Chris Adams Personal Training
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      • Lower Body Exercises 1
        • Stiff Legged Deadlift
        • Hip Thrust
        • Back Squat
        • Glute Ham Raise
        • Trap Bar Deadlift
        • Deadlift
        • Leg Press
        • Romanian Deadlift
        • Safety Bar Squats
        • Bulgarian Split Squat
        • Good Morning
        • Front Squat
        • Paused Squats
        • Calf Raises
      • Upper Body Push Exercises
        • Bench Press
        • Overhead Press
        • Incline Bench Press
        • Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
        • Close Grip Bench Press
        • Dumbbell Bench Press
        • Low to High Cable Crossover
        • Standing Cable Fly
        • Dips
        • Pin Overhead Press
        • Floor Press
        • Lateral Raise
        • Arnold Press
      • Upper Body Pull
        • Pull ups and chin ups
        • Shrug
        • Seal Rows
          • Face Pulls
        • Band Pull Apart
        • Dumbbell Row
        • Rear Delt Rows
        • Prone rows
        • T-Bar Machine Row
      • Arm Exercises
        • Dumbbell Curls
        • Hammer Curls
        • Cross Body Hammer Curls
        • Tricep Push Down
        • Barbell Curl
      • Farmers Walk
      • Core Exercises
        • Grip Exercises
        • Reverse Hyper
        • Cable Side Bends
        • Wheel Roll Outs
    • Strength and Gaining Muscle
      • 330 Method
      • Dead Stop vs Touch and Go Deadlifts
      • Macro loading-Dan John-Big Plates
      • Linear, Wave and Step Loading
      • 6 Mistakes When Trying to Gain Muscle
      • Push-Pull-Legs Training Split
      • Record Your Lifts to Improve Your Form
      • Rest-Pause Sets
      • Not Everyone Can Deadlift
      • Breaking Through Plateaus
      • Myo-Reps Sets
      • Drop Set
      • Strength Training for Old Age
      • Cluster Sets
      • Five Ways to Progress Without Increasing the Weight
      • 50% Sets
      • 350 Method
      • Super Sets
      • Gallon of Milk a Day (GOMAD)
      • Two Days a Week Strength Training Program
      • Density Training for Strength
      • Double Progression
      • How to do Warm Up Sets (Ramping Up)
    • General Training and Health
      • General Training 1
        • The Importance of Consistency
        • Starting Personal Training When You're Older
        • The Importance of Mobility Work
        • Can You Target Certain Areas of the body to Reduce Fat From?
        • Women and Strength Training
        • MyFitnessPal
        • Training in Your Late Thirties
        • How to Survive the Weekend Without Ruining Your Diet
        • Common Questions From Clients
        • Do You Need to Push Yourself to The Limit?
        • Dangers Of Health Risks Associated with Obesity
        • Rehab After Injury (Tearing Rotator Cuff)
        • Six Pack Abs
        • Training with Lupus
        • Boxing Pad Work
        • Hill Sprints
      • General Training 2
        • Mainstream Media on Nutrition
        • Sleep
        • Cardio and Conditioning Exercises
        • Healthy Shoulders (Face Pulls and Band Pull Aparts)
        • SETTING GOALS - S.M.A.R.T
        • Body Transformation
        • Tips on Losing Weight
        • How to Deal With Bad Workouts
        • Focus on What You Can Do
        • Keys to Success : Intensity, Consistency and Time
        • Walking
      • General Training 3
        • My Gym is Too Busy
        • The biggest mistake beginners make is listening to other beginners
        • When it comes to weight loss, your nutritional habits have a much bigger impact than your training.
        • Strength Training and Osteoporosis
        • The Scales Don't Always Tell The Truth
        • More Exercise is Not Always Better
        • How to Make Cardio Less Boring
        • The Problem with Before and After Pictures
        • Returning to Training After a Break
        • Blood Pressure
        • How to Survive the Weekend Without Ruining your diet
    • Nutrition
      • Multivitamins
      • Fish Oil (Omega 3)
      • Vitamin D
      • Tracking What You Eat (MyFitnessPal)
      • Caffeine
      • Magnesium
      • Gift Vouchers
      • Are Your Friends and Family Sabotaging Your Diet?
      • Healthy Eating on a Budget
      • Supplements
      • Alcohol and Training
      • Creatine
      • 10 Foods That Are Great For Bulking
    • Real World Fitness
      • 8 Reasons You Should Look For a New Personal Trainer
      • Why Choose Real World Fitness?
      • Client Results: Only Training Two Days a Week
      • Personal Trainer in Nottingham
      • Gym in Nottingham
      • Outdoor Group Fitness Training in Nottingham
      • Most Personal Trainers Are Useless.
      • PAR-Q
    • Equipment and Books
      • Weightlifting Belt
  • Prices
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Booking
  • Home
  • Articles
