To progress workout intensity without overdoing it, finish the week, score it honestly and let strain decide: the builder adds 10% or 20% only after a fully completed week that felt comfortable.
Please check with your doctor before starting a new plan, especially after a long break, an injury or if you take medication.
What is strain, and why does it matter?
Strain is the average of two check-in scores: how hard last week was and how tired or sore you feel, each out of 10. Rate hard 4 and tired 6 and your strain is 5.
It is the main number the builder follows when nothing more urgent, such as pain or a planned easy week, is going on. Low strain says the week was comfortable. High strain says it was a lot.
How does strain decide the next step?
| Strain | What the next week does |
|---|---|
| 3 or less | +20% |
| Up to 5 | +10% |
| Up to 7.5 | Holds steady |
| Above 7.5 | -10% |
Those steps are applied to your starting point from the setup questions, and the result is always kept between 50% and 120%.
Why only a full week earns a step up?
Because stepping up after a week you couldn't finish makes the next one harder, which is the opposite of what you want. So the sessions-finished answer caps the result:
- All: strain decides, and a step up is possible.
- Most: holds at best.
- About half: holds, or eases off with one fewer workout day.
- Only a few: at least -10% with one fewer workout day.
If you finished three out of four sessions and felt great, the builder still holds you where you are. That may feel stingy. It's also how you end up with a plan you complete rather than one you admire.
What do the numbers look like in practice?
These are examples. Each assumes an intermediate trainee on 3 workouts, medium sessions and a general fitness goal, so the starting point is 80%.
| Last week | Strain | Sessions finished | Next week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hard 3, tired 2 | 2.5 | All | 100% (+20) |
| Hard 4, tired 4 | 4 | All | 90% (+10) |
| Hard 5, tired 6 | 5.5 | All | 80% (holds) |
| Hard 4, tired 4 | 4 | Most | 80% (holds at best) |
| Hard 8, tired 8 | 8 | All | 70% (-10) |
Each week is worked out from your setup answers plus last week's check-in. It isn't stacked on top of the previous week's percentage.
How do you progress between check-ins?
The percentage scales reps, not weights, so progress with the weights is your call. If a movement feels easy at the prescribed reps, try a slightly heavier weight next time, and keep it modest. How much weight should I lift and sets and reps for beginners can help you choose.
You can also change a single workout's "All reps" percentage if one session feels too easy, as covered in adjust each workout with the All reps percentage. The principle behind all of it is progressive overload: small, steady increases based on how you're coping.
FAQs
Will my intensity go up every week?
No. Many weeks will hold steady, and week 4 is a planned easy week. Steady is a perfectly good result.
What if I feel great but rated the week a 7?
Then the builder holds you steady, because a 7 means hard. Score honestly and trust the process. If a particular workout felt easy, you can raise its percentage yourself.
Can I step up faster than +20%?
The builder's weekly steps are +10% or +20%. You are free to adjust individual workouts, but bigger jumps are a good way to meet pain or burnout.
The bottom line
Step up when the week was finished and comfortable, hold when it was mixed and ease off when it was too much. The builder runs the rules, and you supply honest numbers. Build your weekly plan.
Go train, FATBOY.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Train at your own risk. If you have a health condition, take medication or are unsure whether exercise or a diet change is right for you, talk to your doctor first.
- weekly plan
- progression
- intensity