Progressive overload (double progression)?

[mathgainer]

E.g. I am doing weighted chinups within 5-8 reps. Last workout I got 3x5 on the weight I am using. How do you increase reps from there? Obviously the goal is to reach 3x8 on that weight.

Should you increase reps from the first set or last set?

If you increase on the last set your workouts might look like this:
5,5,5
5,5,7
5,5,8
5,6,8
5,7,8
5,8,8
6,8,8
8,8,8

After that you add weight and start again at 3x5.

Also another question is how fast should you be able to increase reps? For example, last workout you got 3x5. Realistically what should one be able to get in the next workout? How many reps more? I know you won't jump from 3x5 to 3x8 in one workout but how fast does everyone else do it? It takes me very long on curls for some reason and a lot of workouts I can't even add 1 rep to my previous total. (This is why I stopped doing curls and focus on compound movements instead like rows and chinups which make it easier to apply progressive overload.)

[radrd]

If your goal is 5-8 then you should be trying to get 8 on every set. Once you get 3x8, increase the weight and repeat. You should never intentionally stop short of your goal.

The only exception might be if your goal is 3 x 5-8 and you can do 10 on the first set but the subsequent sets fall short of 8. You can try stopping at 8 on the earlier sets so you leave more in the tank for later sets.

[coachcalande]

E.g. I am doing weighted chinups within 5-8 reps. Last workout I got 3x5 on the weight I am using. How do you increase reps from there? Obviously the goal is to reach 3x8 on that weight.

Should you increase reps from the first set or last set?

If you increase on the last set your workouts might look like this:
5,5,5
5,5,7
5,5,8
5,6,8
5,7,8
5,8,8
6,8,8
8,8,8

After that you add weight and start again at 3x5.

Also another question is how fast should you be able to increase reps? For example, last workout you got 3x5. Realistically what should one be able to get in the next workout? How many reps more? I know you won't jump from 3x5 to 3x8 in one workout but how fast does everyone else do it? It takes me very long on curls for some reason and a lot of workouts I can't even add 1 rep to my previous total. (This is why I stopped doing curls and focus on compound movements instead like rows and chinups which make it easier to apply progressive overload.)

The method I used was this:

“Get 8, add weight “

So let’s say I’m doing 5 reps with a 25 pound plate on weighted pull-ups.

I’d do several sets, as many reps as possible until one day I could do 8 perfect reps.
Then I’d graduate to using 30 lbs for those sets until I could do 8 perfect reps…then 35…and so on.

Pretty simple.

[CW47]

Does your program dictate you use double progression?

Double progression would typically mean that you do it as described in your post - you increase weight when you're able to do 8 reps on all 3 sets. And if that's what's dictated by your program then it's probably best to do it that way.

There's also a thing called Dynamic Double Progression though. When using that approach you treat each set individually. So if you did 7,6,4 you would use the same weight on all 3 sets next time. But if you did 8, 7, 6 you would add weight to that first set you did the 8 reps on, then use the lighter weight on the other 2 sets. And when you get to 8 on set 2 you add weight on that one, so that you're then doing the heavier weight on the first 2 sets and the lighter weight on the third set. And so on...

[mathgainer]

If your goal is 5-8 then you should be trying to get 8 on every set. Once you get 3x8, increase the weight and repeat. You should never intentionally stop short of your goal.

The only exception might be if your goal is 3 x 5-8 and you can do 10 on the first set but the subsequent sets fall short of 8. You can try stopping at 8 on the earlier sets so you leave more in the tank for later sets.

Yes I was definitely over thinking it. I think this approach is better, not stopping short as long as it is still within the rep range.

The method I used was this:

“Get 8, add weight “

So let’s say I’m doing 5 reps with a 25 pound plate on weighted pull-ups.

I’d do several sets, as many reps as possible until one day I could do 8 perfect reps.
Then I’d graduate to using 30 lbs for those sets until I could do 8 perfect reps…then 35…and so on.

Pretty simple.

If you mean 8 reps on one of the sets I am assuming this would typically be your first set? If so why didn't you continue with the same weight until you could get 8 on ALL of the sets? Is there a specific reason for your approach?

Does your program dictate you use double progression?

Double progression would typically mean that you do it as described in your post - you increase weight when you're able to do 8 reps on all 3 sets. And if that's what's dictated by your program then it's probably best to do it that way.

There's also a thing called Dynamic Double Progression though. When using that approach you treat each set individually. So if you did 7,6,4 you would use the same weight on all 3 sets next time. But if you did 8, 7, 6 you would add weight to that first set you did the 8 reps on, then use the lighter weight on the other 2 sets. And when you get to 8 on set 2 you add weight on that one, so that you're then doing the heavier weight on the first 2 sets and the lighter weight on the third set. And so on...

Yes I am doing Jason Blaha's 5x5 program and a few of the lifts require double progression, e.g. incline curls and hyperextensions. I mean Blaha himself didn't say that double progression is required, he just said "when it gets easy to do 3x8 on your incline curls, increase the weight". However I assumed "gets easy" means I would be able to do more than 3x8, meaning it would become at least 3x10 or even 3x12 so 8-12 seems appropriate. (I actually tried increasing at 3x10 and it didn't work - I could only do 6 reps with the next dumbbell along because they go up in 2kg increments at my gym.)