Under ordinary circumstances, the terms “stress” and “exercise” conjures images of a busy mom with three kids hanging from her running shorts while attempting to simultaneously pack lunches, sign off on homework, and walk them to the bus stop (on time) so that she has two seconds to brush her teeth before gunning it to the 9:30 cardio-kickboxing class at the Y.

The stress I’m referring to however, has nothing to do with the kids (unless you’re planning on lifting them), or their homework, the bus stop, or how fast you drive your car. I’m talking about adding stress to your strength training program – in order to take it to the next level.

Why add stress?

I know what you’re thinking. “I have enough stress in my life…why add it to my strength training program as well?” Simply put – progressing your strength training program by  varying both training volume and intensity will result in greater improvements in muscular fitness. Without training stress, your muscles will remain status quo.

The simple 2-5% Rule, which I discussed in an earlier post, is one simple way to add the right amount of stress to your program and progress toward your goal. Linear progression is another.

Just like it sounds, linear progression means, “to move in a line.” As it relates to strength training, a program using linear progression might resemble stair steps going down. The highest step would represent an initial high volume of training, but at a low intensity. As you descend the stairs, the training volume decreases while the intensity level increases. Because muscles require some time to adapt to change, the volume and intensity might only change every 3-5 weeks. Use the table below as a general guide.

Depending on your individual goals (improving muscle strength, endurance, power, size, etc.), how much the intensity increases and precisely when is variable. A personal trainer can design a plan that progresses safely and matches your specific needs.