Methods of Progression/Regression

There are a handful of simple ways to increase or decrease the challenge of a body weight exercise. Options overlap to some degree but the first three involve modifying the load, and the last two change the difficulty of the movement by other means.

Surely body weight training has it’s limits. What about the Barbell, you might ask?

(1) Mechanical Advantage/Disadvantage

Levers

Progression:Lengthen the resistive force arm by moving your body’s fulcrum
( Knee Push-Up → Push-Up)

Progression:Lengthen the resistive force arm by increasing your body’s pitch
( Push-Up → Progressed Push-Up)

The same principle applies to individual joint action. This is why a squat to 90° hip and knee flexion is harder than a squat to 45° flexion.For a flexible person, why might a deep squat (as in “ass to grass”) actually be easier to get out of than a squat to 90°?

Pendulums

Progression: start further away from the anchor point to change gravity’s force vector
( TRX Hamstring Curl → TRX Hamstring Curl farther from anchor point)

(2) Weight Allocation

Regression: Self-Assisted Exercise 1 ( Squat → Row Squat )


Regression: Self-Assisted Exercise 2
( Pull-up with Crunch → Assisted Pull-up )


Progression: Isolateral loading
( Progressed Push-Up  → Advanced Push-Up)

Progression: Biceps Curl
(Two Arm  → Single Arm)

Progression: Squat
Narrow Squat → Single-leg Squat

Single Leg Squat with step (Weight centered over front leg, approximately parallel shin and trunk)

(3) Acceleration

Progression: Increase acceleration to produce forces that are many multiples of your static weight!
Reverse Lunge: Force = Mass*9.8m/s/s → Plyometric Lunge: Force = Mass*(9.8m/s/s + Chosen Acceleration)

(4) Balance (Vestibular System)

Progression: (Assisted Step-up → Unassisted Step-up )

Options for progression:
(1) The base of support is changed from wide (four limbs) to narrow (one)
(2) The body’s center of mass is increased by lifting one leg (in the same way it might by lifting arms overhead)
(3) The range of motion (ROM) at the knee and hip is increased from 45° in the first to 90° in the second example, increasing demand on stabilizer muscles and joint mobility.