Progressive Overload Methods

Progressive overload is poorly understood by the general public, and it shows in the discussions that occur in the health and fitness realm. In the context of resistance training, progressively putting more tension on a muscle over time will lead to more muscle tissue. However, that doesn’t always mean you must add more weight to the bar. While adding weight to the bar is the method most consistently recommended, it is not the only way to progressively overload. So let’s dig into a number of progressive overload methods you could implement in your training sessions.

Some methods of progressive overload are going to be more or less appropriate for a given goal. So you must be clear in your goal, and have an appropriately designed training program before you decide on implementing one of the progressive overload methods outlined below.

If you wish to watch the video of this article and get the highlights of what is further discussed in this article, then watch below:

Progressive Overload Methods

There are many progressive overload methods, and unfortunately, most people are only aware of one or two. So while they may understand that you must progressively overload your training to continue getting results, they are not in a position to actually be able to do that, because very often, simply adding more weight to the bar isn’t an option or it is just beyond their current capacity given the options they have for adding more weight (i.e. the gym doesn’t have micro-plates/fractional plates).

Exercise Execution/Training Technique

If there’s one method of progressive overload that nearly everyone overlooks, but absolutely shouldn’t, it’s improving your exercise execution, or what we in the coaching world often refer to as training technique.

In fact, in all my years coaching clients from complete beginners to seasoned lifters and competitive athletes, refining technique has consistently delivered the highest return on investment, especially for those who feel “stuck” or plateaued in their progress.

Let’s unpack why.

What Is Exercise Execution, Really?

At its core, exercise execution is how you perform a movement, your setup, your posture, the path of motion, your tempo, and even your breathing. It’s not just about completing reps, it’s about how those reps are completed. Every nuance matters.

Most people focus on what I call the “surface layer” of training, how much weight is on the bar, how many reps they completed, or whether they hit a new PR that day. But in reality, how you perform those reps is what determines which muscles are actually doing the work, how efficiently you’re moving, and whether you’re actually building muscle.

Why Exercise Execution Is Progressive Overload

Here’s the big insight I want you to take away: Technique is a progressive overload method in and of itself.

Most people think progressive overload means slapping more weight on the bar each week. But what if I told you that by simply improving how well you perform an exercise, you can achieve better results with the same, or even less, weight?

Let’s take a couple of examples:

• A powerlifter refining their bench press technique to maximise leg drive, upper back tension, and bar path efficiency is making progress, even if the weight on the bar stays the same.
• A bodybuilder learning to maintain consistent tension on their quads throughout a leg press instead of bouncing out of the bottom or letting the tension shift to their hips is also progressing—even if they’re using 40 kg less than before.

In both cases, the individual is applying a higher quality of stimulus to the targeted muscles or systems. That’s overload. That’s progress.

“Regressive Overload”: Why You May Need to Go Backward to Move Forward

I often tell clients: “Sometimes you need to take one step back to take five forward.”

I call this concept regressive overload. It’s where we deliberately reduce the load you’re using, not because you’re weaker, but because we’re tightening up the execution. This can be a bitter pill to swallow, especially for people who’ve been training for a while and are emotionally attached to the numbers they’ve worked hard to achieve.

But let me ask you this, “would you rather lift more weight poorly and spin your wheels for months, or lift slightly less weight perfectly and actually make progress in strength, muscle, and longevity?”

What’s hard for many people to accept is that true progress doesn’t always look like a bigger number. It might look like cleaner reps, more consistent tension, better muscle recruitment, smoother control, or fewer compensations.

The Benefits of Technical Mastery

When we focus on execution, we start unlocking a cascade of benefits:

• More hypertrophy: Proper technique places and maintains tension exactly where it needs to be. That’s how muscles grow.
• Greater strength: Efficient movement patterns let you generate more force. Less wasted energy means more bar speed and better mechanical leverage.
• Reduced injury risk: Sloppy reps shift load to passive structures like ligaments, tendons, and joints, which is not what we want. Clean execution makes training sustainable.
• Better recovery: Precision allows you to train hard without unnecessary collateral damage. That means you can train more consistently.
• More objective progress tracking: With execution locked in, changes in load, reps, and sets are meaningful, not masked by fluctuating form.

Why Most People Don’t Do It

So if the benefits are so clear, why do most people ignore exercise execution?

Two reasons: ego and impatience.

Refining technique usually requires a temporary drop in weight. That can be tough on the ego, especially in a public gym setting where we often feel like people are watching (they’re not). And the payoff from technique improvements, while dramatic over time, isn’t always instantly visible. We’re wired for instant gratification, and cleaning up a squat doesn’t always give you a dopamine rush like adding 10 kg does.

But the reality is that the fastest long-term progress comes from doing things right from the start, or correcting course as soon as you realise you’ve gone off track. If you’ve been lifting for a while and feel stuck, refining your execution might be the exact breakthrough you need.

How to Improve Your Execution

Getting better at exercise technique isn’t about being perfect, it’s about being intentional. Here’s how you can start:

1. Film your lifts: One of the most powerful tools you have. Compare what you think you’re doing with what’s actually happening.
2. Educate yourself: Watch credible coaching videos (we have plenty on our YouTube channel) or study proper biomechanics for the movements you care about.
3. Hire a coach: Nothing accelerates technical mastery like having experienced eyes on your lifts. Online coaching has made this more accessible than ever.
4. Slow down: Practice movements at a slower tempo, especially during warm-ups or lighter sets. Control builds awareness.
5. Standardise everything: Same stance, same grip, same setup every time. Consistency is the foundation of skill.
6. Be okay with less weight temporarily: You’ll build it back up faster than you think, and with far more confidence and results.

Precision Is Power

In my coaching experience, I’ve never once seen someone regret tightening up their technique. But I’ve seen countless lifters regret pushing heavier weights with poor form that led to injuries or plateaus.

So if you’re serious about progress, whether your goal is to build muscle, get stronger, perform better, or simply train without nagging aches and pains, start treating your technique like it matters as much as your numbers. Because it does.

Execution is a skill, and like any skill, it can (and should) be improved over time. Think of it not as a step back, but as a powerful upgrade.

If you want to dive deeper into refining your technique, we’ve got detailed tutorials and demonstrations on our YouTube channel,. And if you’re ready for next-level guidance tailored specifically to you, that’s exactly what our online coaching is for. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, you’ll be surprised how far a few small adjustments can take you.

