Progressive Overload Planner
Plan the increments rather than improvising them. This projects a lift forward and flags when the rate you have chosen stops being plausible.
Your results
A projection, not a promise. Linear progression works for beginners and then slows — nobody adds 2.5 kg a week indefinitely.
Realistic rates at each stage
- First six months: weight increases most sessions on most lifts.
- Six to eighteen months: weekly to fortnightly increases. Reps progress before weight.
- Two to four years: monthly progress on main lifts.
- Four years plus: annual progress, and that is normal rather than a failure.
If the projection above shows more than a 50% increase over the period, it is realistic only for a beginner. Everyone else should expect to slow down, need smaller increments, and use reps rather than weight as the progression variable much of the time.
What to do when the projection breaks
It will. When you miss the target for two or three sessions running:
- Check sleep, food and life stress first. These cap progress more often than programming does.
- Deload — accumulated fatigue masquerades as a plateau constantly. See the deload calculator.
- Use smaller increments. Fractional plates exist for exactly this.
- Switch to double progression: add reps within a range before adding weight. See the double progression calculator.
- Lengthen the interval. Adding weight every two or three weeks is still progression.
Common questions
How much weight should I add each week?
2.5 kg on lower-body lifts and 1–2.5 kg on upper-body lifts as a beginner. Less, and less often, after that.
How long can linear progression last?
Usually a few months on a given lift. Then progress becomes non-linear and slower.
What if I cannot add weight?
Add reps instead, or a set, or improve technique at the same weight. All are progression.
Should I plan a deload into the projection?
Yes — every 6–10 weeks. The projection above does not include one, so treat it as an optimistic ceiling.
Related calculators
Track the numbers, not just calculate them
MyFitsy stores your weight, measurements and every session, so the figures above become a trend instead of a one-off.
