Lynton Coaching / Training notes / October 20, 2026

Track progressive overload without guessing

By Lynton Norval · Published October 20, 2026

A workout log should help you decide what to do next. Recording only “bench went well” gives you very little to compare. Recording the load, reps, set number and effort gives your next-session decision a clearer basis.

What is progressive overload?

Progressive overload means increasing the training demand over time as your capacity improves. In this program, changes in load or repetitions depend on technique, effort, and recovery.

Record each working set

Use one line or cell for each set. Include the exercise, the external load, completed reps and repetitions in reserve. Repetitions in reserve, or RIR, means the number of additional good reps you believe you could have completed before technique failed. It is an estimate, so use it honestly and consistently.

In the Lynton Coaching PDF, each set cell accepts “load / reps / RIR.” A purely illustrative bench entry could be “95 lb / 5 / 3.” The 95 lb is an example of how to write a log, not a recommended starting weight. Your own load must match your technique and current capacity.

Be clear about what a load means

For a dumbbell movement, record the weight per hand. For a weighted pull-up, record added load separately from body weight. For an assisted pull-up, record the assistance and the machine used: reducing assistance is different from adding plates to a belt. For a carry, record the load and completed distance.

Choose pounds or kilograms and keep that unit in your log. Switching units without labeling them makes a useful record look like a sudden increase or decrease.

Compare like with like

Look at corresponding sets in comparable sessions. Was the range similar? Did you keep the planned rest? Did you change the machine or use momentum? An extra rep completed by swinging is not the same task as a controlled rep from the previous week.

The four-week PPL guide asks you to establish a baseline, repeat a comparable exposure, and progress only after the targets are met cleanly with at least two good reps available and manageable recovery. If those checks are absent, keeping the same load is a valid next step.

Change one variable at a time

When the progression checks are met, use the smallest practical increase or build within the prescribed rep range. Avoid simultaneously adding load, sets and reps. A modest change makes it easier to see what affected the next session.

The size of a weight jump depends on the equipment. Dumbbells and machine stacks do not always offer the exact percentage you want. If the next available increment pushes you outside the target effort or changes technique, hold the current load or discuss another progression with a coach.

Keep a short recovery note

Add a sentence about technique, unusual fatigue or discomfort. The number in the load column is not the whole training story. Stop movements that cause pain or alter your technique and seek an appropriate assessment for persistent symptoms.

At the end of the block, your log should show what you actually performed. That record is a more useful starting point for the next plan than guessing you must be ready for a heavier week.