How To Actually Get Stronger: The Science Of Progressive Overload
I know I'm not the only one who always reaches for the same weights every time I go to the gym. The 20-pound dumbbells for shoulder presses. The 10s for lateral raises. Maybe you glance at the heavier set once in a while—just long enough to feel like you could try them if you really wanted to—but then shrug and grab what’s familiar.
You've done three sets of ten bicep curls with these weights for months now. Maybe years. But you're not lazy. You show up. You put in the work. You feel that satisfying muscle burn, and you leave feeling accomplished.
But if we're being honest, your arms look pretty much the same as they did six months ago. Your strength hasn't budged. You're stuck in what’s called a "comfortable plateau," where you're working hard but going nowhere.
Sound familiar? Welcome to the club. The good news is there's a scientifically-proven way out1, and it has a name: progressive overload.
What progressive overload really means
At its core, progressive overload is the gradual increase of stress placed on the body during exercise training. It’s the principle that explains why the first time you lifted those 20-pound dumbbells, they felt impossible—and now they feel almost easy.
Your body is constantly adapting to whatever you demand of it. When you lift a challenging weight, your muscles experience tiny amounts of damage (the good kind). Your body repairs that damage, making the muscle fibers a little thicker, stronger, and more resilient for next time.
But if “next time” never gets harder, your body has no reason to keep adapting.
Beyond just adding weight
When most people hear "progressive overload," they immediately think: "I need to lift heavier." And yes, increasing weight is one method, but it's far from the only one, and sometimes it's not even the best one.
You can progressively overload your muscles through several different variables:
- Adding weight is the most obvious approach. If you've been curling 20 pounds comfortably for three sets of ten, try 22.5 or 25 pounds next session. Even small jumps count.
- Increasing repetitions is equally effective. Keep the same weight but push from 10 reps to 12, then 15. More time under tension means more stimulus for growth.
- Adding sets extends that tension even further. Three sets becomes four, four becomes five. Your muscles accumulate more total work, forcing adaptation.
- Increasing training frequency means hitting that muscle group more often per week—perhaps moving from training legs once weekly to twice.
- Decreasing rest time between sets makes your muscles work harder in the same amount of time, improving both strength and endurance.
- Improve your form or range of motion. Maybe you don’t need heavier weights yet—maybe you just need better form. Slowing down your reps, eliminating momentum, and controlling the movement through a full range of motion can dramatically increase the challenge.
The beauty of having multiple tools is that you can strategically rotate them. Hit a wall with weight increases? Focus on reps. Struggling with volume? Improve your form. There's always a way forward.
What it looks like in practice
Let's get concrete. Say you're doing goblet squats, and you can currently hold a 35-pound dumbbell for three sets of eight reps with good form. Here's what progressive overload might look like over eight weeks:
Weeks 1-2: 35 lbs, 3 sets of 8 reps (establishing baseline)
Weeks 3-4: 35 lbs, 3 sets of 12 reps (rep progression)
Weeks 5-6: 40 lbs, 3 sets of 8 reps (weight progression)
Weeks 7-8: 40 lbs, 3 sets of 10 reps (rep + weight sustained)
Or maybe you're doing dumbbell Bulgarian split squats with a 20-pound dumbbell in each hand:
Weeks 1-2: 20 lbs per hand, 3 sets of 8 reps each leg (baseline)
Weeks 3-4: 20 lbs per hand, 3 sets of 10 reps each leg (rep progression)
Weeks 5-6: 25 lbs per hand, 3 sets of 8 reps each leg (weight progression)
Weeks 7-8: 25 lbs per hand, 4 sets of 8 reps each leg (volume progression)
Notice what's happening? You're not trying to add weight every single week. You're strategically progressing one variable at a time, allowing your body to adapt before layering on additional challenge. This approach is sustainable, reduces injury risk, and leads to consistent long-term gains.
How to know you’re on track
Progressive overload isn’t about chasing numbers for the sake of it. It’s about consistency, awareness, and smart progression. A few signs you’re doing it right:
- Your last few reps feel challenging but doable with good form.
- You’re tracking your workouts (even simple notes on your phone) and seeing gradual improvements.
- You feel sore in new ways—not injured, just like you’ve actually worked your muscles differently.
If you’re constantly feeling fatigued, losing motivation, or dealing with joint pain, that’s a sign you may be pushing too hard, too fast. Remember, overload must be progressive. Your body needs time to adapt. Recovery, nutrition, and sleep are just as essential as the workouts themselves.
The takeaway
Next time you're at the gym reaching for those comfortable weights, pause. Ask yourself: "Am I choosing these because they're optimal for my progress, or because they're familiar?"
If it's the latter, it's time to challenge yourself. Maybe that means grabbing the 25-pounders. Maybe it means aiming for 12 reps instead of 10. Maybe it means really focusing on that full range of motion you've been shortchanging.
Because real progress doesn’t happen by accident—it happens when you start asking for just a bit more from yourself, one workout at a time.
