Progressive overload, explained
Progressive overload means gradually asking your body to do a little more over time. It is the single idea behind almost every strength program, and it only works if you can see what you did last time.
Five ways to add overload
Add weight, add a rep, add a set, slow the tempo, or shorten the rest. Weight is the simplest, but it is not the only lever. When you stall, changing one of the others is often enough to keep moving.
A simple rule for adding weight
Work in a rep range, such as 3 sets of 8 to 10. When you hit the top of the range on every set, add the smallest increment you have, usually 1.25 to 2.5 kg, and start again at the bottom. Small, boring jumps beat big ones you cannot repeat.
Why you need a record
You cannot overload what you cannot remember. Seeing last session’s weight and reps while you train removes the guessing, and a chart over eight to twelve weeks shows progress that a single workout never will.
When to take a lighter week
If you miss your target reps for three sessions in a row, or everything feels heavy for a week, take a lighter week at around 90 percent of your weights. Hadid’s programs do this automatically after repeated misses, so you come back stronger instead of grinding into a plateau.
Let the app do the arithmetic
Hadid shows your last numbers, charts your lifts and suggests your next weight in its programs.
See what Hadid does