    • Exercise Guide
      • Lower Body Exercises 1
        • Stiff Legged Deadlift
        • Hip Thrust
        • Back Squat
        • Glute Ham Raise
        • Trap Bar Deadlift
        • Deadlift
        • Leg Press
        • Romanian Deadlift
        • Safety Bar Squats
        • Bulgarian Split Squat
        • Good Morning
        • Front Squat
        • Paused Squats
        • Calf Raises
      • Upper Body Push Exercises
        • Bench Press
        • Overhead Press
        • Incline Bench Press
        • Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
        • Close Grip Bench Press
        • Dumbbell Bench Press
        • Low to High Cable Crossover
        • Standing Cable Fly
        • Dips
        • Pin Overhead Press
        • Floor Press
        • Lateral Raise
        • Arnold Press
      • Upper Body Pull
        • Pull ups and chin ups
        • Shrug
        • Seal Rows
          • Face Pulls
        • Band Pull Apart
        • Dumbbell Row
        • Rear Delt Rows
        • Prone rows
        • T-Bar Machine Row
      • Arm Exercises
        • Dumbbell Curls
        • Hammer Curls
        • Cross Body Hammer Curls
        • Tricep Push Down
        • Barbell Curl
      • Farmers Walk
      • Core Exercises
        • Grip Exercises
        • Reverse Hyper
        • Cable Side Bends
        • Wheel Roll Outs
    • Strength and Gaining Muscle
      • 330 Method
      • Dead Stop vs Touch and Go Deadlifts
      • Macro loading-Dan John-Big Plates
      • Linear, Wave and Step Loading
      • 6 Mistakes When Trying to Gain Muscle
      • Push-Pull-Legs Training Split
      • Record Your Lifts to Improve Your Form
      • Rest-Pause Sets
      • Not Everyone Can Deadlift
      • Breaking Through Plateaus
      • Myo-Reps Sets
      • Drop Set
      • Strength Training for Old Age
      • Cluster Sets
      • Five Ways to Progress Without Increasing the Weight
      • 50% Sets
      • 350 Method
      • Super Sets
      • Gallon of Milk a Day (GOMAD)
      • Two Days a Week Strength Training Program
      • Density Training for Strength
      • Double Progression
      • How to do Warm Up Sets (Ramping Up)
    • General Training and Health
      • General Training 1
        • The Importance of Consistency
        • Starting Personal Training When You're Older
        • The Importance of Mobility Work
        • Can You Target Certain Areas of the body to Reduce Fat From?
        • Women and Strength Training
        • MyFitnessPal
        • Training in Your Late Thirties
        • How to Survive the Weekend Without Ruining Your Diet
        • Common Questions From Clients
        • Do You Need to Push Yourself to The Limit?
        • Dangers Of Health Risks Associated with Obesity
        • Rehab After Injury (Tearing Rotator Cuff)
        • Six Pack Abs
        • Training with Lupus
        • Boxing Pad Work
        • Hill Sprints
      • General Training 2
        • Mainstream Media on Nutrition
        • Sleep
        • Cardio and Conditioning Exercises
        • Healthy Shoulders (Face Pulls and Band Pull Aparts)
        • SETTING GOALS - S.M.A.R.T
        • Body Transformation
        • Tips on Losing Weight
        • How to Deal With Bad Workouts
        • Focus on What You Can Do
        • Keys to Success : Intensity, Consistency and Time
        • Walking
      • General Training 3
        • My Gym is Too Busy
        • The biggest mistake beginners make is listening to other beginners
        • When it comes to weight loss, your nutritional habits have a much bigger impact than your training.
        • Strength Training and Osteoporosis
        • The Scales Don't Always Tell The Truth
        • More Exercise is Not Always Better
        • How to Make Cardio Less Boring
        • The Problem with Before and After Pictures
        • Returning to Training After a Break
        • Blood Pressure
        • How to Survive the Weekend Without Ruining your diet
    • Nutrition
      • Multivitamins
      • Fish Oil (Omega 3)
      • Vitamin D
      • Tracking What You Eat (MyFitnessPal)
      • Caffeine
      • Magnesium
      • Gift Vouchers
      • Are Your Friends and Family Sabotaging Your Diet?
      • Healthy Eating on a Budget
      • Supplements
      • Alcohol and Training
      • Creatine
      • 10 Foods That Are Great For Bulking
    • Real World Fitness
      • 8 Reasons You Should Look For a New Personal Trainer
      • Why Choose Real World Fitness?
      • Client Results: Only Training Two Days a Week
      • Personal Trainer in Nottingham
      • Gym in Nottingham
      • Outdoor Group Fitness Training in Nottingham
      • Most Personal Trainers Are Useless.
      • PAR-Q
    • Equipment and Books
      • Weightlifting Belt
  • Prices
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Booking
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Double Progression

