How to FORCE Progressive Overload (I COMMAND You To Grow!)

Summary

The script discusses progressive overload in fitness training, emphasizing it as a sign of effective training rather than a forced goal. It explores the idea of lifting heavy weights to 'get your foot in the door' for strength gains, suggesting controlled heavy sets can overcome plateaus. The video also advises caution with heavy lifting, especially with injury history, and stresses the importance of form and control over volume.

Takeaways

• 🏋️ Progressive Overload: It's a sign of effective training, not something to be forced.
• 🔄 Plateau Busting: Sometimes, forcing adaptations and overload is necessary to break through plateaus.
• 🚪 'Getting Your Foot in the Door': Lifting heavier weights can prepare you for future gains.
• 📈 Rep Range Adaptation: Transitioning from hypertrophy rep ranges to lower reps can stimulate progress.
• 🔝 Incremental Progress: Aim for small, controlled increases in weight to maintain form and avoid injury.
• 💪 Control and Form: Maintain strict control and form, especially when lifting heavier weights.
• 📊 Volume and Intensity: Use heavy lifting sparingly to complement, not replace, your regular training volume.
• 🚫 Avoid Overdoing It: Don't overuse heavy lifting; it's a tool for specific situations, not a regular practice.
• 🤕 Injury Consideration: Be cautious with heavy lifting if you have a history of injuries related to the movement.
• 📈 Motivational Impact: Having a long-term goal with heavier weights can be a strong motivator for progress.

Q & A

What is the main concept discussed in the script?

The main concept discussed in the script is the idea of using progressive overload as a sign of effective training in fitness and hypertrophy, rather than a forced goal. It also introduces the concept of 'getting your foot in the door' by lifting heavier weights to overcome plateaus.

Who is Brian Miner and what is his contribution to the discussion?

Brian Miner is mentioned as someone who has championed the idea that progressive overload is a result of effective training, not a goal to be forced. His perspective is that if you train hard and recover properly, your body will naturally adapt and you will get stronger.

What does the term 'getting your foot in the door' refer to in the context of the script?

In the context of the script, 'getting your foot in the door' refers to the strategy of lifting heavier weights to prepare for future increases in weight and reps, essentially acclimatizing your body to heavier loads.

What is the recommended approach to lifting heavier weights according to the script?

The script suggests targeting a 3 to 5 rep range with heavier weights, which is different from typical hypertrophy ranges, to prepare the body for future increases in weight and repetitions.

How does lifting heavier weights help in overcoming plateaus?

Lifting heavier weights can help overcome plateaus by getting your body accustomed to the new weight, which can then make moderate or lighter weights feel easier, allowing for increased reps and overall progress.

What precautions should be taken when lifting heavier weights?

When lifting heavier weights, it's important to maintain control, avoid going to failure, and not to treat it as a regular working set. It should be a single set done before normal working sets to acclimate to the heavier weight.

Why is control important when lifting heavier weights?

Control is important when lifting heavier weights to ensure safety and proper form, avoiding injury and ensuring that the weight is being lifted effectively without sacrificing technique.

What is the significance of not going to failure when lifting heavy weights?

Not going to failure when lifting heavy weights helps to avoid over-fatigue and potential injury, while still providing the benefits of lifting heavier loads and stimulating muscle growth.

How often should one incorporate heavy lifting into their routine according to the script?

The script suggests incorporating heavy lifting into the routine twice a week to get accustomed to the weight and improve lifting skills without overtaxing the body.

What is the role of tracking training in the context of lifting heavier weights?

Tracking training is essential to monitor progress, set goals, and ensure that the heavy lifting sessions are contributing positively to overall training progress.

What are some alternative strategies discussed in the script for overcoming plateaus?

Alternative strategies discussed include using close variations of exercises that allow for heavier weights, performing partial reps, and using similar variations that are heavier to break through plateaus.

