If you lift heavy weights, youll get stronger.

Thats the principle ofprogressive overloadin a nutshell.

As you get stronger, you oughta lift heavier weights to keep getting stronger.

So lets look at some of the reasons why, and what to do instead.

Experienced lifters dont pile on the pounds like thatnot for months on end, anywaybut beginners can.

Think of it as a honeymoon phase that shows up when your body first starts learning to lift weights.

It also happens when you come back from a break.

Italsoapplies if youve made a little bit of progress but havent been training consistently.

So its not a matter ofifyoull someday be unable to add more weight, butwhen.

If you waited to fully recover between workouts, youd never make progress.

But you do need to be aware that its normal for fatigue to hide your true strength.

As a result, its normal to not be at peak performance every day in the gym.

Other stressors also affect this.

This is all normal.

Nobody is stress-free all the time.

It has to be the rightkindof work, though.

Just go put your 5-pound dumbbell on the rack and use the 10 instead.

If youre lifting 10-pound dumbbells, upgrading to 15-pound dumbbells would be a huge jump in strength50 percent!

So stick with the 10’s for a while longer.

For barbell lifts,micro platesare often recommended.

But the increase in weight isnt what drives your progress, so these are truly optional.

Submaximal training

This is where a goodprogramcomes in.

It may not be a top-level effort every time, and thats by design.

you’re able to makehugegains with most of your training at, say, an 8-out-of-10 effort.

Youll also probably enjoy your workouts more and not feel as beat up afterward.

Instead of three sets of five reps, why not six sets?

Why not 10 reps?

But a broader range of exercises can help you to become a more well-rounded athlete.

If you do a lot of bench press, why not add overhead press?

If you do a lot of dumbbell rows, have you considered barbell or cable rows?

Different exercises emphasize different muscles, and variety is good for your brain, as well.

Patience

I know, this is the hardest one!

But once youre past the newbie stage, progress is less predictable.

Periodized programming really helps here.

If you just train for fun and health, you’re able to still use this approach.

That doesnt mean youre without any measures of progress.