentioned my post-workout meal because it also means I just completed a workout. I trained hard during the workout, which is what this article is all about. But it’s not necessarily about individual feelings or sensations that indicate whether or not you’ve trained hard.
It’s more about me providing you with a principle, and methods of employing that principle, that will ensure you’re training hard. The principle I’m speaking of is called progressive overload and it’s a foundation of effective training.
The name in itself sounds pretty hard, if you ask me. Overload isn’t a soothing word; it’s intense, driving, and extreme.
When you think of something being overloaded, you think of it being pushed to it’s limits. I guess this is really what progressive overload ensures for anyone who continually and consistently uses it; they’ll be pushed to their limits.
Defining Progressive Overload
So, what is progressive overload, exactly?
Progressive overload, simply put, is doing more, over time, in the gym.
This is accomplished through several progression methods, but my two favorites are:
Increasing weight.
Increasing reps.
Method One - Increasing Weight
Let’s look at increasing weight first. Say I have a goal of completing 3 sets of 10 reps on the bench press. I get to the gym, go to work on the bench, and I’m able to do 150lbs for all of my goal reps during all three sets.
Progressive overload says that the next time I perform the bench press, I should try to do more.
Next week rolls around and I’m back on the bench press again. This time I’m going to stick to 10-rep sets, but I’m going to work with 160lbs. I’ve progressively overloaded by placing an additional 10lbs on the bar. Let’s say I complete all of my reps again, here’s how much more work I’ve done in terms of total volume:
Total volume reached for 3 x 10 x 150 = 4500lbs
Total volume reached for 3 x 10 x 160 = 4800lbs
You can see there’s a 300lb volume addition, in total. I accomplished this addition by increasing my bench press weight and sticking to the same set/rep goal. This is honestly about as easy as it gets when it comes to a progression method. Just one variable changes; the weight being lifted.
If you continually keep this principle in mind, and add weight to your exercises when you can, you will 100% end up truly training hard.
Why? Think about it; no matter where you start in terms of difficulty/intensity, if you continually add weight to an exercise, it’s eventually going to get really really hard. You’ll have to push yourself to your limits to move ever-increasing weights. By principle, this weight increase method of progressive overload ensures you’ll hit that sought after state of training hard. It’s guaranteed!
Method Two - Increasing Reps
Now let’s look at increasing reps. This method is a little different, as I don’t view it as simply increasing reps forever; which would be ridiculous. Nobody wants to end up doing 100-rep sets!
For this method of progressive overload, I want to establish that it’s important to have a goal rep range in mind for each exercise.
For example, let’s say I’m interested in medium-rep deadlift sets. My goal rep range is 8-12 reps and I start with a baseline performance of 3 x 10 x 250lbs. As you can see, I fell within my goal rep range, but didn’t max it out.
If I want to progressively overload this lift through additional reps, which I obviously do, I’ll need to shoot for 11 or 12-rep sets in the future, whilst keeping 250lbs on the bar. Let’s say that next session comes around and I hit 3 x 12 x 250lbs, a perfect performance! I did more over time and I did it through increasing reps.
Let’s do another total volume check and see the numbers:
Total volume reached for 3 x 10 x 250 = 7500lbs
Total volume reached for 3 x 12 x 250 = 9000lbs
Clearly I did more over time, with an additional 1500lbs of deadlift volume.
This was accomplished without any additional weight on the bar; only additional reps!
So, what will my approach be next week? How will I progressively overload if I’m supposed to increase reps, but my range is set to cap out at 12, which I just did?
In this scenario, the answer is to simply increase the weight and start back at the bottom of the rep range ladder. I’d throw 260 on the bar when deadlifts come around again, see what I can do for reps in the 8-12 range, and move forward accordingly over time.
This method of progression, adding reps, is great when you’re not confident enough to lift more weight, but want to do more work.
It gives you the opportunity to increase training volume without having to increase weight. Are you able to use this method exclusively? No. You’ll still need to increase the weight over time, but this method will give you more confidence to do that when you reach your rep range cap. You’ll feel like you’ve mastered that particular weight, as you’ll have done it multiple times, and will be ready for the next level up.
Just like purely adding weight over time forces you to an eventual state of truly training hard, this method of increasing reps through a specific range will do the same.
The Power of Progressive Overload
Progressive overload and the methods of implementing it are beautiful things. They’ll pull all kinds of emotions out of you, from determination to do more to fear of taking that next step forward. As you traverse through the beginning days of progressive overload to your veteran return visits, you’ll end up surprised at how much you’re able to progress with this foundational principle in your corner.
Just remember, you have to stay consistent with it to maximize it’s power.
Now that you know what progressive overload entails and how it can turn anyone from a casual lifter to a hard-training machine, will you use it? Will it become a foundation of your own training days? Ultimately, the decision is up to you.
Reader Thoughts
Before I go, I want to share some thoughts from fellow gym enthusiasts who use progressive overload. I asked them how they reached the point of training hard and what it meant to them. Enjoy their responses below:
Please share your own views on training hard and progressive overload. I’d greatly appreciate it.
Thanks for reading and if you’re not already subscribed, I hope you join our crew.