Guide

Double progression: how much weight to add, and when

Nicolas DojcilovicPublished on 11 November 2026

At the gym, the real question isn't “what do I do today?” but “how much do I lift?”. Double progression answers it with one simple rule, and no maths. Here is how it works, how much to add, and what to do when you stall.

The question at every set

I go to the gym at least three times a week, in short 30-minute sessions. At every exercise, the same question came back: same weight as last time, or more? Without a rule, you either stay at the same load for months, or you add too much and miss your reps. Double progression is the simplest rule I know to settle it.

Double progression in two sentences

Pick a rep range, for example 3 sets of 8 to 12. Keep the same weight and add reps until every set reaches the top of the range; then add the smallest weight step you can, and start again from the bottom of the range.

You progress twice: first in reps, then in weight. Hence the name.

Example on the bench press, 3 × 8–12:

Session 1, 40 kg: 12, 10, 9 reps. Not every set is at 12: same weight next time.
Session 2, 40 kg: 12, 11, 10. Still not there.
Session 3, 40 kg: 12, 12, 12. Every set at the top: next time, 42.5 kg.
Session 4, 42.5 kg: 10, 9, 8. Back in the range, and you start climbing again.

How much weight to add

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends a load increase of 2 to 10% when you can do one or two reps more than planned on two sessions in a row: the lower end for exercises using small muscles (curls, lateral raises), the higher end for large ones (squat, deadlift, leg press).

In practice, add the smallest jump your equipment allows: 2.5 kg on a barbell (1.25 kg per side), the next dumbbell, the next plate on a machine. Beware of dumbbells: going from 10 to 12 kg is a 20% jump. On light dumbbells, stay longer at the top of the range, or use a wider range (10 to 15 reps) before moving up.

Which rep range to choose

A 2017 meta-analysis by Brad Schoenfeld and colleagues (21 studies) found that muscle growth was similar with light and heavy loads when sets were taken to failure, while maximal strength improved more with heavy loads.

So the range matters less than regular progress. Common choices: 6 to 10 reps on big compound lifts, 8 to 12 on most exercises, 10 to 15 on isolation work. If your main goal is the heaviest single lift, lower ranges (3 to 6) fit better.

When you stall

Note how hard each set felt. Researchers use “reps in reserve” (RIR): how many more reps you could have done. A set where you had 2 left is RIR 2. The scale, proposed and tested by Zourdos and colleagues in 2016, helps tell a bad day from a real plateau.

If your reps haven't moved for several sessions at the same weight, change something rather than forcing it: a variant of the exercise, or a lighter week to recover. After a break of more than a week or two, restart a little lighter rather than where you left off. And if something hurts, stop and ask a health professional.

How Crescendo applies it

I built Crescendo to apply this rule for me, and to say why:

It suggests a heavier weight only when every working set reached the top of the range, rounded to the loads your equipment actually allows, and it shows the reason in one line: “3 × 12 reached: +2.5 kg”.
Too many reps or too few on a set: the next set's weight adjusts within ±10%, and you can keep yours in one tap.
After 3 sessions without progress, it suggests a variant or a deload; after 6 sessions of the same workout, it offers a lighter session (−15%).
After 10 days without training, it restarts lighter (−15%, then −7.5%) and climbs back over two sessions.

All of this is free. You can of course apply double progression with a notebook and a pencil: the rule is what matters.

Questions lifters ask

Should I add weight as soon as I hit the top of the range once?

The American College of Sports Medicine suggests waiting until you can do one or two extra reps on two sessions in a row. Requiring every set to reach the top of the range, as double progression does, is already a cautious version of the same idea.

Double progression or percentages of my 1RM?

Double progression doesn't require testing your one-rep max: your reps tell you when to move up. Percentage-based programs suit lifters who test their max regularly, often for strength sports.

What if my dumbbells go up 2 kg at a time?

On light dumbbells, a 2 kg jump can be 15 to 20% of the load. Use a wider rep range (for example 10 to 15), stay longer at the top before moving up, or add a set before adding weight.

How do I know I've stalled, and not just had a bad day?

One bad session means little: sleep, stress and food all play a part. If your reps haven't improved for about three sessions at the same weight, it's a plateau: change the exercise variant or take a lighter week.

Sources

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