How to Measure Fitness Progress (Beyond Just Lifting More)

The "Add Weight Every Week" Myth

As a coach, I dip in and out of social media to see what's trending - and what nonsense is being pushed by 'the industry'.

The biggest one I keep seeing? Ripped guys and gals in shiny American gyms telling you that you MUST add weight to the bar every single week, or you're going backwards.

I work with a lot of busy professionals in Oxford - people juggling demanding jobs, families, and everything else life throws at them. The last thing they need is unrealistic advice from someone with two hours a day to train and a camera crew.

I'm going to be the bearer of bad news.

That is simply not how it works.

Think about it… There would not be enough weight available in most gyms to keep up with that demand, even if it were physically possible.

Progress Isn't One-Size-Fits-All

Now, this may be possible initially for younger people just starting out on their fitness journey, but ultimately, even the healthiest and hungriest aspiring athlete will plateau.

Then look at the older folks who start training at, say, 35, 45, or 50-plus years old, after raising a family, and the various age-related joint and health issues that years of work and putting family first can bring.

But things get even more challenging, specifically for the women in our lives.

On top of the basic acceptance that a woman’s menstrual cycle can have a profound effect week to week, there are even more considerations.

The busy mums, juggling a stressful job, running around playing Mum cabs to the kids and running a home.

The perimenopausal woman is dealing with the massive challenges to physical and mental wellbeing as their body adapts to a new phase of life on top of life’s stresses and strains.

Progress is all good and well, and as a coach, I always look for progression with clients; however, progress can take many forms.

So What Does Real Progress Actually Look Like?

Here is my list of progress makers that I feel are important.

1. Technique

Anybody can move weights, but experience and practice can make the movement patterns far more effective. Improving the mind muscle connection and drilling down on those joint angles can deliver real gains in strength and stamina.

2. Time Under Tension

How fast you move a weight can make a big difference to the intensity of an exercise and translate into serious improvement in strength and power.

3. Volume

Increased repetitions and sets are a great way to make progress when smashing ever-heavier weights is not possible, and they definitely increase your capacity.

4.  Pauses and Deficits

Adding a slight pause in stages of exercises, such as deadlifts and squats, can really challenge your strength without increasing weight. Increasing the stretch on your arms in a bicep curl or raising your feet a couple of inches in your deadlift challenge your range of motion.

5. Rest Periods

If you take sixty to ninety seconds between sets, try reducing that to forty-five or even thirty seconds to challenge yourself.

6. Training Methods

There are some excellent techniques worth exploring here:

• Drop sets: start heavy, reduce weight when you fatigue and carry on

• Myo reps: train 10–12 reps close to failure, take a ten-second rest, do a further 3–4 reps, then repeat

• Cluster reps: 2–3 reps near your max, rest 20 seconds and repeat twice

The Takeaway

There are plenty of ways to progress beyond simply adding another kilogram to the bar each week - don't let social media tell you otherwise.

I hope this gives you food for thought the next time you feel frustrated with your progress in the gym.

If you'd like a structured training programme that tracks real progress week by week, get in touch with me here or take a look at personal training in Oxford.

Written by Alan Griffin, qualified personal trainer and founder of Griffin Fit, Headington, Oxford