Back To Basics with Progressive Overloading.

There can be a ton of confusion in the Fitness Industry when it comes to social media on what is the best program to follow to build muscle, get stronger, & make progress? And I totally get why it’s overwhelming.

With swipe workouts on every post and people doing single leg squats off of railings, it can be overwhelming to know where to look to find a program that works for you.

If I recall back to my 20 year old self, who was just making a dent in the lifting world, I used an old school bodybuilding website with a known trainer and followed her plan to a T.

We did ALL the basics. Pull, push, squat, hinge, & rotate.

And guess what….I saw a change.

I built muscle, got stronger, & was progressing in my lifts.

How did I do this? Progressive overloading.

I can’t stress this enough with my clients in and out of the gym. In order to see change we need to create an increased stimulus.

Progressive overloading is when you gradually increase the weight, frequency, or number of repetitions in your strength training routine.

For example, if you’ve been using the same 5lb dumbbells for your bicep curls and you wonder why you’re not seeing bicep gains, it could be that it’s time to PROGRESS to the next dumbbell up, change the reps, or slow down your tempo.

If right now you’re working out from home, and you’ve only got 1 pair of dumbbells you can make those dumbbells work & FEEL heavier but upping your reps and/or SLOWING DOWN your tempo (think up 1-2 and then down 1-2-3).

You can also work on cleaning up your form as an increased stimulus.

For example, I worked with my friend Sam on how to truly brace my core during exercises. This not only made the exercise feel entirely different but also way more stable, which caused an increase stimulus to my body.

Now, you can also progressive overload by increasing your work in less time.

Although, last year, I was in such a go-go-go mindset, that I was doing too much without being smart about it.

There’s a difference.

It doesn’t mean you have to do 50 burpees in between your bicep curls in order to “do more work” but maybe you shorten your rest period in-between your sets of bicep curls to add an increased challenge & stimulus.

See the difference?

I put together some of my BACK TO BASICS with my friends at adidas for you all to save for your next workout! These are the movements that I’ve come back to over the last year and my body feels GOOD & STRONG to stick to the basics and use progressive overloading.

Heels Elevated Goblet Squats

With the HEGS you are using a plate to have your heels elevated.

By doing this variation, you are taking out any ankle mobility and allowing the knees and hips to go through full range of motion.

Which is very important when you’re trying to take the lower back out of the equation and focus on proper hip mobility and stability.

1 Arm Row

Often times when people perform a “row” they are bringing their shoulder up towards their ear and allowing their trap muscle to takeover, instead of their lat muscle.

Focus on a slight stretch at the bottom of the movement to “open up” the lat, initiate by driving the elbow back and bring that weight towards your hip, not your ribcage.

1/2 Kneeling Overhead Press

Talk about shoulder STABILITY! The 1/2 kneeling overhead press (especially with a kettlebell) will really bring your core mechanics into this movement to support the press. Keep your rib cage down, shoulder away from your ear, & elbow a bit in front of you facing forward to drive up to the top position.

Overhead Carries

Again we’re looking for core stabilization here, keeping the rib cage down, & breathing during each step. This also will help with stabilizing the shoulder & creating a more secure foundation. Having the weight on one side versus both sides helps load into a single side at a time. You’ll want to repeat on both sides just like the row and press above.

I hope these guides help you go back to basics & realize that there is not need to constantly reinvent the wheel with basic strength and muscle building.

Stick to the basics, focus on progressive overload, & embrace the strength within you to create that stable foundation.

I’m also living for this GREEN OUTFIT and you can find all of the details and links below!

I was so pumped the adidas came out with a more “seamless” collection.

I went with a Medium in the bottoms as I found them to be a bit more compressive & Large in the bra.

I like my tops to not dig in so going up a size always seems to be more comfortable. The back detail on this bra is also super cute and more of a “longline” option.

So excited to announce that I am now an Ambassador for adidas so you will be seeing more content this whole year! Thank you adidas, you rock.

Be true to you always,

xo Kasey