PictureDouble Progression
​A lot of people go to the gym without a plan on how they're going to progress and still be lifting the same weight for an exercise for years. You should always have a plan for how you're going to progress. A simple and good for progression scheme is double progression.

Double progression is where you increase the reps before you add weight. 




Double Progression 

 Using straight sets is the way most people do double progression. 

Pick a rep range of 2-3 reps that you will use for your work sets. For example, 1 to 3 reps, 3-5 reps, 4-6 reps, 6-8 reps, 8-10 reps and 10-12 reps. You’ll aim to all your sets with the same weight to the top of your rep range.

Let’s say you want  to do 4 sets of 4 to 6 reps of the squat.
  • Workout 1 – 120kg 6 - 6 - 6 - 6 You got all the reps. Increase the weight.
  • Workout 2 – 125kg 6 - 5 - 5 - 4. Keep the weight the same for the next workout.
  • Workout 3 – 125kg 6 - 6 - 5 - 5 Keep the weight the same for the next workout.
  • Workout 4 – 125kg 6 - 6 - 6 - 5 Keep the weight the same for the next workout.
  • Workout 5 – 125kg 6 - 6 - 6 - 6 You got all the planned reps. Increase the weight.
  • Workout 6 – 130kg 6 - 5 - 5 - 4 Keep the weight the same for the next workout and repeat the process.

Only add weight when you do all the sets to the top of your rep ranges with good speed and form. Don't add weight for the next workout if the reps are grinders. 

If you’re doing a lift twice a week, you can have a heavy and light day. For example, 4 x  4 to 6 reps for the heavy day, and 4 x 8 to 10 reps on the light day.
  • Heavy day - 4 x 2-4
  • Light day   - 4 x 6-8

I like to start with a higher rep range until you stall and then move on to a lower one. For example, 
  • 4 x 8-10. Use until you can't make any progress for 3 or 4 workouts.
  • 4 x 6-8. Use until you can't make any progress for 3 or 4 workouts.
  • 4 x 4-6. Use until you can't make any progress for 3 or 4 workouts.
  • 4 x 2-4. Use until you can't make any progress for 3 or 4 workouts.
Then return to 4 x 8-10 at a higher weight than before.

Straight Sets with  the Last Set Pushed to Failure

When doing this you'll use the same weight for all sets, but on the last set your push to beat you last workout.

In this example we're trying to get 10 reps
Week 1 - 100kg x 6-6-6-8

Week 2 - 100kg x 6-6-6-9
Week 3 - 100kg x 6-6-6-10 (Increase the weight for the next workout)
Week 4 - 1005kg x 6-6-6-8
And keep the same weight until you get 10 reps.

Double Progression with a Top Set and Back Off Sets

You can also do this by ramping to a top set and then doing back off sets after instead of just doing straight sets.
The same principle applies, You'll have a rep range and only go up when you hit to the top of your rep range with good form. 

For the back off sets, there are two options I like.


