# Progressive overload on gym machines: a simple system

> Machines make getting stronger easy to measure, if you know what to change and when.

[Guides](https://nomae.com.au/guides) · 5 min read

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.

WeekWeightSet 1Set 2Set 3140 kg988240 kg1098340 kg111010440 kg121212545 kg988

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.

Where NOMAE fits

NOMAE sends movement readings from compatible weight stacks to the free app for live rep counts. You can record your chosen weight and compare logged sessions over time.

[Order · A$199 to 4 November](https://nomae.com.au/tracker#launch)

[Will it fit my machines?](https://nomae.com.au/fit)

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.

## More guides

[**What is NOMAE? The gym machine rep tracker explained**: What the NOMAE gym tracker does, which machines it fits, the free iPhone app, prices and availability in Australia. · 3 min](https://nomae.com.au/guides/what-is-nomae-gym-tracker)

[**Rep speed: why the same weight moving faster means you're stronger**: Before the weight goes up, the speed does. Here's how to read it. · 5 min](https://nomae.com.au/guides/rep-speed-and-strength)

[**How to set up a gym machine, and remember it next time**: Seat height and pad positions change every lift. Get them right once, then keep them. · 6 min](https://nomae.com.au/guides/set-up-gym-machines)

[**How to track gym progress without a spreadsheet**: What to record, what to ignore, and how to tell if it's working. · 4 min](https://nomae.com.au/guides/track-gym-progress)

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