Range of Motion

Let’s talk about one of the most underappreciated and misunderstood tools for progression in training: range of motion (ROM).

Now, this is closely related to the previous topic of exercise execution, because how you perform a movement naturally dictates the range through which you move. But ROM deserves its own spotlight, because when used intentionally, it can be one of the most powerful forms of progressive overload available to you, especially if you’re chasing hypertrophy, improved mobility, or long-term joint health.

What Do We Mean By “Range of Motion”?

Range of motion refers to the distance a joint or muscle moves during an exercise, from the starting point to the end point. Think of a squat where going from standing to just above parallel is a partial range, while sinking all the way down to full depth (where your hips drop below your knees) is a full range.

The same applies to all movements. A half-rep bench press, where the bar only comes down halfway, uses far less range of motion than bringing the bar to your chest and pressing back up. The same goes for bicep curls, overhead presses, Romanian deadlifts, and everything else.

Why Range of Motion Is Progressive Overload

Expanding your range of motion during a lift can absolutely be a form of progressive overload. Here’s why:

• More time under tension: Longer ranges often mean more time spent working the muscle.
• More mechanical work: You’re literally moving the weight a greater distance.
• Greater muscle activation: Full ranges generally train muscles through their full length, which can improve both growth and strength across all portions of the movement.
• Improved joint mobility and control: Training through full ROM can help maintain or even improve joint health, if done properly.

For example, let’s say you’ve been doing squats to parallel for months. Then you start working into deeper squats over time, eventually reaching below parallel. Even if the weight stays the same, you’ve increased the challenge on your body and muscles. The muscles are now working harder through a greater range, which equals progressive overload.

The same goes for a dumbbell chest press, if you start bringing the dumbbells deeper (without dumping tension into the shoulder joint), you’re stretching the pecs more under load, which is an effective stimulus for growth.

ROM Progression: A Game Changer for Injury Rehab & Prevention

Increasing ROM can also be an incredibly valuable progression strategy for those recovering from injury or with movement limitations.

Let’s say you’re coming back from a knee injury and can only squat to a high box comfortably. Over time, you slowly lower the box or move to free squats, gradually restoring your ability to move through a full range. That process is progressive overload, as you’re increasing the challenge in a safe, structured way that matches your current capabilities.

The same idea applies to overhead pressing after shoulder injuries, or hip hinge exercises for people with limited hamstring flexibility or lumbar spine tolerance.

The key here is gradual progression. You’re not forcing range, you’re restoring it, one session at a time.

But… More Isn’t Always Better

Now, here’s where a lot of people get this wrong.

Just because a deeper range of motion looks good on paper (or on Instagram), doesn’t automatically mean it’s better. Your body has structural, anatomical, and sometimes injury-related limits that must be respected.

For example, let’s say you increase your bench press ROM by bringing the bar all the way to your chest. That might be a positive adaptation for your pecs if your shoulder structure supports it. But if you’re built in a way where that depth shifts tension onto your front delts or even irritates your bicep tendon, it’s no longer smart progressive overload, it’s a recipe for frustration or injury.

Similarly, trying to force a deep squat when your ankle mobility or hip structure doesn’t allow for it can cause compensations elsewhere, like rounding the lower back or collapsing the knees inward, is not worth it.

ROM Should Be Appropriate, Not Just “Maximal”

This is a crucial concept: We’re not just trying to increase range of motion, we’re trying to optimise it.

For many people, improving their ROM might mean increasing it. For others, it might actually mean reducing it slightly to maintain better control, more consistent tension, and safer joint positions. For example:

• A lifter who bounces the bar off their chest on bench press might see better progress by shortening the range slightly and keeping tension on the pecs.
• Someone doing heavy RDLs who is rounding their back to reach the floor may benefit more by shortening the ROM and only lowering the bar to mid-shin, keeping a flat back and tight hamstrings.

So, the question isn’t “Can I go lower/further/deeper?”

It’s: “Can I do so while keeping the movement aligned with my goals, my structure, and proper muscle tension?”

How to Progress ROM Intelligently

If you want to apply this progressive overload method properly, here’s how I recommend approaching it:

1. Start with your current active range, which is the range in which you can control the weight, maintain tension, and move without pain.
2. Track and standardise that range. Whether you’re squatting to a box, bench pressing to a specific depth, or pulling to a fixed range, be consistent.
3. Gradually expand the range over time. Add a little depth or stretch each week or every couple of weeks. Use markers (like box height, depth markers, or range-limiting pins) to keep it objective.
4. Use pauses and control at the bottom of the range to develop stability and confidence.
5. Pair ROM work with mobility drills or activation work where needed. Sometimes improving ROM isn’t just about the movement itself, it’s about prepping the body to handle it.
6. Re-assess regularly. What was a “safe” range a few months ago might now be limiting. Or, what you thought was “full ROM” might’ve actually been compensatory motion. Stay curious.

Depth With Purpose

Range of motion is more than just how low you can squat or how far you can stretch. It’s a strategic tool that, when used properly, can dramatically enhance your strength, muscle growth, and long-term joint health.

Just like with load, reps, or sets, ROM can and should be progressed intentionally. But don’t fall into the trap of thinking more range is automatically better. Better range is better. Appropriate, controlled, goal-specific range.

So whether you’re a powerlifter refining your depth, a bodybuilder stretching the muscle under load, or a general gym-goer just wanting to train smarter, respect your ROM, refine it, and use it to your advantage.

Weight Used

When most people think of progressive overload, this is the first method that comes to mind: adding more weight to the bar.

It’s the simplest to understand and the most visibly satisfying. Nothing feels quite like loading up more plates and knowing you’re stronger than last week. And don’t get me wrong, as a coach, I love seeing people chase strength. Increasing the weight you lift is absolutely a legitimate and powerful method of progression.

But, and this is a big but, it’s only effective if done properly. And that’s where most lifters go wrong.

The Core Concept: More Weight = More Demand

Let’s start with the basics. If you take an exercise, let’s say the bench press, and perform it with 60 kg for 3 sets of 8 reps, and then a few weeks later you’re doing 65 kg for the same reps and same sets, then yes, you’ve theoretically applied progressive overload.

You’ve placed a higher demand on your body, and assuming all other variables remained constant, your muscles, nervous system, and connective tissues had to adapt to handle that new load. That’s textbook progressive overload.

But, and here’s where most people go off track, that phrase “assuming all other variables remained constant” is the entire key to making this method work.

