Progression method
Linear progression: add weight when the target is complete
Learn how linear progression increases an exercise, how to choose a useful increment, and what to do when the next increase is not earned.
One completed target earns one load increase
Linear progression (LP) keeps the planned sets and reps stable while the load rises in fixed steps. Complete the exercise's target with the required technique and effort, then add the configured amount the next time that exercise appears.
The word linear describes the planned change, not a promise that strength will rise forever in a straight line. The method asks for the same small increase each time the target is earned. It should hold the load when the target is missed.
This is session-to-session progression. It follows the exercise wherever it appears, so it can work in both session-based and week-based plans.
Complete the target, add the configured increment, and repeat. A new date alone does not earn more weight.
A simple LP example
Suppose the squat target is 3 sets of 5 and the load increment is 2.5 kg. Each successful performance changes only the load for the next squat session.
The missed third target interrupts the upward sequence. Repeating 85 kg gives the lifter another chance to complete the required work without turning one poor session into an immediate reset.
The settings decide whether LP is sustainable
Use a clear performance target
The required sets and reps should describe successful work rather than touching the weight at any cost. A change in technique or range of motion makes the performance hard to compare.
Choose the smallest practical increase
A 2.5 kg increase is modest on a heavy squat but large on a light dumbbell exercise. Match the increment to the exercise and the equipment available. Fractional plates can extend LP when the normal plate jump is too aggressive.
Keep effort inside the plan
A completed target should still respect any configured RPE or RIR limit. Turning every final rep into a maximum-effort grind may technically move the log upward while making the progression difficult to recover from.
Where linear progression fits best
Good fit
- Strength is improving quickly enough for frequent increases.
- The smallest available load jump is modest for the exercise.
- The exercise has a stable set and rep target.
- A simple next-session decision is useful.
Poor fit
- The load jump repeatedly pushes reps below the target.
- The lift needs planned changes in volume and intensity.
- Progress is better measured across a multi-week cycle.
- The exercise benefits from building reps before load.
The increment can change as you get stronger. A beginner may add 5 kg or even 10 kg to a squat from one session to the next while strength is rising fast enough to support it. Later, completing 3 sets of 8 at 140 kg might earn a 2.5 kg increase for the next squat session. That increase is about 1.8% of the working weight, so LP can continue as a form of microloading after the larger jumps stop working.
LP is often useful for newer lifters and large compound exercises, but training age is not the only test. An experienced lifter can use LP on a new exercise, and a beginner may need a different method for a light isolation movement with large dumbbell jumps.
A miss should change the decision, not erase the method
One miss can come from poor sleep, unusual stress, short rest periods, or a simple bad day. Repeating the load is usually more informative than immediately lowering it or forcing the next increase.
Repeated misses at the same load are stronger evidence that the increment, target, or recovery demand no longer fits. At that point, useful options include reducing the load and rebuilding, using a smaller increment, or moving the exercise to double linear progression so reps or sets can rise before weight.
A deload can help when fatigue is temporary. It does not make an oversized progression step sustainable.
Linear progression in Dynamic Program
Linear progression is attached to an individual exercise. The exercise keeps its own target and permitted load change instead of inheriting one progression rule from the whole workout.
After the exercise is logged, the method can use that result to suggest whether the next target should increase or remain unchanged. This keeps the decision tied to actual performance while leaving the rest of the plan independent.