Understanding Your Program & Progression
How double-progression, linear, RPE, and other progression methods automatically adjust your training loads.
"Progression" is the rule that decides whether your next session's weight goes up, stays the same, or comes down. MuscleBuddy doesn't hardcode one method: your program (or your coach) picks the one that fits, and the engine applies it automatically after every logged session.
The methods
Show the numbers behind this chart
| Workout | Double | Linear | RPE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 132 lb | 132 lb | 132 lb |
| 2 | 132 lb | 138 lb | 138 lb |
| 3 | 132 lb | 143 lb | 143 lb |
| 4 | 138 lb | 149 lb | 143 lb |
| 5 | 143 lb | 154 lb | 143 lb |
| 6 | 143 lb | 160 lb | 138 lb |
| 7 | 149 lb | 165 lb | 132 lb |
| 8 | 154 lb | 171 lb | 127 lb |
| Method | What moves the bar | Reads your reps | Reads your effort | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Double progression | Reps first, then weight | Yes | No | Most hypertrophy work |
| Linear | A fixed step on a schedule | No | No | Early strength training |
| RPE-based | How hard the set felt | No | Yes | Anyone whose weeks vary |
| Percentage-based | A share of a training max | No | No | Strength-focused blocks |
| Wave | A planned cycle across sessions | No | No | Peaking and intensity blocks |
- Double progression: hit the top of your rep range for all sets, then weight goes up and reps reset to the bottom of the range.
- Linear progression: a fixed weight increase every session, common for beginners on compound lifts.
- RPE-based: your logged RPE/RIR drives the adjustment: an easy session nudges weight up, a grinding one holds or backs off. See the free RPE calculator if you want to sanity-check a rating against a percentage of your max.
- Percentage-based: working weight is a percentage of a training max, common in strength-focused blocks. Estimate yours with the 1RM calculator.
- Wave: weight cycles across sessions in a planned wave rather than climbing every time.
You don't have to pick one
Different exercises in the same program can run different methods: your squat might be on percentage-based while accessory work uses double progression. This is set per exercise, not per program.
Why a lift stalls
If a lift isn't moving, it's usually one of: the deload/phase transition is due, recovery is behind (check the Health hub), or logged RPE has been creeping up for a few sessions in a row. The engine surfaces this rather than silently repeating the same weight forever.
| What you see | What it usually means | What the engine does |
|---|---|---|
| Same weight, target reps climbing | Double progression is mid-range | Holds the load until every set hits the top |
| Weight steps down after repeated misses | Several sessions short of the rep target | Backs the load off so you can build into it again |
| Weight eases while your reps stay fine | Logged effort is above your target RPE | Trims the load toward the effort you asked for |
| Nothing moves for a whole week | A deload or phase transition is due | Prescribes the deload rather than repeating the block |
A back-off is not lost progress
A lighter prescription after a run of missed sessions is the rule working. The methods that read your sessions are the ones that can rescue a stall; a fixed schedule can only keep adding weight.
Where to go next
More guides
MuscleBuddy 101: What's Where and Why
A quick orientation to the app: what Plan, Train, Nutrition, Health, and Community actually do, and how they connect.
Logging Your First Workout
The actual logging flow: starting a session, recording sets, RPE/RIR, and how offline mode keeps you covered.
Nutrition Targets & Auto-Adjustment
How your macro targets are calculated and why they shift after weigh-ins.
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