The Problem: Chasing Weight While Letting Everything Else Slip

I see this all the time, especially with newer lifters or those who’ve been training for a while without really being taught how to train:

They start a training block with great form.

• Smooth, controlled eccentrics
• Proper positioning
• Full range of motion
• Intentional rep tempo
• Tension on the target muscle(s)
• Consistent rest periods

Then, as the weeks go by and the numbers go up… things start to change.

• Eccentric gets faster
• ROM shortens
• Pauses disappear
• Hips rise off the bench
• Back starts arching more than usual
• The whole lift turns into a different movement

And the worst part is that they think they’re getting stronger, when in reality, they’re just getting better at cheating the movement.

That’s not progressive overload. That’s just changing the rules mid-game to make it easier to keep moving the numbers. If the mechanics and execution have changed, then the stimulus has changed too, and often, it’s not the muscles you’re trying to target that are adapting.

Load-Only Progression Is a Precision Game

The reality is, load is only a valid overload method when the movement pattern remains consistent.

In other words, increasing the weight is only true progress if:

• You’re using the same range of motion
• You’re controlling the tempo (especially the eccentric)
• You’re maintaining tension on the same target muscle(s)
• You’re not using more momentum or compensatory movement
• Your rest periods are consistent
• You’re executing the movement with the same or better form

When those things stay the same, then yes, adding weight is not just effective, it’s one of the most effective ways to get stronger and build muscle.

But if you have to compromise everything just to add a few more kilos, you’re not progressing. You’re just disguising regression as growth.

Load Progression: Best Practices for Long-Term Success

Here’s how to implement load-based progression the right way:

Master Your Technique First:

Before trying to add weight, be absolutely confident that your technique is sound. If you’re unsure, film your lifts and review them. Or better yet, get a coach to assess your form.

Standardise Execution

Decide ahead of time how you’re going to perform each lift. For example:

• A 3-second eccentric
• A 1-second pause at the bottom
• Full ROM specific to your structure

Then stick to it week after week, regardless of how heavy the weight gets. Progress is only real if the execution is consistent.

Use Micro-Progressions

You don’t need to add 5 kg every week. In fact, especially for smaller lifts or more advanced trainees, this is unrealistic. Use smaller jumps, sometimes even as little as 0.5–1 kg (this is where fractional plates or micro-plates become your best friend). Micro-progression is super effective.

Earn the Right to Add Weight

Don’t treat heavier loads as a weekly obligation. Only increase the weight when:

• Your current weight feels easier (this is where being able to use RPE/RIR is super useful)
• Your execution is still perfect
• You’ve hit the top end of your rep range with control

If those boxes aren’t ticked, hold the weight where it is and focus on improving rep quality or volume first.

Keep an Honest Logbook

Track not just the weight, but also your tempo, ROM, rest, and subjective difficulty (RPE/RIR). This gives context to your progress and helps you identify when you’re truly getting stronger vs. just getting sloppier.

Use the Weight, Don’t Let It Use You

Increasing the weight on the bar is incredibly satisfying, and when done right, it’s one of the most straightforward ways to measure your progress.

But don’t let your ego hijack your execution. If adding weight means sacrificing everything that made your movement good in the first place, you’re not making progress, you’re covering up stagnation with bigger numbers.

Get strong, but get strong with intention. Add weight only when you’ve earned it, and you’ll not only make better progress, you’ll stay healthier, more confident, and more consistent in your training.

And if you ever need an objective eye to help you assess your lifts, our coaching team is here to guide you. Sometimes a small correction in execution makes all the difference when it comes to lifting more, and lifting longer.

Reps Performed

After adding weight, the second most common and effective method of progression in resistance training is adding reps, and it’s one that I very often recommend, especially when adding weight isn’t practical, possible, or wise.

On the surface, it’s a simple concept: keep the weight the same, but gradually do more reps with it over time. But as with all training variables, how you apply this method makes all the difference.

Why Adding Reps Works So Well

Adding reps increases the total work output, also known as volume. If you’re lifting 10 kg for 3 sets of 8, that’s 240 kg of total volume. Bump it to 3 sets of 10, and suddenly you’re at 300 kg of volume, without increasing the weight. That’s a meaningful overload stimulus for your muscles to adapt to.

For many lifters, especially those training in commercial gyms or working with fixed dumbbell increments, adding reps can often be a better option than increasing weight. Here’s why:

• Smaller progression increments: Going from 10 kg to 12.5 kg is a 25% increase. That’s massive, especially on smaller or isolation lifts. But going from 8 to 9 reps is a much more manageable jump in difficulty for most people.
• Greater control: You don’t need to compromise your technique just to hit a higher number. Reps allow you to progress while keeping your form tight.
• Smoother transitions between weights: Instead of being forced to make big jumps in load, you can build strength and muscular endurance with reps until the next weight increment becomes realistic.

So, whether you’re doing lateral raises, bicep curls, or even compound movements where weight jumps are too aggressive (like dumbbell bench press), rep progression is your friend.

A Practical Example: 4×8 to 4×10 Progression

Let’s say your goal is to eventually do 4 sets of 10 reps with a given weight. You’re currently doing 4×8 with excellent form, and the weight feels appropriately challenging.

Rather than jump straight to 4×10 overnight, we take a smart, gradual approach, a rep progression model, where we add reps slowly, usually one per session and usually toward the later sets.

It might look like this:

• Session 1: 8, 8, 8, 8
• Session 2: 8, 8, 8, 9
• Session 3: 8, 8, 9, 9
• Session 4: 8, 9, 9, 9
• Session 5: 9, 9, 9, 9
• Session 6: 9, 9, 9, 10
• Session 7: 9, 9, 10, 10
• Session 8: 9, 10, 10, 10
• Session 9: 10, 10, 10, 10

Once you hit that 4×10, then it may be time to bump the weight and start the process again with a new load, maybe starting at 4×8 again and repeating the cycle.

Back-End vs. Front-End Rep Progression

You might be wondering, “why do you add reps to the later sets first?“

There’s some logic behind that:

• Adding reps to the last set ensures that you’ve truly earned that rep under fatigue. You’re already tired by that point, so if you can squeeze out another clean rep, that’s solid progression.
• If you start increasing reps on the first sets, you risk accumulating fatigue that tanks your performance in the later ones. You might get something like 10, 10, 7, 6, which isn’t as clean a progression pattern and may mask true strength gains.

