# Progressive overload on gym machines: a simple system

> Machines make getting stronger easy to measure, if you know what to change and when.

[Guides](https://nomae.com.au/guides) · 5 min read

Your muscles adapt to what you ask of them, then stop adapting once the job feels normal. Progressive overload just means asking for a little more over time. Machines are one of the easiest places to do it, when you repeat the same machine setup.

## The four things you can add

- **Weight.** Move the pin down a plate.
- **Reps.** Same weight, one more rep.
- **Sets.** One more hard set for that muscle in the week.
- **Quality.** Note whether the same weight and reps felt more controlled. Keep technique and range consistent before calling a change progress.

## Double progression: the method that works on a stack

Weight stacks jump in fixed steps, often 5 kg or more. That's a big jump on a small muscle. Double progression gets around it:

- Pick a rep range, say 8 to 12.
- Choose a weight you can lift for at least 8 good reps on every set.
- Each session, try to add a rep to one or more sets, keeping the same weight.
- When every set reaches 12, move the pin down one plate and start again near 8.

| Week | Weight | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | 40 kg | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| 2 | 40 kg | 10 | 9 | 8 |
| 3 | 40 kg | 11 | 10 | 10 |
| 4 | 40 kg | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| 5 | 45 kg | 9 | 8 | 8 |

An example, not a plan. Your numbers will move at their own pace.

## When you can't add anything

Some weeks nothing goes up. That's normal. Check three things before changing your program: are you sleeping and eating enough, is your rest between sets drifting longer or shorter, and is the machine set up the same way as last time? A seat one notch higher can change a lift more than a week of training.

If you've stalled for three or four sessions in a row, try the same weight with slower, more controlled reps for a week, or drop the weight by a plate and build back up.

## Record each set

Knowing what you did last time gives you a useful starting point. Write down the weight, the reps and the machine settings for every set, or use something that does it for you.

Where NOMAE fits

Stuck on the same weight? NOMAE shows if it’s going up quicker than last month, so you can see progress before you add a plate. Counts your reps too.

[Buy now · A$199 launch price](https://nomae.com.au/tracker#launch)

[Will it fit my machines?](https://nomae.com.au/fit)

General information about training, not medical or personalised advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, check with a doctor or physiotherapist first.

## More guides

[**How to set up a gym machine, and remember it next time**: Seat height and pad positions change every lift. Get them right once, then keep them. · 6 min](https://nomae.com.au/guides/set-up-gym-machines)

[**How to track gym progress without a spreadsheet**: What to record, what to ignore, and how to tell if it's working. · 4 min](https://nomae.com.au/guides/track-gym-progress)

[**Weight-stack, plate-loaded and cable machines: what's the difference?**: Three kinds of gym machine, what each is good for, and how to log them. · 4 min](https://nomae.com.au/guides/weight-stack-vs-plate-loaded)

[**How long to rest between sets, and why your rest keeps drifting**: Rest is part of the program. Here's how long, and how to keep it honest. · 4 min](https://nomae.com.au/guides/rest-between-sets)

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