In the world of fitness and strength training, progressive overload is a concept that holds utmost importance. Whether you’re new to CrossFit or a more experienced athlete, understanding and implementing progressive overload in your workouts is essential for achieving your fitness goals. In this blog post, we will discuss the concept of progressive overload and why it matters for your training.
So What Is Progressive Overload?
Put some weight on it! Well, hold on just a second. First, let’s go over exactly what progressive overload is. Progressive overload is a method used in exercise programming that involves gradually increasing the demands placed on your body in a structured and progressive manner. This strategic approach aims to continually challenge your muscles, cardiovascular system, and overall fitness level to stimulate adaptation and improvement. This means for the weightlifting portions of our workouts, we’re aiming to add more weight, extra reps or additional sets than last time. This is why it’s so crucial to keep up with your results after each class, that way you can have a mini goal in mind each time you train and you can see your progress over time. Also, for the metcon portion of workouts, this can mean completing workouts faster, working up to RX weights and movements or completing more rounds and reps for an AMRAP. All of these are measurements of improvement based on the concept of progressive overload.
Well Why Does Progressive Overload Matter?
Progressive overload helps to stimulate muscle growth. By increasing the intensity or workload of your exercises, progressive overload triggers muscle fibers to tear and repair, leading to muscle growth and increased strength. It helps you break through plateaus and reach new levels of muscular development. It also boosts strength and performance. Your body is forced to adapt to increased stress over time, leading to improved muscular strength, endurance, and overall athletic performance. This enhanced performance includes improved cardiovascular fitness. Whether you are running, cycling, or performing any aerobic exercise, gradually increasing the duration or intensity challenges your cardiovascular system, making it more efficient and effective. Lastly, progressive overload is a great way to prevent stagnation. When your body becomes accustomed to a specific routine or load, it adapts and no longer experiences significant improvement. Progressive overload ensures that you are always pushing your limits and avoiding plateaus, resulting in continuous progress.
Conclusion
So now you know why it’s important to PUT SOME WEIGHT ON IT! Progressive overload is a fundamental concept that drives progress and unlocks your true fitness potential. By gradually and strategically increasing the demands on your body, you stimulate growth, improve strength, and enhance overall fitness levels. Remember to progressively challenge yourself and listen to your body to avoid injury and burnout. Embrace progressive overload as a powerful tool to break through plateaus, achieve lasting results, and transform both your physical and mental fitness journey. If you need a bit of help knowing how to effectively add progressive overload to your routine, let us know and we can schedule an athlete check-in meeting and establish a plan to help you reach your goals! Also, continue to check back here for more tips and information on progressive overload and more! And follow @thevfit on Instagram to stay up to date with everything regarding #TheVFit!