Overload System and Consistent Strength Gains

An extremely common training system that’s being discussed around the fitness community is the Overload principle, or Progressive Overload. A very simple explanation would be that it involves continuously increasing the amount of stress placed on the body while allowing the body to adapt to the training. It’s an excellent method for building strength and muscle mass. Your muscles are forced to adapt to the increasing stress caused by lifting heavier weights in various methods and techniques.

Also, the overload system aims to stimulate the nervous system strongly so that strength progression can be accelerated. Let’s dig a little deeper into the details and benefits of the Overload System through this excerpt from ‘The Overload System for Strength’ by Christian Thibaudeau and Tom Shepperd.

What is Overload System?

The overload system is a training system that uses a variety of training methods. Most of these methods in this system have been around for years. However, they went out of fashion as the strength-training world diversified.

The core of the overload system is providing a strong stimulus for the nervous system to lead the fastest strength progression. Training strategies that are a common feature in this plan are the progressive range of motion method, heavy partial lifts, functional isometrics and eccentric overloads. These methods have the strongest effect on maximizing the capacity of the nervous system to increase force production.

These overload methods are effective at improving the muscle’s protective mechanism which is ‘Golgi tendon organs’ (GTOs). They also include properly selected assistance work to fix weaknesses either in the range of motion of a lift itself or in a muscle involved in a lift.

What Are the Methods of the Overload System?

Progressive Range of Motion

Progressive range of motion, also known as neurological carryover training (NCT), is an important part of this system. It involves using progressively greater range of motion on the main lift as the program progresses.

This is a method developed by Paul Anderson with an aim to boost his squat and deadlift. What Anderson did was dig a hole in his backyard and place a loaded barbell (or a bar attached to loaded barrels for squats) over the hole. Every few weeks he would fill in the hole a little, which effectively increased the range of motion of the lift. He would use a load that was 20 to 30 pounds (9 to 14 kilograms) heavier than what he could currently lift over the full range of motion and started with a partial movement and perform as many repetitions as he could with that weight.

Every few weeks he would increase the range of motion while keeping the same weight, still attempting to get as many reps as possible. In the first position he might get 12 to 15 reps, and every time he increased the range, he would lose a few repetitions. The goal was to work all the way to a full-range movement and being able to do 1 to 2 reps with the weight, which exceeded his starting maximum by 20 to 30 pounds (9 to 14 kilograms).

Heavy Partials

When we say heavy partials, we mean performing a portion of the main lift with a load that is at least near maximal (compared to what you can lift on the full lift). An example for this is performing sets of 3 to 5 reps on a top-half squat with 95 percent of what you can lift for one rep on the full squat.

Functional Isometrics

This is a training method that involves performing a partial range of motion using two sets of safety pins in a power rack. The pins are set to determine the desired range of motion. The bar starts on the lower set of pins and is lifted until it makes contact with the second (upper) set of pins.

Eccentric Overloads

This method involves loading the eccentric portion of the lift supramaximally, either by using special tools, such as weight releasers, or by only performing the eccentric portion of the lift (i.e., lowering a bar down to pins only). Emphasizing the eccentric portion of a lift has several benefits that will help you get stronger and bigger and reduce the risk of injury.

Dead-Start Lifts

Here we are referring to movements that either naturally start from a position with no momentum or where we set up a lift to begin from pins from a specific position of a lift. Some movements are naturally done from a dead-start lifting position where there is zero movement on the bar. For example, the deadlift which many of us know. But we can also include the strict military press too.

Image 1: Segments of the conventional deadlift: (a) start position, (b) end of phase 1, (c) end of phase 2.

Loaded Stretching

Loaded stretching involves placing a muscle into a lengthened position while supporting an external load. This is different from traditional stretching and can bring many benefits that other types of stretching do not provide. The first example of loaded stretching for something other than increasing range of motion can be hanging from a chin-up bar with heavy weight attached to waist which can be used for back muscles. Loaded stretching’s main focus is to strengthen the muscles while they are in their elongated position and thickening the tendons to increase strength potential while reducing the risk of injuries.

Clusters

Cluster training is one of the simplest yet effective strength methods you can use. Clusters simply involve taking a specific rest period in between the individual reps of a work set.

It was developed in the late 1960s and consisted of doing a series of single repetitions with a short rest period of 30 to 60 seconds in between each rep.

A cluster series or set could include anywhere from 2 to 6 repetitions using loads ranging from 87.5 percent up to 97.5 percent. The principle is by taking short breaks between reps, you can lift more weight for a certain number of repetitions than if you do the same number of reps as a regular set. This would help increasing strength gains.

Very High Repetitions

A particularity of using high reps is that very little work is actually done in the traditional bodybuilding zone (8 to 12 reps per set). We either go low reps and heavy (5 reps or less) or use very high repetitions (20 to 30 reps per set, or more). Very high repetitions are superior than sets of 8 to 12 (and very low reps) to develop the tendons.

However, if they are taken to failure, they are just as effective as the 8 to 12 zone when it comes to building muscle. Because high reps use several methods that place a huge demand on the nervous system already, we want to minimize fatigue as much as possible in this method. Isolation exercises with 20 to 30 reps per set (or more) are less neurologically demanding than the heavier 8 to 12 reps per set.

Loaded Carries

Loaded carries are generally associated with Strongman training and they usually appear in Strongman competitions. There are many variations you can use, but doing it is simple: Pick up a weight and move it. Whether in the form of sled or farmer’s walks it is good way to get stronger, stable and better conditioned.

Image 2: Farmer’s walk.

Specialized Training

Training specialization is the process of concentrating a large part of your training load on developing a specific part of your training. Most commonly this is done to improve a specific lift or to focus on one or two (often lagging) muscle groups.

These methods involved in the overload system can make you understand its difference from other training systems. Depending on your fitness goals or strength gain journey, this system can be a useful way of reaching those objectives.

Header photo by Victor Freitas