Do you add a 10-pounder to each side of the bar after every set (since you were like 16) and then holler "Hey bud, spot me"?

Then it's time to consider some new ways to step up your workout.

THE PATH TO GAINSVILLE

THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE USE A SINGLE VARIABLE TO PROGRESS IN THEIR WEIGHT TRAINING – LOAD LIFTED. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT, BUT EVENTUALLY YOU REACH A CEILING WHEN YOU SIMPLY CAN'T ADD MORE

WEIGHT TO AN EXERCISE ENDLESSLY.

IN A TRAINING PROGRAM, WE HAVE EXERCISE ORDER, EXERCISE

SELECTION, SETS, REPS, TEMPO, REST PERIOD AND LOAD. HERE'S A SMALL

SAMPLE WORKOUT BELOW. LET'S GO OVER THREE PROGRESSION METHODS AND SEE HOW EACH CHANGES THE WORKOUT.

SAMPLE WORKOUT

1A) SQUAT – 3 SETS OF 6 REPS (3X6) WITH 90 SECONDS REST, USING

200 POUNDS

1B) DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS – 3X6 WITH 90 SECONDS REST, USING 50

POUNDS

WORKOUT VOLUME (SETS X REPS X WEIGHT): SQUAT 3600 POUNDS.

DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS 1800 POUNDS. TOTAL 5400 POUNDS.

ASSUMING EACH SET TAKES A MINUTE, THE WORKOUT IS DONE IN 15

MINUTES.

NOW MOST LIFTERS WOULD JUST INCREASE THE LOAD EACH WEEK. BUT INSTEAD, WE COULD ADD AN ADDITIONAL REP NEXT WORKOUT. OR ADD AN ADDITIONALSET. OR MAYBE WE CUT THE REST PERIOD DOWN, AND WITH THE EXTRA TIME WE CAN ADD MORE EXERCISES OR EVEN BACK-OFF SETS.

OPTION #1: ADD REPS

ADD ONE REP TO EACH SET OF EACH EXERCISE.

1A) SQUAT – 3X7 WITH 90 SECONDS REST, USING 200

POUNDS

1B) DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS – 3X7 WITH 90 SECONDS REST, USING 50

POUNDS

WORKOUT VOLUME: SQUAT 4200 POUNDS. DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS 2100

POUNDS. TOTAL 6300 POUNDS.

OPTION #2: ADD SETS

ADD ONE SET TO EACH EXERCISE.

1A) SQUAT – 4X6 WITH 90 SECONDS REST, USING 200

POUNDS

1B) DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS – 4X6 WITH 90 SECONDS REST, USING 50

POUNDS

WORKOUT VOLUME: SQUAT 4800 POUNDS. DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS 2400

POUNDS. TOTAL 7200 POUNDS.

OPTION #3: REDUCE REST PERIODS

DECREASE THE REST BETWEEN EACH SET.

1A) SQUAT – 3X6 WITH 75 SECONDS REST, USING 200

POUNDS

1B) DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS – 3X6 WITH 75 SECONDS REST, USING 50

POUNDS

WORKOUT VOLUME: SQUAT 3600 POUNDS. DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS 1800

POUNDS. TOTAL 5400 POUNDS.

ASSUMING EACH SET TAKES A MINUTE, THE WORKOUT IS NOW DONE IN

13.5 MINUTES.

LET'S PUT IT ALL TOGETHER

WEEK ONE: WORKOUT AS DESCRIBED. 3X6 WITH 90 SECONDS

REST.

WEEK TWO: INCREASE THE REPS ON EACH SET BY ONE. 3X7 WITH 90

SECONDS REST.

WEEK THREE: MAINTAIN THE REPS, ADD ONE SET PER EXERCISE. 4X7

WITH 90 SECONDS REST.

WEEK FOUR: REDUCE EACH REST PERIOD BY 15 SECONDS PER SET. 4X7

WITH 75 SECONDS REST.

THIS WILL TAKE US FROM WEEK ONE'S TOTAL VOLUME OF 5400 POUNDS IN

15 MINUTES TO A TOTAL VOLUME OF 8400 POUNDS IN 18 MINUTES, WITH AN

INCREASE IN WORKOUT DENSITY FROM DOING THOSE TWO EXTRA SETS. THAT'S

55% MORE WORK IN ONLY THREE MORE MINUTES, OR OVER 100 POUNDS OF

ADDITIONAL WORK PER MINUTE TRAINING. YES, THIS IS A GINORMOUS PROGRESSION.

THIS IS A HUGE INCREASE IN THE TOTAL WORK DONE WITHOUT HAVING TO ADD A SINGLE POUND TO THE BAR. SO EVEN IF YOU'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE YOUR HOME GYM DOESN'T HAVE ANY EXTRA WEIGHT, YOU CAN STILL MAKE GREAT PROGRESS. I HAVEN'T EVEN CHANGED EXERCISE ORDER, EXERCISE SELECTION, REP TEMPO OR LOAD, YET I STILL MANAGED TO CREATE A MUCH MORE CHALLENGING WORKOUT.

THE ACTUAL TAKE HOME MESSAGE

YOU SHOULD NOW CLEARLY SEE THE BENEFITS OF IMPLEMENTING DIFFERENT METHODS OF PROGRESSION RATHER THAN JUST INCREASING LOAD ALL THE TIME (NOT TO MENTION THAT GOING THIS ROUTE FOREVER IS A MERE PIPE DREAM). THE KEY TO PROGRESS IS -OVERLOAD- AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS OF GETTING THERE. JUST MAKE SURE YOU'RE MOVING FORWARD EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

TheRoid