It’s great that the term progressive overload is out in the mainstream fitness world but it has started to cause some issues. One of which is the question, do you need to be hitting MAXs & PBs to be achieving anything in training?

The answer is a simple NO!

The best way to think about this is to ensure you are beating your last week’s training log. You are only as strong as your last few weeks and months of training. That deadlift PB you hit last year will have dropped off if you didn’t keep at the same lift at the same rep range. Sometimes strength carries over, and you can PB. Example: let’s say you go from a dumbbell chest press to a barbell chest press and then back to dumbbells (all at the same rep range). You will likely be able to move your numbers forward.

But, if you switch from a deadlift to an RDL you will lose some of your strength on that deadlift. Strength is very specific to the task. When you return to any exercise, work up about a 7 or 8 /10  on the RPE scale and gradually build that up. 

That is progressive overload. 

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