Progressive Overload Calculator: When to Add Weight

Progressive overload calculator

Short answer

Add weight once you can do one or two reps more than your target at the load you use now, then raise it by 2–10%. From 80 kg with 2.5 kg jumps, that is 82.5 kg (+2%), 85 kg (+5%), 87.5 kg (+10%). Pick the smaller end when a jump would take you well past what you can lift for your target reps.

Last reviewed 27 October 20262 published sourcesNot medical advice

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Progressive overload calculator

Add weight once you can do one or two reps more than your target at the load you use now.

Enter your current load, your target reps and what you managed last time.

Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere.

Next loads at a 2.5 kg increment
Current load	+2%	+5%	+10%
40 kg	42.5 kg	42.5 kg	45 kg
60 kg	62.5 kg	62.5 kg	65 kg
80 kg	82.5 kg	85 kg	87.5 kg
100 kg	102.5 kg	105 kg	110 kg
140 kg	142.5 kg	147.5 kg	155 kg

Current load

+2%

+5%

+10%

40 kg

42.5 kg

45 kg

60 kg

62.5 kg

65 kg

80 kg

82.5 kg

85 kg

87.5 kg

100 kg

102.5 kg

105 kg

110 kg

140 kg

142.5 kg

147.5 kg

155 kg

The 2–10% rule

The ACSM position stand on progression recommends a 2–10% increase in load when you can perform the current load for one or two reps over the desired number (ACSM, 2009). This calculator checks the lowest set of your last session against that rule. Many lifters wait until they manage it on two sessions in a row, which guards against one unusually good day.

Rating how many reps you had left helps too: if your sets are getting easier at the same weight, it is time to move up (Zourdos et al., 2016). Turn a set and its effort into loads with the RPE calculator, or estimate your max with the one rep max calculator.

Common questions

How much weight should I add each week?

The American College of Sports Medicine suggests a 2–10% increase once you can do one or two reps more than your target at the current load. That will not happen every week, so the right jump is whenever you earn it, not on a fixed date.

What if my plates can't make a 2% jump?

Round to the smallest jump your plates allow, often 2.5 kg or 5 lb on a barbell. If that is more than 10%, add reps or a set at the current load first, or use smaller plates.

Is adding reps also progressive overload?

Yes. Doing more reps at the same weight, or more sets, also increases the work you ask of your muscles. Many lifters add reps until they pass their target, then add weight and drop back down in reps.

Sources

Figures on this page were checked against these publications on 27 October 2026.

American College of Sports Medicine. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2009;41(3):687–708. doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181915670

Zourdos MC, Klemp A, Dolan C, Quiles JM, Schau KA, Jo E, Helms E, Esgro B, Duncan S, Garcia Merino S, Blanco R. Novel resistance training–specific rating of perceived exertion scale measuring repetitions in reserve. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2016;30(1):267–275. doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001049

Progressive overload calculator