How the plan moves forward
Double progression
Updated 6 August 2026
Double progression is a simple rule for knowing when to add weight: work within a rep range, add reps until you can hit the top of it on every set, then add weight and drop back to the bottom of the range.
Two variables progress, but only one at a time. That is where the name comes from, and it is why the method is so hard to get wrong.
How it works, step by step
Say your plan gives you 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps on a row at 30kg.
- Week one you manage 12, 10, 9. Not yet at the top across the board, so stay at 30kg.
- Week two you manage 12, 12, 11. Closer. Stay at 30kg.
- Week three you manage 12, 12, 12. You have filled the range, so next session you add the smallest sensible increment.
- Week four you are at 32.5kg and back to 9, 8, 8. The climb starts again.
Why it beats adding weight on a schedule
Programmes that add weight every week regardless of performance work brilliantly for about two months and then break, because your body does not improve on a calendar.
Double progression makes the weight jump conditional on evidence. You earn it by completing the reps, which means the plan speeds up when you are progressing quickly and waits when you are not. Nobody has to guess.
Why the rep range width matters
The width of the range is the trigger. A range of 8 to 12 gives you four reps of runway before the weight moves. A range of 8 to 20 gives you twelve, which on a small isolation lift can mean months without ever earning a heavier weight.
This is why accessory lifts get tighter ranges than the big compounds. A ten to fifteen window keeps a lateral raise actually progressing rather than slowly turning into an endurance exercise.
In your plan
How Ionik Coach uses double progression
Double progression is the progression model behind every loaded lift in your plan. Ionik Coach reads the sets you logged, decides whether you filled the range, and either holds the weight or steps it up.
Two details are handled for you. The step size is chosen from the equipment you are actually using, so a dumbbell lift moves to the next dumbbell in the rack rather than a theoretical 2.5kg. And exercises that are not loaded work the same way in their own units: bodyweight lifts progress on reps up to a ceiling and then move to a harder variation, and holds such as planks progress in seconds.
Common questions
Do I need to hit the top of the range on every set, or just the first?
Every working set. Hitting 12 on your first set and 8 on your last means the weight is still doing its job, and moving up early usually means failing the range for weeks.
What if I get stuck at the same reps for weeks?
That is a stall, and it is useful information. The usual answers are a small back off in weight to rebuild momentum, or a check on whether recovery outside the gym is the real limit.
Does double progression work for bodyweight exercises?
Yes, with one change. Since you cannot add weight, you add reps up to a sensible ceiling and then move to a harder variation. Adding reps forever turns a strength exercise into an endurance one.
Related terms
- Progressive overload Gradually asking your body to do more than it is used to. It is the one rule every training plan is built on.
- Plateau When a lift stops improving for several sessions in a row. A stall is information, not a failure.
- Reps in reserve (RIR) How many more reps you could have done before failing. Two reps in reserve means you stopped two reps short.
- Training volume How much work you do for a muscle, counted as the number of hard working sets you complete for it in a week.