progressive overload explained
Grow Through the Weight
I’m so glad you’re tuning in today because we’re diving into one of my favorite topics in strength training — and one of the most powerful metaphors for our walk with God: progressive overload.
Whether you’re new to lifting or have been training for years, understanding progressive overload can completely change not just how you approach your workouts, but how you view spiritual growth too. Let’s unpack what it means to grow through the weight.
💪 What Is Progressive Overload?
Progressive overload is a foundational principle in strength training. Simply put, it’s the idea that your body adapts — becomes stronger, faster, or more capable — only when you gradually increase the demands you place on it.
Think about it: if you lift the same weight, for the same reps, every week, your body stops responding. You maintain — but you don’t grow.
Growth happens when you push just a little past what you did before:
Adding 5 pounds to your squat
One more rep in a push-up set
Slowing down your tempo, holding a plank five seconds longer
Running a bit further than last week
Those small, consistent increases compound into big transformation.
And spiritually? God doesn’t usually drop massive life challenges on us out of nowhere. He trains us, step by step, to handle more — to build resilience and grow deeper roots of faith.
Progressive Overload & Faith
James 1:2-4 says:
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance."
Just like lifting heavier weight tests your muscles, trials test our faith. And through that testing, endurance is developed.
God doesn’t overload us all at once. He allows challenges that stretch us just enough, but not enough to crush us. He’s the perfect coach — knowing when to push, when to rest, and when to spot us through the tough sets.
So, if life feels heavy — juggling kids, work, ministry, or health struggles — remember: God might just be increasing the load a little, not to punish you, but to prepare you. Pressure equals progress.
How Progressive Overload Works in the Gym
Here’s the practical side. Progressive overload can be applied in multiple ways, and you don’t need to do them all at once:
Increase the weight: Lift 55 lbs instead of 50 lbs.
Increase the reps: 3 sets of 9 instead of 8.
Increase the sets: Add a set of lunges or squats.
Increase frequency: Train legs twice a week instead of once.
Increase intensity/tempo: Slow down your reps for more time under tension.
Decrease rest time: Reduce rest between sets from 90 seconds to 60.
It’s gradual, intentional, and consistent — not about maxing out every session.
Real Examples
Lower body strength with barbell squats (4-week progression):
Week 1: 3×8 @ 95 lbs
Week 2: 3×8 @ 100 lbs
Week 3: 3×9 @ 100 lbs
Week 4: 4×8 @ 100 lbs
Notice the changes? Sometimes it’s weight, sometimes reps, sometimes sets, sometimes tempo or holds at the hardest point. These small increases compound into significant strength.
Bodyweight example: push-ups
Week 1: 3×5 from knees
Week 2: 3×6 from knees
Week 3: 3×8
Week 4: Move to incline or full push-ups
Small, steady increases build capacity — just like God builds our spiritual capacity one step at a time.
Percentages: Measuring Progress
Percentages aren’t just numbers — they’re roadmaps.
Strength training example:
If your bench press one-rep max is 200 lbs and you lift 70% for 8 reps:
200 × 0.7 = 140 lbs
This challenges you without risking burnout. Increasing weight week-to-week by small percentages (like 3–5%) compounds into big gains.
Gauging Effort Without a Max
Don’t know your one-rep max? Use bar speed:
Fast & explosive: Light weight, building speed/endurance (~50–70% max).
Controlled & steady: Sweet spot for growth (~70–85% max).
Slow & grinding: Near max effort (~85–95%), where strength gains happen.
Your eyes can tell you how hard your muscles are working — adjusting on the fly lets you progress safely.
Recovery: Where Growth Really Happens
Growth doesn’t happen in the stress — it happens during recovery.
Muscles grow while resting, eating, and sleeping. Spiritually, the same is true. Psalm 23 reminds us:
"He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul."
Surrender and stillness are part of the growth process.
The Refinery Metaphor
Our community is called The Refinery Movement for a reason. Gold is heated to remove impurities, leaving something pure and strong.
Resistance and pressure refine us too. Uncomfortable seasons aren’t meant to destroy — they reveal strength, faith, and resilience. God allows the heat, but also provides the promise: you will emerge stronger, purer, and radiant.
Practical Challenge
This week:
Physically: Add 5 lbs to a squat, do an extra set of planks, or walk an extra half-mile. Track it.
Spiritually: Add 5 minutes to prayer, forgive someone difficult, memorize a verse, or step into a new act of service.
Growth happens through consistent, small steps — not overnight leaps. Just like in training, faith strengthens when tested, stressed, and then rested.
Takeaway
Next time you’re in the gym, remember: you’re not just training your body — you’re training your spirit.
Every rep, every set, every small increase mirrors what God is doing in you. He adds just enough weight to grow your strength, deepen your dependence, and refine your faith.
When life feels heavy, don’t run from resistance. Lean in. The God who adds the weight also gives the strength to lift it.
Until next time, let’s get refined!
-AJ