“Why Am I Not Making Any Progress?"

You've committed to strength training, seen some initial gains, but now progress seems to have halted. The weights are no lighter, the mirror shows no change, and you're asking:

"Why am I not making any progress?"

The solution lies in a core principle of strength training: Progressive Overload.

Why We Gain Strength In The Beginning

When we start strength training many of us have an initial jump in strength. This isn’t due to us gaining more muscle but rather it’s about our body learning how to move better through neural adaptations. Neural adaptations are when your body learns to use muscles more effectively. Your nervous system gets better at recruiting muscle fibers, enhancing coordination, and strength even before significant muscle growth occurs.

However, this rapid adaptation phase eventually slows and many of us end up hitting a plateau where progress seems to stop. This stagnation is part of the reason why up to 50% of new gym-goers give up within six months.

However, this plateau isn't the end - but a signal that you need to adjust your training and incorporate progressive overload.

The Concept of Progressive Overload

Progressive Overload involves gradually increasing the stress placed on our muscles. This increase in stress is required to improve muscle size, strength, and endurance. In order for muscles to grow, adapt, and become stronger, they must be challenged to work harder than they are accustomed to. This concept is crucial for us to continue to build strength and most importantly gain the benefits that come with it.

Progressive overload can be applied in many different way - by increasing the repetitions we do, increasing the sets we do, increasing the weight, decreasing the time between sets, or adding pauses to our reps. There are dozens of different ways to incorporate progressive overload into your routine. Let’s start with some of the simplest ways.

Starting Progressive Overload

The easiest way to incorporate progressive overload is to change our rep scheme, set scheme, or how much weight we are lifting.

Here are some simple yet effective ways to apply this principle:

• Repetition Scheme:

  • Current: 3 sets of 10 reps with 50 lbs on the bench press.

  • Progressive Step: Next session, push for 11 or 12 reps in at least two sets. Once all sets hit 12 reps, consider increasing the weight while possibly reducing reps back to 10 to eventually build back up.

• Weight Scheme:

  • Current: Deadlifting 135 lbs for 3 sets of 8 reps.

  • Progressive Step: Attempt 140 lbs for the same routine. Stick with this weight until it's manageable, then consider another small increase of 5-10%.

• Sets Scheme:

  • Current: Performing 3 sets of 10 reps with 50 lbs on the bench press.

  • Progressive Step: Add a fourth set. Once you're doing 10 reps comfortably on this set, revert to 3 sets but with a slight weight increase (2.5-5 lbs).

If You're Still Not Gaining Strength

If you've been incorporating progressive overload and you're still not seeing gains, it might be due to your recovery process. Here’s what you need to consider:

• Nutrition: Proper fueling is vital. Muscle growth demands adequate protein, and your energy needs must be met for optimal recovery and performance.

• Rest and Recovery: Remember, muscles grow during rest. Prioritize sleep and consider active recovery days to enhance growth and repair.

• Track Your Progress: Keep a detailed log. Sometimes progress is incremental, and a record helps you see and celebrate those small victories, guiding when to push harder.

• Be Aware of Your Stress: If you’re constantly feeling anxious, tired, and overwhelmed your stress could be affecting your progress. Stress reduction techniques and finding out what is causing your stress is key when it comes to overcoming stress. Ignoring it rarely helps and usually leads to more stress - not less.

The benefits of strength training extend far beyond muscle growth as we’ve previously discussed. They include improved bone density, better metabolic health, enhanced independence, and increased functional strength for daily activities. However, many of these benefits only occur when we continue to build strength.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Progressive overload isn't about making monumental leaps but about consistent, incremental improvements. Many individuals jump into strength training or other types of exercise and start with an intensity that isn’t realistic to maintain for a long period of time. Another reason 50% of individuals that start woking out stop after 6 months.

While feeling stuck can be frustrating it's often a sign that your current regiment needs to be altered or you aren’t allowing yourself to recover before your next workout. Applying progressive overload to your workouts can make a drastic difference and lead to better strength gains and more of the benefits that come along with strength training.

Lastly, below this blog I created a simple decision tree for progressive overload. You can substitute an exercise in for bench press and follow this decision tree as a guide. Remember, when it comes to progressive overload there are many other factors that can be altered but this decision tree is a great place to start. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me at drcoffman@optimizecolumbus.com.

Progressive Overload Decision Tree

Starting Point: Bench Press: 3 sets of 8 reps at 80 pounds

Assess Your Last Set: Was the last set completed with ease or felt light?

A. Yes.

1. Increase Weight: Go up by 5-10% for the next session.

   • Try 85-90 pounds for 3x8.

2. Increase Reps: Stick with the same weight but aim for 9-11 reps on at least two sets.

   • Still 80 pounds, but now aim for 3x9-11.

3. Add a Set: Keep the weight, increase volume with an extra set.

   • Now do 4x8 at 80 pounds.

4. Introduce Pause Reps: Maintain weight and reps, but add a pause at the bottom of each rep.

   • 3x8 at 80 pounds, with a 1-2 second pause at the bottom of each rep.

B. No, it was challenging but all reps were completed:

1. Add Set: Maintain weight, add another set, optionally reduce reps in the new set if needed for form.

   • Move to 4 sets, where the last set could be 5-7 reps if needed at 80 pounds.

2. Adjust Weight & Reps: Increase weight by 5-10%, drop reps to build strength.

   • Shift to 85-90 pounds for 3x5, then gradually increase reps back to 8.

3. Increase Time Under Tension: Keep weight and reps, but slow down the eccentric phase.

   • 3x8 at 80 pounds, with a 3-second lowering phase on each rep.

4. Increase Rest Time: Add 30-45 seconds to your rest between sets.

   • If you were resting 90 seconds, now rest 120-135 seconds between sets.

C. No, the set was too heavy or incomplete:

1. Repeat or Increase Rest Time: Stick with the same weight for another session and/or add 30-45 seconds on to your rest time before attempting the next step.

   • Either stay at 80 pounds or increase rest time between sets.

2. Adjust Rep Scheme: Reduce reps per set but increase sets to maintain volume.

   • Switch to 4x6 at 80 pounds instead of 3x8.

3. Implement Micro-Loading: Use smaller weight increments for progression.

   • Try 82.5 pounds (using 1.25 lb plates) for 3x8 next session.

4. Add Pause at Bottom: Maintain weight and target reps, but add a pause at the bottom of each rep.

   • 3x8 at 80 pounds, with a 1-2 second pause at the bottom of each rep.