Definition of Progressive Resistance

Progressive resistance training allows for the gradual conditioning of muscles over a set period through the incremental increase in the amount of weights lifted. The ultimate goal is hypertrophy, which is the enlargement of tissues surrounded by other individual cells, also resulting in muscle augmentation.

History

• Progressive resistance is one of the most rudimentary methods of training in bodybuilding. The concept was put into effect as early as the Ancient Greece era. Milo of Croton, a well-known wrestler from Italy, was believed to have employed the technique in his training.

Benefits

• One of the chief benefits of progressive resistance training is that it allows your body and muscles to naturally build up to what they are capable of achieving without putting too much stress on them or trying to force hypertrophy to occur unnaturally.

Considerations

• Even though the weight being lifted is a crucial part of the progressive resistance system, it is also necessary to pay attention to the repetition ranges. For instance, if a person can do one rep lifting a spinlock adjustable dumbbell that holds two 100 lb., she is obviously a bodybuilder. A person who can lift fixed weight 15 lb. dumbbells for 25 reps is more of a power lifter than a bodybuilder.

Effects

• Muscle definition, higher endurance, increased stamina and cultivating a more challenging workout regime are all some of the positive effects that the progressive resistance system can have on a person using the principle of progressive resistance.

Misconceptions

• Some people get overconfident when they see the results of the progressive resistance system working effectively and can, consequently, grow too comfortable in the exercises that led them to this point. The key to progressive resistance is to constantly push yourself until you surpass each new challenge that you set. This way, the notion of "plateauing" can be avoided.