Guides
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Short, practical guides on training, volume, load and progress.
- Add reps or add weight? Double progression explained Add reps first, then weight. Double progression explained in 4 steps, with a 6-week example in lb and kg and rep ranges for each type of exercise.
- Full body or push pull legs on 3 days a week? 3 day full body vs push pull legs: how often each muscle is trained, what the research says, sample weeks, and how to choose for your schedule.
- How many sets per exercise as a beginner? 2 or 3 How many sets per exercise as a beginner? Start with 2 or 3 working sets. What research shows, how sets add up per week, and a simple 8-week plan.
- How much weight to add: a simple rule for every exercise How much weight to add each week, by equipment, in lb and kg. When you have earned an increase, why to cap the jump, and what to do when you can't add.
- Missed reps: repeat the weight or drop it? Missed reps on your last set? Use the same weight next workout or drop it? A simple 80% rule, worked examples in lb and kg, and when to look past the bar.
- Next dumbbell too heavy? 6 ways to keep progressing Next dumbbell too heavy? Going from 15 to 20 lb is a 33% jump. Six ways to keep progressing with fixed dumbbells, machines and cables, week by week.
- Reps drop every set: is 10, 8, 6 normal? Reps drop every set with the same weight? 10, 8, 6 is normal. Why it happens, how much drop-off is fine, when to lower the weight, how to count progress.
- How to track progressive overload (notebook, spreadsheet or app) How to track progressive overload: what to record, a filled-in workout, notebook vs spreadsheet vs app, and a free template to copy.
- Optimal training volume per muscle: MEV, MAV and MRV How many sets per week per muscle group, and how to adjust.
- How to calculate your 1RM (one-rep max) without testing it The Epley and Brzycki formulas, and what an estimated 1RM is for.
- Push Pull Legs program for beginners A simple 3 or 6-day split, with sample workouts.