How important is the word PROGRESSIVE?

Most probably, most of you reading this article now know some kind of activity in which you were included at some point in your life. Running, lifting, cycling, swimming etc.

Through my coaching career until now, I have seen people getting injured in the most simplest movements and types of activities known to man kind...for example, easy jogging on sunday morning, and your knee is out....casual try of clean and jerk in random Crossfit box and shoulder says bye bye...

Why is that ?

Every single human being is built different. Not only that it means that our bones are different sizes, our joints are different, muscle activity is different but it also mean that for example 2 fairly similar built babies (two brothers) will be shaped totally differently after 10 or 15 years, thanks to the level and type of activity that they will attend the most.

Does that make any sense?

For example.... one baby turns out to be snooker player, other one to be wrestler. Snooker player will develop precision and fine motoric movements a lot better comparing to the wrestler who, on the other hand, will develop immense muscular strength, core stability, and overall body functionality.

This means, that when these 2 brothers meet on regular Crossfit class sometimes later in the life, guess which one of them will be able to squat, bench press, deadlift and sprint? Well, probably the wrestler... Further more, If you try to put snooker player to nearly the same intensity as the wrestler, he will, no doubt, get injured.

Progressive overload is a fundamental principle in strength training and exercise science that refers to the gradual increase of stress placed on the body during exercise. This method aims to continually challenge the body, promoting muscle growth, strength, endurance, and overall fitness improvements.

Progression is everything in the world of training and a major safety feature, no matter the age of one who is willing to participate. Delete progression from training, and you are 90% on a way to injury since your body can not understand what is happening and why.

Some of key components that should be considered:

• Intensity: Increasing the weight or resistance used in exercises. For example, lifting heavier weights over time.
• Volume: Increasing the number of sets, repetitions, or overall workload in a training session. For instance, adding more sets or reps to a workout routine.
• Frequency: Increasing the number of training sessions or the frequency of working out a particular muscle group.
• Complexity: Introducing more complex or advanced exercises to challenge the body in new ways.
• Rest Periods: Reducing or increasing rest periods between sets or exercises to increase the challenge and intensity of the workout.

What do we achieve:

• Muscle hypertrophy
• Strength gains
• Endurance performance
• Avoiding plateaus
• Injury prevention

Progressive overload is a critical principle for achieving continuous improvement in physical fitness and performance. By systematically increasing the demands placed on the body, it ensures ongoing adaptation, development and safety. Whether through increasing weights, reps, sets, or workout intensity, the application of progressive overload is essential for anyone looking to make consistent gains in strength, muscle mass, endurance, and overall fitness.