How to Use Double Progressions for Strength Training
Progressive overload is an important aspect to any of your strength and muscle building goals.
What is progressive overload?
Progressive overload is the method in which you slowly building up your total training volume over time. Progressive overload is the key focus in all resistance training programs and what allows for progress.
Without it, progress will not occur at all. Typically this is experienced in strength as a plateau or stall in progress (IE: not being able to lift over a certain amount).
Factors that play a role in progressive overload are:
sets
reps
weight used (resistance, intensity)
Time under tension (tempo)
Rest times
Training frequency
Many people refer to these factors are “training volume.”
Training volume would need to increase (and/or decrease) over time in one or more of these factors for effective progressive overload.
Basic Structure of Progressive Overload
A majority of programs will focus on adding volume in just one of the variables at a time. This works well for beginners and intermediate lifters, but the more advanced you become as a lifter, the more detailed and specific the programming requires.
More advanced lifters and powerlifters need to utilize different methods to increase total volume to promote growth.
One of these techniques is known as double progressions.
Double progressions require progressing in two different variables (reps and weight) instead of progressing in just one of the variables.
How Double Progressions Work
There are several rep ranges you can work with, but the most common for a focus on building muscle is 8-12 reps.
Start at the low end of the range (8 reps) and work with a weight that you can only hit for a total of 8 reps with great form and technique.
Each week, work on increasing the amount of reps you can hit with that weight until you reach 12 reps.
From there, you’ll increase the weight again and start back at 8 reps to repeat the process.
Ways you can incorporate Double Progressions
You can incorporate this method into your main movements for powerlifting, accessory or isolation work, or utilize it for both.
Different methods work better for different people; each person can handle a different amount of volume each week. You’ll want to find the amount of volume and style of progressive overload that works best for you and the method you incorporate now will change over time.
If you’re struggling with a plateau in your strength or hypertrophy, try out this method for double progressions to see how your body adapts to the changes!