That said, there are pros and cons to both methods:

• Front-end progression (e.g., adding reps to earlier sets) can allow you to train when you’re fresher, making it easier to maintain good technique. It may also allow for more volume early on.
• Back-end progression tends to be more “honest” in the sense that it reflects your strength in a fatigued state and doesn’t negatively affect the rest of your workout as much.

The truth is that both can work. What matters most is that reps are being added in a structured, controlled way, rather than haphazardly doing more reps some days and fewer on others without tracking anything.

When Should You Use Rep Progression?

Here’s when adding reps is especially effective:

• Isolation exercises: These are often hard to load precisely, and rep progression helps you squeeze more out of lighter weights.
• Dumbbell-based movements: If you’re jumping from 10s to 12.5s, adding a few reps with the 10s first can help you bridge the gap.
• Bodyweight training: Can’t add load easily? Push-ups, pull-ups, dips, and similar exercises respond really well to rep-based progression.
• When load increases compromise form: If adding weight starts to mess with your technique, slow down and milk more reps out of your current weight.

Best Practices for Rep Progression

Here’s how to get the most from this method:

1. Set a rep range target: Something like 6-8 reps or 12-15 reps works well. Don’t go too broad with your rep targets (i.e. don’t do 6-12, as that is just quite a large bracket). Start at the lower end and build your way up over several sessions.
2. Keep execution tight: Don’t sacrifice form just to hit a higher number. Sloppy reps don’t count.
3. Track your reps closely: Use a logbook or app to monitor exactly how many reps you’re hitting each set. You’ll be amazed at how motivating it is to see steady progress, even if it’s just one rep more than last time.
4. Know when to move up in weight: Once you’ve maxed out your rep range and feel strong across all sets, it’s time to increase the load and reset reps slightly. For example, after hitting 4×10, move up in weight and start back at 4×8.

Rep Your Way to Results

Adding reps might not look as glamorous as adding weight, but it’s just as powerful, if not more so in certain situations. It’s accessible, scalable, and safe, and it allows you to chase progress without sacrificing form.

So if the weights at your gym feel too light or too far apart to allow for smooth load progression, or if you’re trying to milk every bit of progress out of your current training block, add a rep. It might seem small, but over time, it adds up to massive change.

And remember, progress is progress, even if it’s just one extra rep. That rep counts.

Sets Performed

When it comes to progressive overload, increasing the number of sets you perform is one of the most straightforward ways to boost training volume, and sometimes, it’s the most appropriate next step in your programming.

It’s not flashy, but when used strategically, adding a set can be the difference between stagnation and more gains, especially if you’ve hit a wall with load or rep increases.

How It Works

If reps and weight are fixed, and you’re not ready (or able) to increase either, adding another set allows you to do more total work.

Let’s say you’re doing 3 sets of 10 reps at 60 kg on a particular exercise. That’s 1,800 kg of volume (3 x 10 x 60). By simply adding a fourth set, you bump that up to 2,400 kg, a 33% increase in total volume, without changing the load or reps.

That’s significant. And if done with intent, it creates a new stimulus that your body has to adapt to.

When Adding Sets Is a Great Strategy

Adding sets is especially effective in the following situations:

• You’ve plateaued at a certain weight and rep range. Can’t get past 3×10 with 60 kg? Adding a fourth set keeps the same movement stimulus while increasing challenge.
• You’re trying to increase training volume for hypertrophy. Muscle growth is highly correlated with volume (to a point). More sets = more mechanical tension and metabolic stress = more hypertrophy stimulus.
• You’re mastering a complex lift. Lifts like the squat, bench press, deadlift, and Olympic lifts demand technical refinement. More sets means more exposure to the skill, which helps lock in better patterns.
• You’re in a low-fatigue phase or early in a training block. This is a great time to slowly accumulate volume before pushing load or intensity later on.

Practical Progression Example

Here’s how a smart set progression might look over a training block:

• Weeks 1-2: 3 sets
• Weeks 3-4: 4 sets
• Weeks 5-6: 5 sets

Each step adds more work without changing the weight or reps. Over time, this leads to more capacity, improved endurance, and, if the execution is solid, better hypertrophy or strength gains.

The Catch: Recovery & Practicality

Of course, adding sets isn’t without its downsides. Just because more is good in theory doesn’t mean you can (or should) endlessly stack sets onto your workouts.

Here are some considerations:

• Time constraints: Adding even one or two sets per exercise can stretch your workout time significantly, especially across multiple lifts. If you’re on a tight schedule, this strategy may be limited.
• Recovery demands: Every additional set adds fatigue, not just to the muscles involved, but also to your nervous system and recovery capacity. If you’re already close to your personal recovery limits (especially in a high-volume or high-frequency program), adding more sets might just dig you into a deeper recovery hole.
• Diminishing returns: Research suggests there is an upper limit to how many effective sets you can perform per muscle group per week. Once you hit that ceiling, extra sets may provide minimal added benefit, or worse, interfere with recovery and performance.

Smart Implementation Tips

1. Start with a baseline: Choose a realistic number of sets based on your current training status and available time. Most people start with 2-3 sets per exercise.
2. Add sets gradually: Don’t jump from 3 sets to 6 in one week. Add a single set every few weeks and assess recovery.
3. Monitor performance and fatigue: If your reps, technique, or energy starts to dip, you may have pushed volume too far. Pull back when needed.
4. Cycle your volume: Use high-volume phases followed by lower-volume blocks to give your body a chance to recover and adapt.
5. Prioritise key lifts/muscles: You don’t need to add sets to every exercise or muscle group. Focus on progressing sets in compound lifts or priority movements/muscles.

Simple, Subtle, Effective

Adding sets isn’t flashy, but it works, especially when you’re aiming to build muscle, increase training capacity, or refine movement skill. Think of it as a quiet but powerful method of progressive overload. You’re not shouting your progress with big weight jumps, you’re stacking bricks patiently.

Just remember, more isn’t always better. It’s about smart volume, not just more volume.

Use this method when it suits your goals, your lifestyle, and your recovery, and it will absolutely deliver.

And if you’re unsure how to balance your volume, or when to push sets vs. reps vs. weight, that’s exactly what good coaching is for. We help you make progress without burning out. If you’re ready for that kind of structure, our coaching is here when you are.

RIR/RPE

Among all the progressive overload tools we have at our disposal RIR (Reps in Reserve) and RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) are arguably the most underutilised, misunderstood, and misapplied.

