Double progression: add reps first, then weight

Pick the rule before your first set

Choose a rep range that fits your existing program. The examples here use three working sets of 8–12, but that is an illustration rather than a prescription for every exercise. Keep the exercise, range of motion and rest periods reasonably consistent so the numbers describe the same task each session.

Write the progression rule next to the exercise: “Increase after 12, 12, 12 with controlled reps and the planned effort.” If your coach has given you a different rule, follow that. Some programs progress each set separately; the all-sets rule below is simpler to read in a training log.

A five-session example

This invented dumbbell-press example records kilograms per hand. Each row is one session, and each set keeps its own completed rep count.

This example log records each set separately. Session three has 33 total reps, but the last two sets have not reached the agreed target. Under the all-sets rule, that session earns another attempt at the same weight.

When the weight goes up, the reps usually drop. That is expected within this method. Getting nine reps with a heavier dumbbell can be a useful next step even though last week’s first set had twelve.

What if the next dumbbell is too heavy?

A jump from 8 kg to 10 kg is a 25% increase. The same two kilograms added to 30 kg is a much smaller change. If the available jump takes you below the bottom of the range or changes your technique, keep the previous load while you review the options in your program.

Fractional plates can help on suitable barbells. A machine with smaller increments may be an alternative, though changing equipment starts a new comparison. You can also discuss a wider rep range with your coach. Avoid treating a different exercise as a continuation of the old lift’s record.

Keep effort and rest in the record

Twelve reps with several repetitions left and twelve reps at your limit are different performances. Add a short reps-in-reserve note if your program uses one. Keep the rest interval in the log too, especially if shorter rests explain why the later sets fell.

One poor session does not tell you why performance changed. Repeat the planned load when appropriate and look at several comparable sessions before changing the program. The progressive-overload guide covers the wider tracking process.

Where this method fits

Double progression is a practical way to organize gradual increases. It does not establish that one rep range or progression system is best for everyone. The ACSM’s 2026 resistance-training summary emphasizes consistency and gradual development.

Keep warm-up sets separate from the working sets used for your progression target. A light set before the exercise prepares you for the heavier work; it should not make a 3-set progression log look like four working sets.

Who SayLift is for

SayLift suits lifters who want a usable record without typing out the session. Speak the exercise, weights and the reps you actually completed, then check the review screen before saving. You can also log by hand and compare with the previous session.

Its coach uses logged performance to recommend the next working weight. You can use the example rule on this page with your own log; the app’s coach has its own decision rules. Get SayLift for iPhone if recording each session is the part you want to make easier.