The Progressive Overload Principle

QUOTE OF THE DAY

THE PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD PRINCIPLE

399 Words | 1 Min 27 Sec Read

‘Progressive Overload’ is a term that you would typically hear at the gym.

It's a method of training that requires you to push or pull the maximum amount of weight that you can for 9–12 reps and take note of that weight. Then, in the next session, add on small incremental bits of weight (such as 1.5–2 kg), which won’t seem like much at the time, but after just a week, you could be pushing or pulling up to 10 kg heavier.

It’s called progressive overload because that's what it is.

You are progressively overloading yourself bit by bit and inevitably getting stronger because of it.

But this isn’t just a technique that you have to use in the gym; this is a technique that you can use in every and any area of life.

For example, getting good at something is all about progressively doing more of that thing (practice) and, as a result, getting better.

The way to get better at reading books is to start off by reading 5 pages a day, and every day add one page or half a page until you are reading a chapter at a time.

The way to increase your focus and discipline isn’t to lock yourself in a room, but to start off small, focusing for 30 minutes at a time, and increase it by 15 minutes each time, because before you know it, you’ll be locked in focusing for hours at a time.

Whatever it is that you want to get better at, take the progressive overload approach.

Progressive overloading improves your form.

You wouldn’t go to the gym and try to bench press 20 kg heavier than you can do now simply because you’ll snap your arms without having the right form to do so, and the same goes with everything else.

Progressively overloading means that you improve your form along the way, you find a better way to focus, you find a more efficient way to read your book, etc.

ACTIONABLE NEXT STEPS:

Try it out yourself, what ever it is that you want to grow or improve in, find a way that you can progressively overload in it because the progress and experience that you will obtain because of it will blow your mind.

Grab a notebook to take notes of your progress and your goal each time is just to beat the previous number.

LESSON OF THE DAY ⤵️

The problem here isn’t that you failed; it’s that you care too much about what other people think. Who gives a f**k?

If you’re worried about the people around you finding out that you failed, chances are that you’re surrounded by the wrong kind of people in the first place.

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