They’re incredibly powerful when used correctly, but most people don’t use them or don’t use them correctly.

Let’s dive into what RIR/RPE really is, why it’s tricky to implement, and how you can use it to your advantage.

First, What Is RIR and RPE?

• RPE is a subjective rating scale (typically from 1 to 10) that describes how hard a set feels.
  • RPE 10 = Max effort, no reps left in the tank.
  • RPE 8 = Hard, but you could have done 2 more reps.
• RIR is the flip side: it tells you how many reps you had left before failure.
  • RIR 2 = You stopped two reps short of failure.
  • RIR 0 = You went to technical or absolute failure.

They’re essentially the same concept expressed differently. RPE is more popular in strength sport circles; RIR tends to be favored in hypertrophy discussions. But they both attempt to quantify effort, and more importantly for us, they allow us to track progress without changing load, reps, or sets.

How Does RIR/RPE Work as Progressive Overload?

If you can perform the same weight, reps, and sets as before, but it feels easier, that’s progress.

Let’s say you squat 140 kg for 8 reps at an RPE 8 (meaning you had 2 reps in reserve). You stick with that for a few weeks, and over time it starts to feel easier. Suddenly, those same 8 reps at 140 kg feel like an RPE 7 (RIR 3). You’ve gotten stronger, even though the numbers haven’t changed.

Eventually, when that RPE drops enough, you’ve earned the right to add weight, reps, or sets.

This method is about improving efficiency and capacity before chasing heavier loads. It’s subtle, but make no mistake, it is real progression.

Why Most People Don’t Use This Method (Correctly)

Let’s be honest, RIR/RPE is subjective, and that makes it difficult to rely on, especially for less experienced lifters.

Here’s where it gets tricky:

• It’s hard to accurately judge how many reps you have left until you’ve trained close to failure a lot.
• You might think you have 2 reps in the tank, but in reality, you might have had 5.
• On the flip side, you might push a set thinking you’re at RPE 8, but you’ve actually hit failure already.
• There’s also a psychological factor where people often want to move on to heavier weights or more reps, so they unconsciously “adjust” their RPE rating to justify progression.

It’s easy to lie to yourself when you’re bored, impatient, or chasing numbers. That’s why this method requires a level of self-awareness and honesty that not every lifter is ready for.

How to Use RIR/RPE as a Progression Tool

Despite its subjectivity, RIR/RPE can be a powerful progression method, especially when applied over longer timeframes and embedded within structured training blocks.

Here’s how I recommend using it:

Use RIR/RPE to anchor your training blocks

For example, you could run a 4-week training block where your goal is to increase intensity over time without changing the reps or load:

• Week 1: RIR 4 (very easy, leaving lots in the tank)
• Week 2: RIR 3
• Week 3: RIR 2
• Week 4: RIR 1

You’re gradually increasing effort each week while keeping everything else the same. Then in Week 5, once you’ve hit RIR 1 or 0, you reset the RIR, increase the weight slightly, and repeat the process.

Use it to monitor “hidden” progress

If your program involves repeating the same workout structure week to week, but your perceived effort is decreasing, you are progressing even if the logbook doesn’t show a new PR.

This is especially valuable during maintenance phases, rehab, deloads, or hypertrophy-focused blocks where you’re building capacity over time.

Use RPE to autoregulate training

If you’re feeling under-recovered, sick, or just “off,” you can use RPE to scale back intensity without throwing away the session. Rather than chasing a predetermined weight or reps, you match your effort to how you feel that day and aim to hit your RPE target with an appropriate load.

This allows flexibility while keeping training productive.

Real-World Example

Let’s say you’re doing barbell rows at 60 kg for 10 reps x 3 sets at an RPE 8. It feels tough but doable.

You repeat this workout a few times over the next couple of weeks. Eventually:

• It feels like an RPE 7 = Progress
• Then RPE 6 = More progress
• Now RPE 6 feels easy and you’re itching to add load
• You bump it to 62.5 kg and it’s back to RPE 8 = Progress continues

Over time, you’re lifting heavier loads for the same effort. That’s real, measurable adaptation, even though you didn’t “change” your program in any visible way.

Progress Isn’t Always Loud

RIR and RPE-based progression is often happening in the background, even when you’re focused on other methods like weight or reps. Just because it’s quiet doesn’t mean it isn’t powerful.

Sometimes, the best form of progress is doing the same work… but with more confidence, better control, and lower perceived effort.

So don’t underestimate the value of “same weight, same reps, but easier.” That’s your body adapting and it’s a sign you’re right where you need to be.

And if you’re not sure how to measure or track your effort accurately, or want to learn how to autoregulate your training without guessing, that’s where something like coachings comes in. Coaching helps bridge the gap between what you feel and what you should be doing, so every session moves you forward.

Tempo

Tempo (the speed at which you perform your reps) is one of the least talked-about, yet incredibly powerful methods of progressive overload. And I’ll be honest with you: most people completely overlook it, or worse, misuse it entirely.

In fact, tempo is often the first variable to change (usually unconsciously) when someone starts chasing weight or reps too aggressively. But when used intentionally, tempo can be a powerful tool to enhance your results, reinforce good technique, and improve muscle stimulus, without needing to add more weight or reps.

What Is Tempo?

Tempo refers to how long each phase of a lift takes, typically broken into four parts:

Example: 3-1-1-0

• 3 seconds lowering the weight (eccentric)
• 1 second pause at the bottom
• 1 second lifting the weight (concentric)
• 0 seconds pause at the top

Tempo doesn’t just control the speed of your lifts, it controls time under tension, which is a major factor in muscle growth and technical skill development.

How Tempo Fits into Progressive Overload

Progressive overload is about doing more over time, and tempo gives us another dimension to manipulate that doesn’t involve changing load, reps, or sets.

For example:

• Week 1: 10 reps with a 2-0-1-0 tempo (30 seconds total time under tension)
• Week 4: 10 reps with a 3-1-1-0 tempo (50 seconds total time under tension)

You’ve now made that same set significantly harder, without changing anything else. That is overload.

And this is where tempo shines, it allows you to challenge your muscles in new ways, reinforce control and stability, and enhance the quality of your reps, not just the quantity.

