Should you be doing the same workout every week?

If your goal is maintenance, repeating the same sets, reps, and exercises is perfectly fine. However, if you're aiming for progress, your body needs consistent challenges to keep adapting. This concept, known as progressive overload, involves gradually increasing the demands on your muscles.

Here are 6 ways to achieve this:

1. Increase the Weight

One of the simplest ways to progress is by lifting heavier. For instance, if you benched 95 lbs last week, increasing it to 100 lbs provides your muscles with a greater stimulus to grow stronger. This method is referred to as increasing intensity.

2. Add More Sets or Reps

If you performed 3 sets of 8 reps for an exercise last week, you can either:

• Increase the sets (e.g., 4 sets of 8),

• Increase the reps (e.g., 3 sets of 10), or

• Combine both (e.g., 4 sets of 10).

This approach is called increasing volume.

Volume increases should only be incorporated as the last option, when progress has stalled and factors like nutrition and recovery (sleep and stress management) are on point.

3. Modify the Tempo

Altering the speed of your lifts can increase the difficulty. For example, instead of a typical 1–2 seconds per phase of movement, slow it down to 2–3 seconds on the way up or down.

This increases time under tension.

4. Complete the Same Workout Faster

Improving how efficiently you complete a workout can also signal progress. If a workout took you 75 minutes last week but you finish it in 65 minutes this week, you’ve improved your workout density, meaning you're doing more work in less time.

5. Focus on Form and Mindfulness

Sometimes progress isn’t just about numbers. Paying closer attention to your technique—ensuring every rep is controlled and executed with perfect form—can make your workouts more effective and lead to better muscle engagement.

6. Explore Other Variations

Incorporate changes like increasing the frequency(frequency refers to how often you train a specific muscle group or perform a certain type of workout) of workouts, extending your range of motion, or elevating difficulty levels.

For instance, progress from incline pushups to standard floor pushups for an added challenge.

Why Progressive Overload Matters

Repeating the same routine without adjustments can lead to stagnation. By incorporating these methods, you’ll continue to challenge your body, encouraging growth, strength, and endurance over time.