Progressive Overload Calculator
Enter the set you just did. The calculator gives you the weight and reps to aim for next session, using the same rules the GainsLog app uses for its targets.
Next session
100kg×7reps
You were below the top of the rep range, so the weight stays and the reps go up.
How the calculator picks your next target
The calculator runs the progression rules from the GainsLog app. I checked it against the app's own code on about 20,000 sample sets, and it gave the same target every time. It works with a rep range: 4 to 8 reps for compound lifts like squats and bench press, 4 to 10 for isolation exercises like curls.
- Below the top of the range, the weight stays and you add a rep. 100 kg for 6 becomes 100 kg for 7.
- At the top of the range, the weight goes up one step: 2.5 kg, or 1 kg under 10 kg. In pounds the step is 5 lb, or 2.5 lb under 25 lb. The reps are set so the new set comes as close as possible to the old one on the Epley formula, the same estimate the app uses for your one-rep max. 100 kg for 8 becomes 102.5 kg for 7.
- Below the bottom of the range, the weight drops to one you can lift for the minimum reps. 100 kg for 3 becomes 97.5 kg for 4.
- With more than 2 reps in reserve, the app adds the spare reps and aims for 1 in reserve. 100 kg for 6 with 3 in reserve becomes 100 kg for 8. With 4 in reserve it becomes 102.5 kg for 8.
- With 0 reps in reserve, you repeat the same set once. The next time you log it, it progresses as usual.
To see what a set means for your max, use the one rep max calculator.
What progressive overload means
Progressive overload means doing a bit more over time than your muscles are used to: more reps at the same weight, or more weight.
Both work. In an 8-week study of 43 lifters with at least a year of training, one group added weight and kept the reps the same, and the other added reps at the same weight. Muscle growth and strength gains were about the same in both groups (Plotkin and colleagues, 2022).
What reps in reserve means
Reps in reserve (RIR) is how many more reps you think you could have done. 2 RIR means you stopped two reps short of failure. You can leave it as not logged, and the calculator only looks at weight and reps.
Get a target for every set
GainsLog sets these targets for every working set in your workouts, from what you logged last time, and shows them while you train. It also handles cases this page can't see, like a new weight you haven't matched yet.
Frequently asked questions
How much weight should I add each week?
GainsLog adds weight only when you reach the top of your rep range, and then one step: 2.5 kg, or 1 kg for weights under 10 kg. In pounds the step is 5 lb, or 2.5 lb under 25 lb. Until then you add reps. If your gym has smaller plates, you can pick your own step.
Is adding reps as good as adding weight?
In an 8-week study of 43 trained lifters, adding reps at the same weight and adding weight at the same reps gave about the same muscle growth and strength gains (Plotkin and colleagues, 2022).
What if I miss my target?
The next target starts from what you actually did, not from the target you missed. If you were aiming for 100 kg for 7 and got 5, the next target is 100 kg for 6.