Why Tempo Is So Often Ignored

There are a few reasons why most people skip over tempo as a progression tool:

1. It’s not sexy. No one brags about a slower eccentric on Instagram.
2. It’s harder. Controlling the weight, especially during the eccentric, is more demanding than most people expect.
3. It limits load. Slowing things down usually means you can’t lift as much weight, and for ego-driven lifters, that’s a dealbreaker.
4. It’s rarely tracked. People often start a program with strict tempo (e.g. 3-1-1-0) and end up doing explosive, uncontrolled reps by Week 4, while still thinking they’re progressing.

The result is you think you’ve gotten stronger, but really you’ve just changed the exercise by making it easier. Less control, less time under tension, different stimulus. Not true progressive overload.

Why You Should Care About Tempo

Here’s why you should absolutely pay attention to tempo, even if you don’t use it as your primary overload method:

• It standardises your training. Without consistent tempo, your reps vary wildly week to week. That makes it nearly impossible to objectively measure progress.
• It enhances mind-muscle connection. Slower reps help you feel the target muscles working, which improves engagement and effectiveness, especially in isolation exercises.
• It reinforces technique. Fast reps often lead to sloppy reps. Controlling the tempo forces you to own every inch of the movement.
• It creates metabolic stress. Longer time under tension equals more burn, more fatigue, and more muscle-building stimulus—especially in hypertrophy-focused blocks.

How to Use Tempo Effectively

If you want to leverage tempo as a progressive overload tool, or just keep it in check, here’s how to do it right:

Start with standardisation:

Before you try progressing tempo, first pick a consistent tempo and stick to it. Whether it’s 2-0-2-0 or 3-1-1-0, just use the same one every session. That way, you can accurately assess changes in strength or reps without muddying the waters.

Progress the eccentric phase first:

The eccentric (lowering) phase is where the majority of muscle damage and growth stimulus occurs. If you want to use tempo as a progression tool, start by extending this part.

• Move from 2-second eccentrics to 3 or even 4 seconds
• Once you hit 5 seconds, you’ve likely maxed out the benefits and beyond that, it’s diminishing returns (and probably impractical)

Don’t overdo it:

Extremely slow tempos (e.g. 6-8 second eccentrics or super slow concentrics) may sound intense, but they’re often less effective over time. You end up spending all day in the gym, and it’s hard to maintain good form under fatigue for that long. Use tempo as a tool and not a torture device.

Use tempo strategically based on the goal:

• For muscle growth: Slower eccentrics, brief pauses in the stretched position, and control are your friends.
• For strength: Controlled tempo during warm-ups or technique-focused phases helps with skill, but you’ll want to shift to faster, more explosive reps closer to max effort work.
• For rehab/prehab: Tempo becomes even more important to protect joints and reinforce stability. It can allow you to get a lot of stimulus out of light loads and to strategically strengthen specific positions.

Know when to let it go:

Once you’ve developed good control and body awareness, it often makes more sense to maintain a consistent tempo while progressing other variables (weight, reps, sets). Don’t fall into the trap of always trying to make things slower, especially if it starts to interfere with strength or power development.

Tempo Is a Tool, Not a Rule

Tempo doesn’t get the attention it deserves, but it plays a crucial role in how effective your training actually is. Whether you’re trying to build muscle, refine technique, or simply make sure your reps are legit, tempo deserves your attention.

You don’t need to make every rep painfully slow but you do need to make every rep intentional. And if you do choose to use tempo as your progressive overload method, apply it intelligently: increase time under tension gradually, and know when it’s time to shift focus back to weight, reps, or sets.

Ultimately, tempo should be consistent, considered, and controlled. When you treat it as an integral part of your training, rather than a throwaway detail, you’ll see better results across the board.

Overloading the Resistance Profile to Better Match The Strength Profile

Alright, time to get into the weeds a bit.

This progressive overload method doesn’t get talked about often, and for good reason. It requires either specialised equipment, a solid understanding of biomechanics, and often both. For most people, it’s simply not practical or accessible. But for those who can apply it, this approach can be a game-changer.

That said, I’ll be honest up front, this isn’t truly a progressive overload method in the traditional sense, because you’re not gradually increasing a stimulus. What you’re really doing is changing the exercise entirely so that it aligns more closely with your body’s ability to produce force across a full range of motion.

Still, it’s worth understanding because it opens the door to smarter exercise selection, and smarter choices will always enhance your progress.

First, What Do We Mean by “Resistance Profile” and “Strength Profile”?

Every exercise has a resistance profile, which refers to the exact profile of how resistance is experienced across a movement (i.e. where in the movement the resistance is the hardest or easiest).

Every muscle has a strength profile, which refers to the profile of how well a muscle can produce force at different points of its range.

When these two don’t match, the exercise becomes inefficient. You might be limited by the weakest portion of the movement (like the bottom of a squat), and that prevents you from effectively training the rest of the range.

Matching the resistance profile to your strength profile means you’re challenging the muscle relatively evenly throughout the entire movement, which improves muscle stimulation, reduces wasted effort, and makes every other overload method (weight, reps, sets, etc.) more effective.

There are really two main ways to do this in practice: one you can DIY with a bit of creativity, and one that requires access to high-end equipment.

Method 1: Using Accommodating Resistance (Bands & Chains)

Accommodating resistance involves adding load to the movement as your leverage improves. You’re stronger in certain positions (like the top of a squat or bench press), so we add resistance in those stronger zones using bands or chains.

💡 Practical Example:

• In a barbell bench press, you’re weakest off the chest and strongest near lockout.
• By attaching resistance bands or chains, you create a lift that gets heavier as you press, aligning with your natural strength curve.
• Now you’re working the muscle harder through the entire range, not just where it’s already weakest.

🔗 Why Bands Work So Well:

• They’re cheap, portable, and easy to attach to most gym equipment.
• They add variability and challenge through the range, making your reps more efficient and productive.
• For hypertrophy, this leads to better stimulation and often less joint stress.

However, there are caveats:

• Not all movements work well with accommodating resistance. Pressing exercises, like those for quads, chest and shoulder exercises tend to benefit the most. Hip hinging can work well, but most back exercises? Not so much.
• At some point, increasing band resistance too much can backfire, you shift the limitation to the top of the range rather than smoothing out the whole profile. That defeats the purpose.
• Bands must be used intelligently. If the resistance ramps up too quickly or inconsistently, it becomes chaotic rather than productive.

So yes, resistance bands are awesome, and I encourage most lifters to experiment with them. But they’re not a magic bullet.