Outlines

00:00

🏋️‍♂️ Progressive Overload and Training Adaptations

The paragraph discusses the concept of progressive overload in fitness training, emphasizing that it should be a natural outcome of effective training rather than a forced goal. It introduces Brian Miner's view that if training is effective, progressive overload will occur without needing to push it aggressively. The speaker shares personal experiences where both a gentle and aggressive approach to overload have been beneficial. The concept of 'getting your foot in the door' is introduced as a strategy for lifting heavy weights, suggesting that starting with heavier weights in a controlled manner can lead to strength gains and help overcome plateaus. The importance of maintaining form and control when lifting heavy is highlighted, as well as the idea that this approach is not about the volume of work but about preparing the body for future heavier lifts.

05:01

💪 Lifting Variations and Control

This section talks about using variations of exercises to allow for heavier lifting, such as deadlifts from the floor versus Romanian deadlifts. It stresses the importance of control when introducing heavier weights or new variations to prevent injury and ensure effectiveness. The concept of 'sheet reps' is mentioned, where slight form deviations are acceptable to progress with heavier weights. Partial reps are also discussed as a strategy to use heavier weights, with a caution against overdoing it, suggesting a 5-10% increase over working weights as a guideline. The paragraph concludes with a sponsorship mention for Boost Camp, an app for tracking training progress.

10:03

🚫 Caution with Isolation Exercises

The speaker advises caution when using heavy weights for isolation exercises, especially if there is a history of related injuries. They suggest that common sense should prevail, and one should not push too hard if an exercise feels unstable or painful. The focus should be on compound movements that distribute stress across multiple joints and muscle groups. The paragraph also discusses the benefits of lifting heavy on movements that are most difficult in the contracted position, such as rows, and how it can help with progress on lighter working sets. The importance of trying new weights to understand their impact on form and the potential motivational boost from aspiring to lift heavier weights is also highlighted.

15:03

📈 Progression and Mentality in Lifting

The final paragraph talks about the importance of progression and the mentality of looking forward to lifting heavier weights in the future. It suggests that even if one is currently only able to lift lighter weights, it's beneficial to aspire to lift heavier weights and to use controlled, heavy sets as part of the training routine. The speaker shares personal tendencies towards going to failure during sets but recommends keeping a rep or two in reserve when lifting very heavy to avoid excessive fatigue. The advice is to use heavy lifting strategies like partials or cheat reps sparingly and only when needed to break through plateaus. The paragraph ends with a promotion of the speaker's books on practical programming for hypertrophy training.

Keywords

💡Progressive Overload

Progressive Overload is a fundamental concept in strength training and bodybuilding where the training load (weight, volume, or intensity) is gradually increased over time to stimulate muscle growth and strength gains. In the script, the concept is discussed as both a goal and a result of training, suggesting that if training is effective, progressive overload should naturally occur without forcing it.

💡Hypertrophy

Hypertrophy refers to the increase in muscle size. The script discusses different rep ranges associated with hypertrophy training, emphasizing the importance of finding the right balance between volume and intensity to stimulate muscle growth effectively.

💡Repetition Range

Repetition Range is the number of times an exercise is performed in one set. The script mentions various rep ranges, such as 3-5 for strength and 8-12 for hypertrophy, to illustrate how changing the rep range can influence the type of muscle adaptation and progress.

💡Comfort Zone

The comfort zone is a term used to describe the level at which an individual can perform a task easily. In the context of the script, stepping out of the comfort zone is necessary to force adaptations and progress, especially when someone hits a plateau in their training.

💡Foot in the Door

The concept of 'getting your foot in the door' refers to the strategy of lifting heavier weights to prepare for future increases in weight. It's used in the script to describe how lifting a heavier weight for a few reps can make future sets with lighter weights feel easier and promote progress.

💡Controlled Weight

Controlled weight lifting involves performing exercises with strict form and deliberate movement. The script emphasizes the importance of control, especially when lifting heavy weights, to ensure safety and effectiveness.