Option 1
You'll do two to three back off sets after the top sets with 80% to 90% of the weight you used for the top set. I tend to use 80% for the lower body exercises and 90% for the upper body exercises. These sets shouldn't be to the limit. The bar speed should be fast for every rep. 

An example of how it would look like
Top set - Rep range 6-8 
  • Workout 1 - 160kg x 6, 147.5kg x 6-6-6
  • Workout 2 - 160kg x 7, 147.5kg x 7-7-7 
  • Workout 3 - 160kg x 7, 147.5kg x 7-7-7
  • Workout 4 - 160kg x 8, 147.5kg x 8-8-8 
  • Workout 5 - 165kg x 6, 152.5kg x 6-6-6 


Option 2
The second option is for the second set to take 90% of the top set and do that for one or two more reps. Then for the third set, take 90% of the 2nd set and do one or two more reps. There shouldn't be in any doubt that you'll get the required reps on the 2nd and 3rd sets. 
  • Workout 1 - 110kg x 8, 100kg x10, 90kg x 12
  • Workout 2 - 110kg x 9, 100kg x 11, 90kg x 13
  • Workout 3 - 110kg x 9, 100kg x 11, 90kg x 13
  • Workout 4 - 110kg x 10, 100kg x 12, 90kg x 14
  • ​Workout 5 - 112.5kg x 8, 100kg x 10, 90kg x 12
This is a reverse pyramid. 
​

You can alternate between different rep ranges.
For example,
Workout 1 - 8 to 12 reps
Workout 2 - 6 to 10 reps

I like doing a top set and back off sets for the squat and deadlift. They tend to beat me up a bit more than the other lifts, so I like limiting the heavier weights to one set and then having the chance to practice the lifts with lighter weights for the back off sets. 


You can alternate between periods of using using double progression with straight sets with periods of ramping to a top set with back off sets. I like to do 6-8 weeks of straight sets and then 3-4 weeks of top set with back off sets. 

Double Progression with a rep target for one set

You'll do two to four sets, but you'll either try reach a rep target for the first set, or try and do a certain amount of reps in total over all the set.
Rep target for one set

In this example the target will be to get 8 reps before adding weight.
Week 1
Set 1 - 120kg x 7
Set 2 - 120kg x 6 
Set 3 - 120kg x 4
Week 2
Set 1 - 120kg x 8 (Hit the weight target so increase the weight next week.)
Set 2 - 120kg x 6
Set 3 - 120kg x 5
Week 3

Set 1 - 122.5kg x 6
Set 2 - 122.5kg x 4
Set 3 - 122.5kg x 2
Week 4
Set 1 - 122.5kg x 7
Set 2 - 122.5kg x 6 
Set 3 - 122.5kg x 4
Week 4
Set 1 - 122.5kg x 8 (Hit the rep target so increase the weight for the next session)
Set 2 - 122.5kg x 6 
Set 3 - 122.5kg x 4

Total reps
For example, if you were trying to get 25 reps over three sets with 100kg.
Week 1
Set 1 - 100kg x 10
Set 2 - 100kg x 6 
Set 3 - 100kg x 4
Total reps - 20 reps
Week 2
Set 1 - 100kg x 11
Set 2 - 100kg x 8
Set 3 - 100kg x 5
Total reps - 24 reps
Week 3

Set 1 - 100kg x 12
Set 2 - 100kg x 8
Set 3 - 100kg x 5
Total 25 reps. As you got 25 reps you can increase the weight for the next session.
Week 4
Set 1 - 100kg x 10
Set 2 - 100kg x 6 
Set 3 - 100kg x 4
Total reps - 20 reps. repeat until you get 25 reps.


These are very simple ways to progress, but most people don’t need anything too complicated to start with.

