Welcome back to Get Fit Guy. I'm your host, Dr. Jonathan Sue. Every week, I'll share

science-backed tips to help you get fit, stay fit, and optimize performance. Hanging prominently

on the wall in front of the squat rack inside my home gym

is a giant black poster with bold white letters that says,

If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you.

These words serve as a constant reminder of a fundamental principle in strength training.

Progressive overload.

Progressive overload is a principle stating that you must gradually challenge your body

to go beyond what is familiar or comfortable for improvements to take place.

For example, you stimulate muscle growth and strength gains

by gradually increasing the weight, repetitions,

or frequency of your training routine.

Although the idea of progressive overload was developed for strength training,

it can be applied to any type of exercise, including

cardiovascular exercises like running, and even flexibility exercises like stretching. Seems simple

enough, right? Gradually increase the challenge of your workouts over time, and you'll

continue to improve. But what makes progressive overload elusive for most people, including myself at times,

is the fact that change is difficult.

We like what's familiar or comfortable, and we generally try to avoid change as much as

possible.

This is true in life and is especially true in fitness because, let's face it,

exercise is hard work that doesn't feel so good most of the time.

...