💡Form

Form refers to the correct body posture and movement pattern during an exercise. The script stresses the importance of maintaining proper form, especially when lifting heavy weights or when attempting to break through a plateau.

💡Plateaus

A plateau in fitness training is a period where progress stalls despite continued effort. The script discusses strategies to overcome plateaus, such as changing rep ranges or lifting heavier weights.

💡Volume

Volume in weight training refers to the total amount of work done, typically measured in sets and repetitions. The script mentions that increasing volume can be a way to stimulate further muscle growth, but it should be done strategically and not at the expense of form or safety.

💡Injury History

Injury history is a personal record of past injuries that could affect current training. The script advises considering one's injury history when attempting to lift heavier weights or change training patterns to avoid re-injury.

💡Boost Camp

Boost Camp is a training tracking app mentioned as a sponsor of the video. The script suggests using such apps to track training progress, including the use of different rep ranges and weights.

Highlights

Progressive overload should be a result of training, not the goal itself.

Brian Miner of team 3DMJ champions the idea that progressive overload is a sign of effective training.

Adaptations happen naturally with hard work and recovery, leading to increased strength.

Sometimes forcing adaptations and overload is necessary to progress.

The concept of 'getting your foot in the door' benefits from lifting heavy weights.

Lifting heavier weights can prepare you for more reps with that weight in the future.

Heavy lifting should be controlled and not counted as a regular working set.

Lifting heavy should be done sparingly, before normal working sets.

Control is crucial when lifting heavy, even more so than with lighter weights.

It's important to try heavy weights regularly to improve skill and comfort.

Avoid pain or instability when lifting heavy; form should not break down.

Using a variation of an exercise that allows for heavier weights can be beneficial.

Control is key when trying a new variation with heavier weights.

Partial reps or cheat reps can be a strategy for some movements.

Boost Camp赞助了这个视频，强调了跟踪训练的重要性。

Ego lifting can be counterproductive if taken to the extreme.

These strategies are best suited for those who are plateaued or advanced lifters.

It's important to use these techniques sparingly and only when needed.

Consider injury history when incorporating heavy lifting strategies.

Isolation movements should be approached with caution when lifting heavy.

Lifting heavy can provide motivation and a goal to work towards.

Keeping reps in reserve can be beneficial when lifting heavy.

The author offers books on practical programming for hypertrophy.