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  • Home
  • Articles
    • Exercise Guide
      • Lower Body Exercises 1
        • Stiff Legged Deadlift
        • Hip Thrust
        • Back Squat
        • Glute Ham Raise
        • Trap Bar Deadlift
        • Deadlift
        • Leg Press
        • Romanian Deadlift
        • Safety Bar Squats
        • Bulgarian Split Squat
        • Good Morning
        • Front Squat
        • Paused Squats
        • Calf Raises
      • Upper Body Push Exercises
        • Bench Press
        • Overhead Press
        • Incline Bench Press
        • Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
        • Close Grip Bench Press
        • Dumbbell Bench Press
        • Low to High Cable Crossover
        • Standing Cable Fly
        • Dips
        • Pin Overhead Press
        • Floor Press
        • Lateral Raise
        • Arnold Press
      • Upper Body Pull
        • Pull ups and chin ups
        • Shrug
        • Seal Rows
          • Face Pulls
        • Band Pull Apart
        • Dumbbell Row
        • Rear Delt Rows
        • Prone rows
        • T-Bar Machine Row
      • Arm Exercises
        • Dumbbell Curls
        • Hammer Curls
        • Cross Body Hammer Curls
        • Tricep Push Down
        • Barbell Curl
      • Farmers Walk
      • Core Exercises
        • Grip Exercises
        • Reverse Hyper
        • Cable Side Bends
        • Wheel Roll Outs
    • Strength and Gaining Muscle
      • 330 Method
      • Dead Stop vs Touch and Go Deadlifts
      • Macro loading-Dan John-Big Plates
      • Linear, Wave and Step Loading
      • 6 Mistakes When Trying to Gain Muscle
      • Push-Pull-Legs Training Split
      • Record Your Lifts to Improve Your Form
      • Rest-Pause Sets
      • Not Everyone Can Deadlift
      • Breaking Through Plateaus
      • Myo-Reps Sets
      • Drop Set
      • Strength Training for Old Age
      • Cluster Sets
      • Five Ways to Progress Without Increasing the Weight
      • 50% Sets
      • 350 Method
      • Super Sets
      • Gallon of Milk a Day (GOMAD)
      • Two Days a Week Strength Training Program
      • Density Training for Strength
      • Double Progression
      • How to do Warm Up Sets (Ramping Up)
    • General Training and Health
      • General Training 1
        • The Importance of Consistency
        • Starting Personal Training When You're Older
        • The Importance of Mobility Work
        • Can You Target Certain Areas of the body to Reduce Fat From?
        • Women and Strength Training
        • MyFitnessPal
        • Training in Your Late Thirties
        • How to Survive the Weekend Without Ruining Your Diet
        • Common Questions From Clients
        • Do You Need to Push Yourself to The Limit?
        • Dangers Of Health Risks Associated with Obesity
        • Rehab After Injury (Tearing Rotator Cuff)
        • Six Pack Abs
        • Training with Lupus
        • Boxing Pad Work
        • Hill Sprints
      • General Training 2
        • Mainstream Media on Nutrition
        • Sleep
        • Cardio and Conditioning Exercises
        • Healthy Shoulders (Face Pulls and Band Pull Aparts)
        • SETTING GOALS - S.M.A.R.T
        • Body Transformation
        • Tips on Losing Weight
        • How to Deal With Bad Workouts
        • Focus on What You Can Do
        • Keys to Success : Intensity, Consistency and Time
        • Walking
      • General Training 3
        • My Gym is Too Busy
        • The biggest mistake beginners make is listening to other beginners
        • When it comes to weight loss, your nutritional habits have a much bigger impact than your training.
        • Strength Training and Osteoporosis
        • The Scales Don't Always Tell The Truth
        • More Exercise is Not Always Better
        • How to Make Cardio Less Boring
        • The Problem with Before and After Pictures
        • Returning to Training After a Break
        • Blood Pressure
        • How to Survive the Weekend Without Ruining your diet
    • Nutrition
      • Multivitamins
      • Fish Oil (Omega 3)
      • Vitamin D
      • Tracking What You Eat (MyFitnessPal)
      • Caffeine
      • Magnesium
      • Gift Vouchers
      • Are Your Friends and Family Sabotaging Your Diet?
      • Healthy Eating on a Budget
      • Supplements
      • Alcohol and Training
      • Creatine
      • 10 Foods That Are Great For Bulking
    • Real World Fitness
      • 8 Reasons You Should Look For a New Personal Trainer
      • Why Choose Real World Fitness?
      • Client Results: Only Training Two Days a Week
      • Personal Trainer in Nottingham
      • Gym in Nottingham
      • Outdoor Group Fitness Training in Nottingham
      • Most Personal Trainers Are Useless.
      • PAR-Q
    • Equipment and Books
      • Weightlifting Belt
  • Prices
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Booking