Stop Just 'Working Out': Why Progressive Overload is Your New Best Friend
By Brooke — Your gym bestie who actually shows up at 5am. Will make you love leg day. ·
Let’s Get Real About Your Gains
Okay, bestie, let’s have a heart-to-heart. You’ve been showing up to the gym consistently (go you!), you’re hitting your protein goals, and you’re feeling stronger. But lately, you’ve noticed that your workouts feel… well, they feel like they’re on autopilot. You’re grabbing the same 15-pound dumbbells for your lateral raises, hitting the same three sets of ten on the leg press, and walking away feeling fine.
I’ve been there. Back when I was 17 and just trying to find my footing, I spent months doing the exact same circuit because it felt safe. But if you want to actually see your body change—not just for aesthetics, but for that feeling of being capable and powerful—we have to stop just 'working out' and start training. Enter: Progressive Overload.
What Even Is Progressive Overload?
I know, it sounds like some sterile kinesiology term from my ASU days, but it’s actually the simplest concept in fitness. Progressive overload just means gradually increasing the stress placed upon your body during exercise.
Think of it like this: if you lift a 10-pound weight today, your muscles adapt to that stimulus. If you lift that same 10-pound weight for the next six months, your body says, “Cool, I’m used to this, no need to build any more muscle or get any stronger.” Your body is a master at efficiency. It wants to be lazy. To force it to change, we have to keep giving it a reason to adapt. That’s where the magic happens.
The “How-To” (Without the Math Headache)
You don’t need a spreadsheet to track this (though, if you’re a Type-A queen like me, we love a good spreadsheet). You just need to focus on one of these four levers every single week or two:
1. Increase the weight: This is the obvious one. If you’re crushing your 12 reps with 20-pound dumbbells and it feels like a breeze, grab the 22.5s. 2. Increase the reps: Can’t go heavier yet? No worries! If you did 3 sets of 8 last week, try to hit 3 sets of 10 this time. 3. Increase the sets: If you’re already doing a good amount of reps, add another set to your total volume. Just be careful not to overdo it—quality > quantity, always. 4. Improve your form and tempo: This is my personal favorite. Sometimes, the "overload" isn’t about the weight, it’s about the control. Try slowing down your eccentric phase (the lowering part of the movement). Take three seconds to lower into your squat. You’ll realize that weight you thought was "easy" suddenly feels like a beast. That’s progress!
How I Track My Progress (And How You Can, Too)
I’m going to be real with you—if you aren’t tracking your workouts, you’re just guessing. I keep a dedicated note in my phone for my lifts. Every session, I record the exercise, the weight, and the reps.
Before I walk into the gym, I open that note. I look at what I did last week, and I set a tiny, achievable goal. Maybe it’s just one extra rep. Maybe it’s taking 5 seconds less on my break. When you hit that goal, the dopamine hit is unreal. It turns the gym into a game where you’re constantly leveling up your own character.
The “But Brooke, I’m Scared to Go Heavier” Phase
I hear this all the time. “What if I fail?” Bestie, failing a rep is the goal! If you finish your set feeling like you could have done five more, you didn’t push yourself.
When I was in my teens, I had a really complicated relationship with my body and movement. Fitness became a way for me to reclaim my strength from my anxiety. Learning to push myself in the weight room taught me that I could survive discomfort. When you’re under that bar and you have to dig deep to finish those last two reps? That’s not just muscle building. That’s building the mindset that you can handle hard things outside the gym, too.
A Quick Note on Recovery
Here’s the catch: You can’t overload if you’re running on fumes. If you’re not sleeping and you’re eating like a bird, your body won't have the resources to repair the micro-tears you’re creating. Progressive overload only works if you’re feeding your body and letting it recover. If you feel like your strength is stalling, look at your sleep and your protein intake before you blame your routine.
Ready to Level Up?
I want you to pick one movement this week—maybe it’s your goblet squat or your overhead press—and I want you to apply one of the four levers I mentioned. If you do it, I want to hear about it! Seriously, jump into my DMs or drop a comment below. Were you able to squeeze out that extra rep? Did you finally grab the heavier plate?
I’m so proud of you for showing up. Remember, it’s not about being perfect; it’s about being just a little bit better than you were yesterday. Now let’s go crush that leg day!
Chat soon, Brooke