Transcripts

so there's been a movement in the

fitness hypertrophy industrial complex

where Progressive overload is thought of

as the result of training rather than

the goal so I first heard this

championed by Brian Miner of team 3dmj

and it's the idea that if you are able

to progressively overload it's a sign

that your training is working and it's

nothing that needs to be forced so it's

the idea that if you're working out hard

enough and then you're recovering the

adaptations will happen and then you

will get stronger this is sort of like a

chicken egg kind of situation and I

think in a lot of cases this model works

really well however it doesn't always

work and I think sometimes forcing these

adaptations and forcing Progressive

overload is the way to go and I've had

times where this mentality worked really

really well and was exactly what I

needed but I've also experienced where

it did not and I needed to be more

aggressive with my loading with my

progression I needed to take myself out

of that comfort zone and so today we're

going to talk about the concept that I

call getting your foot in the door so

this is the benefit of lifting heavy so

there are actually a few different ways

to do this and I've Incorporated and

tried all of them they all work well but

for different reasons the first and

easiest way is just to go heavier so if

you're used to doing sort of typical 8

to 10 10 to 12 maybe 6 to 15 hypertrophy

range stuff go a little bit heavier so

Target more like a 3 to 5 rep range type

of thing now you might say oh

hypertrophy rep range it's 5 to 30 three

to four reps it's not doing anything

well it's still doing something and it

is getting you ready to get more reps

with that weight in the future you are

getting your foot in the door you're

just touching that weight you're saying

okay this is how it feels this is how

it's going to move next time I'm going

to try to get one more rep and you'll

probably find that taking your three rep

max to a four to a five to a six well

guess what your eight rep max is going

to be going up and if you've been doing

eights and nines and tens and TW or even

higher rep stuff you'll probably find

that this will help you get over that

Plateau now a few things to keep in mind

first it doesn't quite count as a

working set it kind of does but it's

definitely not worth the same as like a

set of 10 to failure like a set of three

to failure

it's just not as much work it is it is

heavy it is hard it is tough but it's

not quite the same so if you're tracking

your sets you know maybe it counts for a

half I count it as a full set anyway but

I think it's important to note that you

can't just pull out your other volume

and expect things to go well this is

usually just one set that you do before

your normal working sets in order to

touch that heavy weight and make them

more moderate or lighter weights seem

even lighter baby now you should still

be controlling the weight if anything

you need more control than

usual this is a mistake that I see all

the time so people with light weights

they use a lot of control when the

weights get heavy they use less and less

control it needs to be the opposite with

light weights that's where you don't

need to be like really controlling the

Ecentric you can move a little bit more

rhythmically you can you can maybe even

cut off parts of the range of motion

because you're kind of just pumping the

weight you should still be training hard

but you don't have to like really take

your time but with these heavy weights

especially if it's the first time that

you're doing it air on the side of more

control with one exception which we'll

get to later it might feel uncomfortable

the first time using the 50 kilo

dumbbells it's a different experience

than the 45s you you got to be more

aggressive with the kicking the weights

back you got to be more aggressive with

pushing them up at first and so you are

kind of just learning the skill of this

new weight and so treat it as a skill do

it regularly not huge amounts of volume

but I would say probably twice a week in

order to feel that weight and get better

at doing it and while it won't feel

comfortable you should not feel pain or

instability or have to really have your

form break down if you're doing like

dumbbell shoulder press and normally you

use 100 lb from here to here and here to

here and you're like yeah I want to use

the 12s first of all it's too big of a

jump you want to be like 5 to 10% over

what you usually do that's plenty not 20

or 30% over um and you don't want to be

like really changing your form or

cutting the range of motion again with

an exception or two that we'll get to

later I would say on pushing and

pressing movements don't cut range of

motion don't cheat same with squats same

with Romanian deadlifts these bigger

movements you are going to want to stay

strict and keep your form and you have

even more control than usual next you

can do a close variation but something

that lets you lift a little bit heavier

so I know natural iy has said that

deadlifts from the floor are an

accessory to his Romanian deadlift which

probably makes powerlifter heads hurt

because it's the opposite for them their

main focus is the deadlift and they use

rdl's as a lighter movement in order to

get in more volume and to drill that

hinging pattern and be a little bit

stricter but it's the opposite for a lot

of bodybuilders they need something

heavier to get that lighter work to feel

