Progression in strength training is a very important aspect that allows us to develop. Training is a stimulus to force the body to develop. This means that even with the best diet, we will not build a dream figure if we do not learn how to progress in training. In this article, I will introduce you to the methods of strength progression and tell you why it is so important for the development of our body.

Contents:

  1. Progression in training - definition
  2. Progression in training - the best methods of progression
  3. Progression in training - effects
  4. Progression in training - mistakes limiting progress
  5. Progression in training - summary

Progression in training is forcing our body to adapt to more and more difficult conditions. In this way, we guarantee ourselves the progress in training, which may include increasing muscle mass, increasing strength and endurance. Because the old saying works perfectly well: whoever does not develop, he withdraws. This is the case with both our mind and body. I invite you to read the must-read for every person who wants to build a strong, fit and great-looking body.

Progression in training - definition

Progression is the most important parameter showing the degree of training effectiveness. But what is she? We can distinguish several types of it. There is both strength and intensity progression. We can increase the intensity in various ways. The whole process, however, is to give the body new and more difficult to overcome stimuli.

It has a lot to do with science. At the start we have to learn to walk, and then we can start running. Our body reacts similarly to training. Unfortunately, most people who start training are just crawling in the dark. The lack of strength and figure progress strongly discourages people from further self-development. The effect of progression on muscles is what science does to the brain. This means that the more we progress, the harder our body has to work to adapt to it.

Training adaptation occurs relatively quickly and it is based on the fact that the muscles increase their strength and endurance. The body learns to overcome the challenges it faces. Muscle fibers are built up, which results in an increase in muscle mass and an improvement in the appearance of our figure. The body gets rid of tissue depositswhich he needs for energy purposes.

The moment we stop progressing, muscles that are used to exercise will stop developing. It may even regress over time. This is a very important reason why you should plan your progression skillfully.

Progression in training - the best methods of progression

There are many methods of progression. It is worth getting to know them all in order to be able to choose the best one for you. Each organism is different and reacts differently to different stimuli. What gives a great effect to our training partner does not necessarily have to be optimal for us.

1. Pyramid

The basic and best known method of progression in strength training is the pyramid. It consists in performing exercises in a scheme of increasing weight and reducing the number of repetitions in each subsequent series. The purpose of the pyramid is to force more and more tired muscles to increasing strength effort.

For example, we perform 4 series of barbell presses on a flat bench. In the first series, we use 60% of the maximum weight and 12 repetitions. In the next one, the weight is increased to 70%, but we reduce the number of repetitions to 10. In the third one we have a ratio of 80% to 8. The last series is the most difficult from the point of view of generating power. Tired muscle fibers must cope with 90% of the maximum weight and 4-6 repetitions.

A very important issue in the use of this method is to stick to the principle that in each subsequent training session we increase the starting weight by at least half a kilogram. When we started bench press from 50 kg the next week, we must start with a minimum of 50.5 kg.

2. Inverted pyramid

The pyramid can be used in a reversed formula. We start with the highest load and the lowest number of repetitions. Every series we reduce the weight and increase the number of repetitions. In this case, the progression is definitely more endurance.

3. Increasing the training volume

Another method of progression is to increase the training volume. At the moment when we are not able to increase the weight further, we should apply a different stimulus. We can increase the number of repetitions. We can also add an additional series. In this method, we do not increase the load every series, but every session.

When we are able to perform a squat with a 100 kg load in 4 series of 10-12 repetitions and feel unsatisfied, we add another series.

Extra pounds are not always advisable. At times, we may feel fear of exceeding a certain weight limit. Additionthe next series will result in the intensification of training stimuli and, as a result, maintaining the progression.

4. Shortening the rest

In addition to manipulating the number of series, repetitions and the amount of load, we have the option of controlling the rest time. Shortening the break time between series and exercises results in an increase in training intensity. At the same time, we do more work. This contributes to the development of our muscles and the overall performance of the body. This method is perfect for people who value their time and want to burn fat quickly. It contributes to a strong acceleration of the metabolic rate and calorie burning even after the end of training.

5. TUT - time under tension

Another effective method of progression is the so-called TUT, i.e. time under tension. The time during which the muscle is subjected to stress. It is about extending the working time both in the positive and negative phase of the exercise.

Usually people try to do each repetition as quickly as possible and ignore the concentric and isometric phase. They only focus on the eccentric.

