Looking to make the most of your workouts? 

Say hi to our friend, progressive overload!

Progressive overload results from gradual and increased demands placed on the body to see consistent gains in muscle size, strength, and endurance.

At Oak + Iron Fitness, we repeat the same movements week-to-week for a period of time to allow the muscles to adapt to the stresses placed upon them in order to build strength and improve muscle memory. This also enables you to track your progress!

There’s even mental health benefits to repeating workouts with progressive overload in mind: boosting confidence and motivation as you learn these movements and establishing a consistent fitness routine.

Here are the ways we can elicit progressive overload:

1. Adding weight – this is probably the most obvious and therefore, the most common method of progressive overload (ie. progressing from a 100lb squat to a 115lb squat).
2. Adding reps/sets – maybe you’re not ready to add weight, but you can sneak in a few extra reps or even an extra set (ie. progressing from 6 chin-ups to 8 or moving from 3 sets of 5 chin-ups to 4 sets of 5 chin-ups).
3. Increasing time under tension – this creates the opportunity to spend more time in the exercise (ie. adding an isometric or hold at the bottom of your squat for 3 seconds).
4. Improving form/range of motion – we’re constantly learning how to improve our movement patterns, and this is a great way to challenge yourself to properly recruit the right muscles (ie. sinking deeper in your squat).
5. Move more intentionally – this goes hand-in-hand with #4, but creating a stronger mind-body connection is essential to moving well. 

An effective program will systematically include these components to lead to the greatest results. But at the end of the day, it’s also important to remember that an effective workout program is one you enjoy, you can stick with consistently, and keeps your body happy and healthy.