even lighter and so you might find that

oh I'm stuck on my rdl's I add in a rack

Pole or I add in a deadlift from the

floor I add in something maybe I'm just

lowering the weight you look at boen

hogen or if it's better to do like a

freaking neural activation like freak

that's heavy as [ __ ] and then it drop

like oh my God sometimes he does that

where he's just lowering slowly a super

for maximal load and I think the key

here again I know I've said it a few

times is control if you're using a

deadlift more than your RDL control if

it's a new variation control you're

going heavier than usual control you're

lowering a heavy dead lift more than you

could lift from the floor definitely

control don't go overboard on these I

would say 5 to 10% is over your working

weights is enough sheet reps I think are

also a decent strategy on some mov

movements something like a bent over row

Target that next weight up okay you're

doing super strict form but you're not

progressing okay allow a little bit of

lean a little bit of slop I think that's

totally fine you could also do only

partials so where you are not getting

that full range of motion at the top and

you're allowing some range of motion

drop off in order to use a heavier

weight than you quote unquote should and

this can absolutely help you drive

progress

by the way this video is sponsored by

Boost Camp so I don't care what rep

range you are lifting in if you're doing

partials or cheat reps or heavy

deadlifts or lightweight baby or

anything in between you should be

tracking your training and boost Camp is

the best way to do that I have three

free programs up on the app as well as a

premium one Mass impact everyone seems

to really be enjoying that so thank you

to everyone who has signed up excited

for for your progress on that and once

again thank you to boost camp for

sponsoring this video and a lot of these

are kind of deemed as ego lifting oh

he's doing a triple or set of four on

incline dumbbell Ventress he should be

in the Hy pervy rep Zone oh he's doing

partials oh he's he's doing cheat reps

oh he's doing a movement that allows him

to use more weight and I think taken to

the extreme yeah this is not going to be

productive it's going to be more

dangerous it's going to be more

fatiguing you're going to less stimulus

doing a rack pull with like no range of

motion okay like you can use tons and

tons of weight just quarter squatting it

up but it's not going to have really any

carryover to the lifts that are actually

going to be building muscle a lot of

these are not actually building muscle

as well they are just preparing you to

do the work that builds muscle well

better I almost hesitated in making this

video because I know someone's going to

do a set of three on Ben over Rose

cheated barely moving the bar by the way

I I've been there before where I'm using

three and 1 half plates in the bent over

row when my Max deadlift is like not

much over four plates yeah so you can go

way overboard with these I would say if

it's more than like 5 to 10ish percent

from the variation and the rep range

that you want to actually Target you're

probably going heavier than is needed

for what these are intended to do here

are some instances where it is not not

suitable for first if you're progressing

normally you don't need this if it's a

plateau Buster and you're not in a

plateau don't use them okay save these

for when you need them and don't use a

whole bunch all at once okay so let's

say you're doing squats and rdls don't

try to break through both of those

plateaus at once okay so basically limit

these to as little as needed you also

have to be aware of your injury history

for me I have that ql ISS and so I tend

to do rdl's a little bit higher in reps

and so I am quite careful when it comes

to anything below about five reps in

these big hinging movements if I don't

feel completely secure braced locked in

everything balanc which sometimes it

isn't then I just go a little bit

lighter and work in more like the 10 to

15 15 to 20 or even at 20 to 30 rep

range if you have an injury history and

it doesn't feel great best to air on the

side of caution you can use this concept

on isolation movements but be

particularly careful with movements that

really stress that lengthened state so

if someone says oh I can't improve my

eight rep max on preacher curls should I

do

doubles no probably not especially if

they're like you know I've Tor my biceps

a whole bunch of times should i max out

a preacher girls no [ __ ] no please

no no

don't do that okay so sometimes a little

bit of Common Sense goes a long way same

thing for pack if someone's like yeah

like doubles on dumbbell flies let's go

H I don't know about that man especially

again with if you have an injury history

if it doesn't feel totally stable the

thing about compound movements is you're

spreading the stress between multiple

joints in multiple muscle groups which

does mean the loading is heavier and so

when things go arai sometimes they go

more orai

but you're also usually

not stressing that length and state

quite as much as a lot of these

isolations I would say I like it most on

movements that are most difficult in the

contracted position so a lot of pulling

movements rowing movements you have

something like a chess supported row and

you're like man my my strict 10 rep max

won't go up do a set of three or four or

five even if you're dropping off on

Range motion and you can't get as much

