How to track progressive overload week to week
A practical way to compare sets, reps and load within your existing program, with an example and the limits of workout-log comparisons.
What to log for each set
Start with the exercises in your current program. For each working set, log the exercise, the load and the reps you completed. Keep the sets in order, and note anything that makes comparison harder, like different equipment or a shortened session.
Use the progression rule your program already has. Don’t invent a new target after every workout. The log helps you check the rule. It doesn’t pick it for you.
What if your program has no progression rule?
Double progression is a well-supported default. Add reps within your range first. Once you hit the top of the range at your target effort, add load in a small step of about 2–10%. The ACSM recommends adding load when you can do one or two reps beyond the target on consecutive sessions.
Keep your main lifts in long enough to progress them. Changing exercises all the time to “confuse” the muscle adds nothing and makes progress harder to track. Some planned variation for weak points or sore joints is fine.
| Current load | Add | Next load |
|---|---|---|
| 20 kg | 0.4–2 kg | 20.4–22 kg |
| 40 kg | 0.8–4 kg | 40.8–44 kg |
| 60 kg | 1.2–6 kg | 61.2–66 kg |
| 100 kg | 2–10 kg | 102–110 kg |
| 140 kg | 2.8–14 kg | 142.8–154 kg |
How to compare two sessions
Pick an earlier session with the same exercise and a similar setup. Compare the sets and reps you completed at the logged load. If the load changed, read the reps alongside it. A bigger number on the bar isn’t automatically an improvement.
Say your program calls for three sets of 8–10. On Monday you get 40 kg for 10, 9 and 8. Next comparable session, it’s 10, 10 and 9. Now you have a better record of the work you did at that load. Whether to add weight still depends on your program’s rule.
- Set 110 reps
- Set 29 reps
- Set 38 reps
- Set 110 reps
- Set 210 reps
- Set 39 reps
When the numbers mislead you
A different range of motion, another machine, a new exercise order or shorter rests can all change what the numbers mean. One easy session isn’t proof of lasting progress. One rough session isn’t proof of a stall.
Estimated one-rep maxes let you compare sets with different reps. Treat them as a trend. They’re reliable for sets of about 10 reps or fewer and get less accurate above that.
In Laroa, log the session in Train and open workout history to check the comparison. Look at several comparable sessions before you decide anything needs fixing.
| Set | Estimated max | In Laroa |
|---|---|---|
| 100 kg × 3 | 110 kg | Used for bests |
| 90 kg × 6 | 108 kg | Used for bests |
| 80 kg × 10 | 106.7 kg | Used for bests |
| 60 kg × 20 | 100 kg | Not used, over 10 |
The evidence behind this guide
Each claim above traces to an entry in Laroa’s evidence base (version 2026-10-17.1), which summarises position stands, guidelines and meta-analyses and grades how strong each one is.
- ProgressionStrong evidence
- Exercise variationModerate evidence
- Estimated one-rep maxModerate evidence
Sources
- American College of Sports Medicine. Position stand: progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708. doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181915670
- Kassiano W, Nunes JP, Costa B, et al. Does varying resistance exercises promote superior muscle hypertrophy and strength gains? A systematic review. J Strength Cond Res. 2022;36(6):1753-1762. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000004258
- LeSuer DA, McCormick JH, Mayhew JL, Wasserstein RL, Arnold MD. The accuracy of prediction equations for estimating 1-RM performance in the bench press, squat, and deadlift. J Strength Cond Res. 1997;11(4):211-213. doi:10.1519/00124278-199711000-00001
General information for healthy adults, not medical advice. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or have pain or warning symptoms, ask a clinician.
