Planner
Progressive overload planner
Progressive overload means gradually asking your muscles to do a little more over time. This page does not tell you what to lift. You enter a load you already handle comfortably and a small increase you choose, and it lays out the weeks so you can see the plan and print or copy it.
Plan
Worked example (shown when scripts are off): starting at 20 lb with a 2.5 lb step every 2 weeks, weeks 1 and 2 stay at 20 lb, weeks 3 and 4 are 22.5 lb, weeks 5 and 6 are 25 lb, and so on. With 3 sets of 10 reps, week 1 volume is 3 x 10 x 20 = 600 lb.
Before you decide
The increase is your choice, and a plan on paper is only a draft. If a step feels too hard, or a joint or muscle hurts in a way that is more than ordinary effort, repeat the earlier load or stop. A doctor or a qualified coach can help if you have an injury or health condition. Stop and get medical advice for chest pain, dizziness or sharp pain.
The rule in words
For each week, the planner works out the load as the starting load plus your chosen increase, multiplied by how many full steps have passed. A step passes every set number of weeks you pick. With a step of zero the load simply stays flat. Volume is sets times reps times load, which is a simple way to compare weeks. It is not a measure of difficulty and it is not a target.
How to use it sensibly
Start from a load you can lift with good form for every rep, not your limit. Make the increase small, and slower steps are fine, such as every two or three weeks. Write down what you actually lift in a notebook, and change the plan to match reality rather than forcing the plan. Progress is rarely a straight line, and sleep, stress, illness and busy weeks all matter. Repeating a load or taking a lighter week is a normal part of training, not a failure.
Other ways to progress
Adding weight is only one option. You can add a rep or a set, slow the lowering part of each rep, shorten rests, or choose a harder variation of an exercise. Bodyweight and home training often rely on these other options, because heavier equipment may not be available. The planner can still help: treat the load as reps or as a variation level if that is easier for you to track.
Limits of this planner
- It does not know your body, your history, your technique or your goals, and it cannot judge whether a step is right for you.
- It assumes a steady, linear pattern, which real training rarely follows.
- It gives no advice on exercise selection, form or recovery. For that, read the guides linked below or work with a qualified coach.
- Guidance for older adults, people with health conditions and people returning from injury can differ. Check with a clinician first.
Where this comes from
The idea of gradual progression is standard in exercise guidance, and the CDC adult guidelines describe muscle-strengthening work for all the major muscle groups on at least 2 days a week, with more sets giving greater benefit. We checked the CDC adult activity guidelines page for those figures. The week-by-week arithmetic is our own, and the increases are entirely yours to choose.