This is a serious bug and may not progress. The concentric phase is when the muscle fibers shorten. Eccentric, on the other hand, continues during their elongation. The isometric phase, in turn, continues when the muscle is constantly loaded at the point of greatest tension.

By manipulating the duration of individual phases, we are able to force the body to a new exercise adaptation. For example, in a positive pose, the working time is one second. However, we hold the weight at the point of maximum tension for 3 seconds, and we complete the negative phase slowly enough to last three times as long as the first. In this way, we can significantly increase our strength.

Find out more: Concentric, eccentric and isometric movement - phases of muscle movement and their importance in training

6. Fake repetition method

There is also a trick repetition method. We work with a load with which we are able to perform, for example, only 4 repetitions. However, thanks to the assistance of the belaying person, we make as many as six. This method is used in the last series of a given exercise. Its purpose is to give the exhausted muscles an additional stimulus.

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Progression in training - effects

The effects of any type of progression in training are the development of muscles and the improvement of sports performance. Regardless of whether we want to increase strength, speed or endurance, progression is a good tool for this. Properly selected, it allows you to build muscle mass, burn fat tissue and achieve your training goals.

People whose goal is to increase strength will train for this specific purpose. Thanks to progression, they are able to come up from a starting weight - for example from 100 kg to 110 kg - within 4-8 weeks. Of course, a lot depends on the degree of training, goal and regularity of training.

It is also very important to choose the appropriate progression method. I mentioned above that what is good for one person can be even harmful to another. For this reason, people who want to increase their strength will use the pyramid rather than the session intensification method.

Go ahead and narrow down the subject of the effects of progression to the statement that they consist of a constant increase in strength, body shape improvement and a reduction in the risk of stagnation.

Progression in training - mistakes limiting progress

Errors in training:

  1. The basic mistake limiting progression is the lack of planning. Each training session must have a specific goal and a detailed plan to achieve it. This means that starting from point A, we want to get to point B. To do this, we have to plan the path to be followed. When we want to look better and be stronger, it is worth setting a measurable goal. For example: we are able to lift 80 kg per frame, but we want to aim for 120 kg. To achieve this goal, you should plan the time in which it will happen and the method of progression that will be the best for us.
  2. Another mistake is too slow progression. As a result, the body gets used to training and stagnation occurs, which is not so easy to overcome. This error most often occurs in people who train on their own, treat the gym as a social meeting place, or do not know their own body.
  3. On the other hand, too rapid progression is also a serious mistake. As a result of too fast progression, the body is not able to adequately adapt to the load and overtraining, nervous system overstrain or injuries occur. As a result, we have to take a break from training and go back to the starting point or even take a few steps inrear.
  4. Progression is also unfavorable for us in several ways at the same time. This can overload the body and lead to the same negative effects as too rapid progression. Both of these mistakes are most common in impatient and injured people who want to get back to pre-injury levels quickly.
  5. The last serious mistake is not using detraining. This training stage is designed to allow the body and mind to regenerate. Rest is part of your training. Every great sports champion knows that it is impossible to achieve the best results without him. Muscles regenerate within a minimum of 24 hours. However, intensive exercise does extend this time. The overloaded nervous system also needs a break from continuous stimuli of a given type in order to be able to process them faster. You can train hard, but remember to do it with caution.

The most common post-training mistakes:

Other errors that affect the lack of progression are factors that do not depend on the training itself. Let's call them non-sports. Of course, they include:

  1. A diet that is an integral part of building your body and strength.
  2. Stress and other factors of everyday life.
  3. Lack of adequate sleep and, what is worse, irregular lifestyle, forcing us to postpone our training sessions and preventing us from programming the body in the most beneficial way.

Our body likes patterns. We achieve the best training results by setting our biological clock to train at a specific time each day.

Progression in training - summary

There are many methods of progression in strength training. The article lists just a few of the most popular of them. All of them, however, are centered around a simple rule: increase the burden on the body. Only in this way can it develop. More weight and number of repetitions, shorter breaks, longer training - all this comes down to achieving a certain effect and overcoming your own weaknesses.

About the authorTomasz Piotrowski He is a certified personal trainer and nutrition specialist. He gained his knowledge from the best experts in the fitness industry in Poland. He has several years of experience working as a dietitian in a private facility in Krakow and experience in working as a personal trainer. He also writes expert articles on he alth, training and supplementation, and works in the supplement industry. He is passionate about fist fencing.

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Category:

Bodybuilding