In the first two parts of this series, we discussed why the overload principle is important to size and strength gain and maintenance. In this installment, we'll discuss ways of evaluating client progress based on performance.

As a personal fitness trainer, you will usually be able to tell if your client is adhering to your recommendations based on continued monitoring of his or her performance.

For example, if a client who has recently been performing 15 reps with a given weight in his or her first set of bench presses each chest day, is suddenly able to perform only 13 reps, he or she may not be sticking to your recommended diet, or is not recovering properly, or is experiencing a combination of the two.

No matter what the rep range the client is using, if he or she is training beyond failure, is not consuming sufficient protein, is not eating enough total calories, or is not recovering long enough between workouts, there will be less energy available at the beginning of the current workout. As a consequence, he or she will not be able to perform the same number of strict repetitions in the first set of each movement that he or she was able to perform in the last workout.

It's important to let the client know your concerns and make appropriate modifications to his or her program based any responses to your questions.

Client Failure To Progress

In the event your client is failing to progress within a reasonable time while adhering to your recommendations, the alternative solutions will be to either:

1. Decrease the number of total sets for the specific movement (if the problem is specific to one movement). 
2. Increase the number of days between workouts involving the particular muscle group(s) for improved recovery.
3. Increase the total caloric intake to insure muscle energy stores are being adequately replaced.
4. In case the client is performing sets of 4 to 6 reps, consider increasing his or her protein intake. Low protein intake is not usually responsible in these cases however, it should not be ruled out.
5. Ensure that the client has not been consistently overtraining. This can lead to a degree of tissue damage and stresses to energy and nervous systems that requires even more recovery than you are currently recommending.
6. Determine whether or not the client is currently under a great deal of stress. Stress takes away from recovery ability and is a common concern among those not progressing for otherwise undetermined reasons. The client whos is experiencing stress needs to either learn to deal with the source of stress, or avoid it altogether.
7. As a last resort, have your client take a blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test. This test may uncover a hidden negative nitrogen balance, and trainer's knowledge of this approach to dealing with sticking points may well earn some extra respect from the client.

Any or all of the above alternatives as they apply to the different rep ranges should result in the client's ability to once again obtain the same number of reps or more, in the first set of every movement, in every workout.

Between-set Recovery Considerations

Obtaining the same number of reps from set to set is quite another story. As long as the overload training principle is strictly adhered to, and the appropriate recovery methods are used, a client should always get the same reps in all of the sets for each movement performed.

Massage between light sets can be instrumental in removing lactic acid, and mild stretching between heavy sets will allow for more complete contractions in subsequent sets. Extending the between-set recovery time is the most effective method of achieving the same total reps in each set, regardless of the rep range used. Since we know that lactic acid inhibits contractions, its removal through massage and proper recovery to include replenishment of short-term energy stores will allow for the performance of the same number of reps in all sets of a given movement.

As a reminder, your client must not be training beyond failure or performing forced reps, as this may prevent the performance of the a consistent number of reps from set to set. It is important to note that all resistance exercises performed at 100% set intensity -- regardless of the rep range used -- are geared exclusively to maximizing adaptation of muscle tissue.

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