Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body

by Michael Matthews

You can change up your workout routine every week—heck, every day—and hit a plateau because “change” doesn’t stimulate muscle growth. Progressive overload does, and more so than any other single training factor.19 Progressive overload refers to increasing the amount of tension your muscles produce over time, and the most effective way to do this is by progressively increasing the amount of weight that you’re lifting. In other words, the key to gaining muscle and strength isn’t merely changing the types of stimuli your muscles are exposed to—it’s making your muscles work harder. And this is exactly what you do when you force your muscles to handle heavier and heavier weights. This is why your number one goal as a weightlifter should be to increase your whole-body strength over time,