Progressive Overload

Basic professional training in the fitness industry can be, well, pretty basic.

It’s not a criticism as such, it’s just a fact that most courses are far too short in time and shallow in depth to be able to go into the great detail that builds rounded trainers and coaches. The ones that are able to react when put under constraints.

And that is why it is not unusual to see FitPros shout “CALORIE DEFICIT” at every weight-loss question, and “PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD” at every strength-gain question, without much consideration for the nuances that come with being human.

If you are not a trainer or coach, you may be wondering what I am on about already;

Progressive overload = increasing mechanical tension over time.

Or progressively overloading a system (the human body) to force (hopefully positive) adaptation.

In short, all those gainZ (TM).

Adding/increasing the weight being moved is admittedly the most obvious method – and sometimes the easiest when surrounded by tons of supplied equipment – but it’s not the only one. What would a trainer do without access to another few Kgs? Or what happens when adding weight causes issues, such as pain?

So how else can we overload a system where there is no access to more weight, or if there is biomechanical disadvantages to just loading a bar.

1. Change the Moment Arm

Having even a basic understanding of moment arms is in my opinion really key to helping us make good decisions with loading joints, from both a rehab and performance perspective. We don’t need to be physicists, but it is helpful to know about a couple of key relationships:

Moment = Force × Distance

Torque = Force × Moment Arm (Torque is the rotational equivalent of a force)

The moment arm is the perpendicular distance (90°) between the line of force and the joint it acts around. This moment arm determines how much torque a force creates at a joint

When lifting weight, reducing the amount of torque needed for a constant force (generally bar/DB/KB weight) is key to lifting the most weight possible with what strength we have! But we can manipulate this the other way too – creating more torque with less weight.

The longer the moment arm is the more load will be applied to the joint axis through leverage.

What this means:

↑ Moment arm = ↑ torque (same load)

↓ Moment arm = ↓ torque (same load)

By having a basic understanding of where the moment arm of a movement is, we can change joint stress without adding weight

Examples:

Back squat → Front squat (bar further from the back)
DB lateral raise → Lean-away lateral raise (longer shoulder moment arm)
Push-up → Feet-elevated push-up

Same weight, more joint torque, progressive overload, no need to add weight.

2. Shifting the Centre of Mass

Moving your body position changes how force is distributed, and your center of mass (COM) shifts depending on how your body segments are positioned.

A simple example of this is a glute bridge – hamstring bridge. In a glute bridge, the feet are generally under the knees. For a hamstring bridge, the feet are further away. This change of knee angle does a few things (including shortening the hamstrings at both ends), but for this example we have moved the centre of mass from the centre of the body (the pelvis) further away, creating more force through the targeted area.

Other examples:

Regular plank → Long-lever plank (shoulders further past elbows)
Split squat → Bulgarian split squat (COM shifts, more load on front leg)
Incline push-up → Decline push-up

Understand where the COM is, and even bodyweight exercises can become significantly harder this way.

3. Understanding Lever Type

And also understanding anatomy. Not just what a muscle is called. In a calf raise, the fulcrum is made up of the metatarsophalangeal joint – not the ankle. The gastrocnemius acts as a second class lever. A second class lever is the only lever where the effort arm will always be greater than the load arm.

This results in a bigger effort arm to load arm ratio, making the second class lever the most mechanically advantageous.

If we lengthen that lever – in this example by leaning forward when doing calf raises – we can create more effort without adding load.

Examples:

Bent-arm plank → Straight-arm plank
Tucked front lever → Advanced tuck → Straddle → Full
Nordic curl with hips flexed vs extended

Longer lever = greater torque demand.

4. Other Non-Load Overload Methods

You can also progress by:

Increasing ROM (deficit RDLs, deeper squats)
Slowing tempo (longer time under tension)
Reducing stability (rings, single-leg variations)
Increasing density (same work, less rest)
Improving force production speed (power output)

So there we have it, a few ideas for progressive overload without simply reaching for more weight.