(As an aside, you can use bands in “reverse” and have some of the weight offload as you get into weaker positions (like the bottom of a hack squat or bench press), but that is a discussion for another day)

Method 2: Selecting (or Designing) a Better Exercise

This is where we stop modifying the movement and start changing it entirely, by swapping out a poorly matched exercise for one that better fits your goals, structure, and strength profile.

Not all exercises are created equal. Sometimes, the smartest thing you can do for progressive overload is to stop banging your head against a poorly suited movement and choose one that actually lets your muscles do what they’re built to do.

🔄 Real-World Example:

Let’s say you’ve been doing barbell back squats, but your mechanics turn them into a glorified squat-good-morning. Your torso folds, your glutes and erectors dominate, and your quads get almost nothing out of the lift.

Now you switch to a hack squat machine that aligns perfectly with your body. Suddenly, your quads are the prime movers through the full range, and you’re finally able to push them to failure safely and consistently.

That’s a huge leap forward in overload potential, not because you increased weight, but because you improved the stimulus.

Best-Case Scenario? Customisable Machines

Some advanced machines (like those from Prime Fitness or Watson Gym Equipment) allow you a lot more control over the resistance profile.

This means you can load up specific parts of the range that align with your strength profile. It’s like “accommodating resistance 2.0” but much smoother and more refined.

Do most people have access to this kind of kit? No.

Do you need it to make progress? Also no.

But if you do train at a gym with this kind of equipment, it’s worth learning how to use it properly.

These machines can target a muscle through its full range more efficiently than any barbell ever could, especially for hypertrophy.

Matching Profiles

You might be thinking, “Isn’t this just changing the exercise?”

Yes. Exactly. And sometimes, that’s the smartest form of progression you can make.

You’re not giving up on hard work, you’re choosing to work smarter, not just harder. You’re upgrading your tools to better match your structure, your goals, and your capacity to recover.

So while matching resistance and strength profiles may not be traditional progressive overload, it absolutely supports all your other methods. The better the exercise fits you, the more effectively you can:

• Add load
• Perform more reps
• Accumulate more sets
• Apply controlled tempo
• Keep consistent technique
• Push closer to failure

Even if you never use bands or fancy machines, understanding this concept can guide you toward better programming decisions, ones that actually align with your body.

And if you need help figuring out which exercises best match your structure and goals, that’s where individualised coaching can truly shine. Sometimes it’s not about pushing harder, but choosing better.

Rest Periods

Another progressive overload method that technically works, but is rarely recommended (and for good reason) is reducing your rest periods between sets.

Now, don’t get me wrong, this absolutely counts as a form of progression. If all other training variables stay the same (weight, reps, sets, tempo, execution), but you gradually reduce the time between sets, you are increasing training density, which means you’re doing the same amount of work in less time. That’s progressive overload.

However, this method comes with some big caveats. So while it has its place in certain contexts, for most people, it’s a tool you use sparingly and strategically not a go-to overload method like adding weight or reps.

How It Works

Let’s break it down with an example:

• Say you’re doing 3 sets of 12 reps on bicep curls at 10 kg with 60 seconds rest between sets.
• Over the course of a training block, you reduce rest to 45 seconds, then to 30 seconds.

You’re now doing the same total work with less recovery, which increases metabolic stress, raises heart rate, and often ramps up the perceived difficulty of the workout.

That’s legitimate overload, particularly in a hypertrophy-focused phase where metabolic fatigue is one of the desired outcomes.

Where It Can Be Effective

Reducing rest periods is best suited to:

• Smaller, isolation-style exercises: Think curls, lateral raises, tricep pushdowns and movements where fatigue can be tolerated without compromising technique or risking injury.
• Metabolic-style hypertrophy blocks: If your goal is to generate more metabolic stress (the “burn”), decreasing rest intervals can amplify the training effect, especially in higher rep ranges.
• Conditioning-focused programs: In phases where improving work capacity, endurance, or training density is the goal, reducing rest can increase intensity without increasing load.
• Certain bodybuilding systems: Old-school methods like Vince Gironda’s 8×8 (8 sets of 8 reps with 30 seconds rest) relied heavily on short rest to drive hypertrophy through volume and fatigue. These methods still have value in certain hypertrophy blocks.

Where It Falls Apart

Now, here’s the downside, and it’s a big one.

• Performance drop-off: The less you rest, the less you can lift, the fewer reps you’ll get, and the more your form tends to break down. That means you’re sacrificing the core drivers of strength and hypertrophy, mechanical tension and high-quality reps.
• Impaired progression: If rest is too short, you’re not recovering between sets. That makes it hard to progress in weight, reps, or volume, because you’re constantly fatigued before the set even starts.
• Misplaced intensity: Short rest turns a muscle-building session into a cardio session, especially if applied to compound movements like squats, deadlifts, or presses. You’ll gas out from cardiovascular fatigue long before your muscles are truly taxed.
• Increased injury risk: Fatigue and poor technique are a dangerous combo. Reducing rest between sets of heavy compounds is one of the quickest ways to increase the risk of form breakdown and potential injury.

When It Makes No Sense

There are specific contexts where reducing rest periods is not just ineffective, it’s counterproductive:

• Strength-focused training: If your goal is maximal strength, you need full recovery between sets. This often means resting 2–5+ minutes for heavy compound lifts. Shortening rest here just leads to weaker sets and poor performance.
• Power and explosive work: Anything involving speed, power, or heavy loads requires fresh nervous system output. Cutting rest between explosive sets is asking for sloppy reps and reduced adaptations.
• Advanced hypertrophy training with high loads: If you’re already lifting close to your limits, you need adequate rest to maintain rep quality and tension. Rushing rest at this level usually just means worse training, not better results.

So… Should You Use This Method?

Here’s my honest take as a coach:

If you’re short on time, reducing rest a little bit can help you get in more work in less time, but it’s a compromise, not a maximised approach.

If you’re in a metabolic-style training block, especially for arms, shoulders, or accessory lifts, go for it. Just keep it within reason.

If your technique or recovery is suffering, stop. More isn’t better if it costs you quality.

Most lifters are better off focusing on:

• Improving execution
• Adding weight or reps
• Increasing sets strategically
• Managing tempo
• Matching exercise selection to their goals

Rather than chasing the “burn” with shorter rest just for the sake of fatigue.

A Tool, Not a Strategy

Reducing rest periods can be a form of progressive overload. But it should be used sparingly, strategically, and in the right context.

