Progressively overloading Isolation exercises

[TC1880]

I’ve been training for about a year now and I’m currently following a PPL program.
I have Bicep Curls, Tricep extensions etc on there. How do I go about progressively overloading them? I’m at 12kg for dumbbell bicep curls for 12x3 at the moment but surely I can’t keep moving up in weight/reps most sessions as I seem to be doing at the minute or I’d be curling 25kg in no time which seems way too heavy! Even decreasing rest time won’t work long as the body gets used to it. Should I be slowly increasing rather than session by session?

I’m just a bit confused and maybe over thinking it but any help would be appreciated.

[Kamakikro]

I dont know if this right, Ive also only been training for a year now, but i just try to use a heavier weight than last time. If your aren't able to use that weight, then continue with your workout and try again next time, if your able to, then keep using that weight until your happy with the amount of reps you can do, then try using a heavier weight again.

So if you can bicep curl 12kg now, then try 16kg next time, if you can't, then continue on and try again next workout, if you can, then keep using 16kg until your happy with the amount of reps you can do, then try 20kg. and then keep repeating.

If your never able to do a full rep with a heavier weight, then try doing a "cheat" version of it, and focus on the negative part of the exercise, so if we're talking about curls, then do a cheat curl with a heavier weight and focus on slowly bring down and controlling the weight.

[Tommy W.]

Session by session, no. Otherwise you’d be curling 200 lbs at some point. When your sets of x reps get too easily add weight. As you progress, adding weight will come slower and slower.

[PissChugger]

No point in giving a **** about tricep extensions if your main pressing is improving. For bicep curls I'd start at 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps and each week add 1 set until you reach 5-6 sets. At that point return to your original set count and add 5lbs. Since you're likely curling 2x/week you should do barbell curls 1 day, dumbbell curls the other. Doing a couple pump sets of 15+ reps after your main work won't hurt either.