at the top oh now you go back down to

your working weights and they just fly

up and so this can be a way again not

necessarily to get those gains from

these sets but to get more from the sets

you're already doing another benefit is

sometimes you feel that a certain weight

is different than you thought so one

instance is that I was doing dumbbell

pullovers and I've been using 30 kilos

40 kilos you know 7080 90 lbs I went up

to the 50

kilos and it's different because the

dumbbell is so

big that it gets in the way and you

can't bend your arms as much and so it

actually forces you to be even stricter

and this can be good but it's something

that you might not know until you try

that way you know you're doing the set

and then like you try to bend it because

you're it's tough and you're actually

kind of Beyond technical failure and

normally you would be able to do this

but you try it with the 50s and you

almost scrape your [ __ ] nose off no

Knows the Trouble I've seen

Jesus another one I found is that on

dumbbell bench press the dumbbells get

bigger and so it cuts your range of

motion slightly at the bottom sometimes

sometimes you use a certain range of

motion with the 40s then you try to use

the same range of motion with the 50s

and now it's it's bumping up against

your chest partly because your chest is

getting bigger from the dumbbell bench

presses it's just a good sign all around

sometimes your center of mass changes so

you're doing like a a barbell curl or

even a dumbbell curl and it feels

different it feels new it feels exotic

it feels different it feels fantastic

but this is what makes it not new it can

only be not new when you do it more and

I don't think there's anything wrong

with doing sets of two three and four if

they are controlled and at the very

least you have something else to write

in your trending log in order to Target

and say eventually I want to be able to

do this for five eventually I want to be

able to do this this for 10 eventually I

want to be able to do this with full

range of motion even if I can only do it

for a partial now I see nothing wrong

with that and it can be very very

motivational I think it's in a lot of

cases better than just doing three sets

of 8 to 10 now you hit your top set you

try to progress on that and then you do

your three sets of 8 to 10 or whatever

and you're also getting more out of that

in a lot of cases because of this

heavier work and I think there's

something to be said for lifting with

where you are currently but I also think

there's something to be said for an

intermediate who can only dumbbell bench

press the 30s looking over at the 40s or

the 50s or the 60s and saying one day

[ __ ] one day I'm going to be

repping your asses I will look for you I

will find

you and I will kill you like I think

there's nothing wrong with that I think

that is a positive as long as you do it

in an intelligent Manner and I would

much rather have that mentality than

someone who's like well I'm on the 30s

the 30s are my weight that is fine for

right now but you need to be thinking

bigger I also think that you not only

don't need to go to failure if you're

ever going to keep reps in reserve this

is a time to do it so doing a triple

with your five rep max you're still

getting everything you want out of the

set you're still getting that heavy

overload you're still getting that

aggression out of that bottom position

of a dumbbell bench press you're still

getting the feeling the weight the

setting it up but you're avoiding that

very very draining last rep that could

be a total grind and this is something

that I personally need to get better at

because my sort of factory settings are

go to failure just go until you can't go

any further but I think in this case

when it's very very heavy weight keeping

a rep or two in the tank is probably the

best default so be safe be controlled

only use it in moderation sparingly

occasionally only when you really need

it and you're plateaued but I think in

these cases whether it's cheat wraps or

partials or a similar variation that is

heavier we're just doing a lower rep

range with heavier weights I think all

those strategies can be extremely useful

for sort of late intermediate early

Advanced perhaps even Advanced lifters

who find themselves unable to progress

even if they're checking all the boxes

if your sleep's [ __ ] up your nutrition

is not good fix those first cuz they're

probably the roadblock more than like

you got to do triples that kind of thing

but I think if you're taking all these

boxes and you're hitting the same set of

eight set of 10 again and again and

again I think this can really really

help and I personally have seen a lot of

benefit from it so for more about

practical programming for hyper you can

check out my books they've been very

very highly reviewed I'll plop a few up

on the screen I think they're like $ 20

$30 somewhere around there it's not like

an $800 influencer course a month or

anything like that um I try to keep my

products as affordable and reasonable as

possible always providing more value

than you pay for I've gotten exactly

zero hate emails from people who bought

it and were unsatisfied so maybe you'll

be the first but probably not we'll see

maybe if you get it uh anyway thank you

so much for watching and I will see you

in the next video peace

[Music]

but what I do have are a very particular

set of skills skills I've acquired from

Jeff's book