It’s not a primary method for long-term progress, it’s a secondary intensity technique that can spice up your training when appropriate. For most lifters, maintaining adequate rest is far more effective for producing high-quality sets, progressing load and reps, and keeping injury risk low.

So, treat rest like any other training variable: with intent. Shorter isn’t always better, smarter is better.

Time in the Gym/Density of Work

Now there is another progressive overload method, increasing workout density.

This concept is closely related to reducing rest periods, but it goes well beyond just trimming the time between sets. Workout density is about increasing the amount of productive work you do within a given timeframe. In short, you get more done in less time.

Sounds simple, right? It is. But like most things in training, there’s a smart way to do it, and a not-so-smart way.

Reducing “Wasted Time” Is a Start

Let me tell you a quick story.

There used to be a guy at the gym I worked at who would spend hours there, like 3 or 4 hours a session, nearly every day. I remember thinking, “Damn, this guy must be a machine.” But eventually, I got curious and asked him about his workouts.

To my surprise, the total volume and intensity of his sessions weren’t outrageous. So I thought, maybe he’s taking long rest periods to move serious loads? But when I observed him a bit more closely, it became obvious what was really going on:

He was spending 80% of his gym time chatting. Catching up with friends, hopping from one conversation to another, checking his phone between nearly every set.

Now, I’m not anti-social. The gym is a community for many of us. But if your goal is genuine progress, and most of your “training time” is spent doing everything except training, then it’s time to tighten things up.

Reducing fluff and staying focused during your session is the first step toward increasing workout density.

What Is Workout Density, Really?

Workout density = the amount of work (sets × reps × weight) you complete per unit of time.

For example:

• 3 exercises, 3 sets each, 10 reps per set = 90 total reps
• If that takes 60 minutes, your density is 1.5 reps per minute
• If you complete the same 90 reps in 45 minutes, your density increases to 2 reps per minute

Even if load and volume stay the same, you’ve increased the intensity and demand on your system simply by working more efficiently.

Density as a Form of Progressive Overload

When approached correctly, increasing density is a fantastic way to progressively overload your training, especially when you:

• Can’t increase load due to equipment limitations
• Are in a phase focused on body composition or metabolic stress
• Want to improve work capacity without adding excessive volume

The beauty of this method is you don’t have to alter exercises, change rep schemes, or add sets. You just do the same work in less time, or more work in the same time. It’s simple and brutally effective.

Techniques That Boost Density

Increasing workout density isn’t just about setting a stopwatch and rushing through your workout. It’s about strategically increasing work output using smart programming. Some of the most effective tools include:

• Drop Sets: Perform a set to near failure, reduce the weight by 20-30%, and immediately continue repping out. Great for hypertrophy and muscular fatigue in minimal time.
• Rest-Pause Sets: Hit a challenging set, rest 10-15 seconds, and then perform another mini-set with the same weight. Repeat for 2-3 “bursts.” This increases total reps without fully recovering.
• Cluster Sets: Break one set into smaller “clusters” of reps (e.g. 5 reps, rest 10 seconds, 5 more reps) to allow more total work with heavier loads in a compressed time.
• Antagonistic Supersets: Pair opposing muscle groups, like bench press and rows, or biceps and triceps, with little to no rest in between. This keeps intensity high and rest periods productive.
• Intra-Set Work: Use your rest periods to squeeze in light, high-rep work for lagging muscle groups, like lateral raises between squat sets, or calf raises during upper body rest periods.

These are all effective ways to boost density without compromising exercise selection or technique, but they do need to be used strategically, and with recovery in mind.

Limitations of Density Progression

Just like reducing rest periods, there’s a ceiling to how far you can push density before it becomes counterproductive.

• Too little rest = poor performance: If you compress your session too much, you start sacrificing quality. Form breaks down, reps become sloppy, and mechanical tension drops, all of which limit gains.
• Cardio takes over: When workouts become too dense, your cardiovascular system becomes the bottleneck, not your muscles. You end up training work capacity instead of strength or hypertrophy.
• Recovery suffers: High-density training creates more fatigue in less time. If you’re not sleeping well, managing nutrition, or programming recovery phases, you can burn out fast.
• Equipment availability: In busy gyms, you might have to wait on equipment or work around others. That can disrupt superset plans or density techniques, so flexibility is key.

Train With Purpose, Not Just Time

Increasing workout density isn’t about rushing through your session. It’s about removing distractions, staying focused, and maximising every minute you spend in the gym.

Sure, there’s nothing wrong with chatting a bit or taking your time on heavy sets. But if you find yourself spending two hours on what should be a 45-minute workout, ask yourself: “Am I training, or just being in the gym?”

Progressive overload doesn’t always mean more weight, more sets, or more reps. Sometimes, it means more intention and density is a great way to put that into practice.

Heart Rate

This applies more so to cardiovascular training than resistance training, but is still a progressive overload method. Doing a given workout and achieving a certain heart rate can be progressively overloaded, so that you aim to do the same amount of work but get a lower heart rate while doing it. Or it could look like sustaining the same heart rate, but getting more work done. It can also look like you trying to reach a higher heart rate for a given exercise (such as trying to reach a higher percentage of your max heart rate on a sprint).

So there are many ways this can be progressively overloaded, but as they mainly apply to cardiovascular work, and your training program for that should be designed appropriately to progress these (whether you track them or not), I won’t discuss them here further (otherwise I will have to talk about how to progressively overload cardiovascular work, such as performing more volume, performing at a higher intensity performing more sets of sprints at higher intensities, performing more sessions etc).

It has some utility for resistance training, but unless you are extremely confident you know the whats and whys, I would probably just leave it alone for resistance training and use it solely for cardiovascular training.

Progressive Overload Methods Conclusion

So there are many progressive overload methods. You must choose appropriately when deciding what you should be focusing on to achieve your goal. Some methods are more appropriate for a given goal than others, while other methods would be downright reckless to attempt for certain exercises/goals. However, you should be aware that progress can always be made in some manner. So even if you are stuck at a certain weight, you can look to other progressive overload methods to try and inch you forward towards your goals.

Hopefully, this article has shown you that there are more ways to progressively overload your training, but if you need more specific help with your training, then online coaching may be for you. Training can be quite complex and with the wealth of knowledge available online these days, it can be very hard to know exactly what YOU should be focusing on. But help is available and all you need to do is reach out!

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