The training principle of progressive overload dictates that you must place greater demand on the body over time. If you do not continuously challenge your muscles with increased stress, adaptation and muscle growth will no longer occur. The most common method of progressive overload is increased weight. This requires access to weights and other strength equipment. Alternative methods of progressive overload are available if you do not have access to equipment. Increased intensity, advanced exercise variations, and time under tension are all ways to overload your body progressively.
Instructions
Step 1
Overload your muscles progressively by increasing the intensity of your workouts. Strength training intensity refers to the amount of work performed in a specific amount of time. Increase intensity by performing more work in the same unit of time. Instead of doing one set of an exercise for a specific number of repetitions, do as many repetitions as you can in a certain time period. Your goal is to increase the number of repetitions you can do in that time. Set a timer for 30 seconds. Perform as many squats as you can with good form. The next time you do squats, try to increase the number by at least one.
Step 2
Use advanced exercise variations to overload your muscles. You can work every major muscle with bodyweight exercises. As you grow stronger and adapt to an exercise, use an advanced version of the exercise to continue challenging your body. Start with incline push-ups. Once you can complete 15 repetitions with good form, move to full push-ups on the floor. More advanced versions of the push-up include decline push-ups, Spiderman push-ups and explosive push-ups. Bodyweight squats are a standard leg exercise. Advance to split squats and one-leg squats. Move to a more-difficult version of an exercise once you can complete 15 repetitions of the basic exercise with good form.
Step 3
Overload your muscles with increased time under tension. Time under tension refers to the amount of time that a muscle is working during an exercise. This includes all three phases of the exercise. You lower into a squat in three seconds. You hold the bottom position for one second. You press up into a standing position in two seconds. The time under tension for this repetition is six seconds. Increase your time under tension by slowing down the lowering phase or the pressing phase. You may also hold the bottom position longer. Any of these three methods will increase the load on your muscles.
Tips and Warnings
- When increasing the intensity of an exercise, always use good form. Do not sacrifice form for more repetitions.
Member Comments