Guides · 5 min read
Progressive overload on gym machines: a simple system
Your muscles adapt to what you ask of them, then stop adapting once the job feels normal. Progressive overload just means asking for a little more over time. Machines are one of the easiest places to do it, because every set is repeatable.
The four things you can add
- Weight. Move the pin down a plate.
- Reps. Same weight, one more rep.
- Sets. One more hard set for that muscle in the week.
- Quality. Same weight and reps, but each rep moves faster, through a fuller range, with fewer wobbles. This one is real progress too, and most logs never see it.
Double progression: the method that works on a stack
Weight stacks jump in fixed steps, often 5 kg or more. That's a big jump on a small muscle. Double progression gets around it:
- Pick a rep range, say 8 to 12.
- Choose a weight you can lift for at least 8 good reps on every set.
- Each session, try to add a rep to one or more sets, keeping the same weight.
- When every set reaches 12, move the pin down one plate and start again near 8.
| Week | Weight | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40 kg | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| 2 | 40 kg | 10 | 9 | 8 |
| 3 | 40 kg | 11 | 10 | 10 |
| 4 | 40 kg | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| 5 | 45 kg | 9 | 8 | 8 |
An example, not a plan. Your numbers will move at their own pace.
When you can't add anything
Some weeks nothing goes up. That's normal. Check three things before changing your program: are you sleeping and eating enough, is your rest between sets drifting longer or shorter, and is the machine set up the same way as last time? A seat one notch higher can change a lift more than a week of training.
If you've stalled for three or four sessions in a row, try the same weight with slower, more controlled reps for a week, or drop the weight by a plate and build back up.
The one rule
You can only beat last time if you know what last time was. Write down the weight, the reps and the machine settings for every set, or use something that does it for you.
General information about training, not medical or personalised advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, check with a doctor or physiotherapist first.