MASTERING STRENGTH: The Power of Double & Triple Progression

MASTERING STRENGTH: The Power Of Double & Triple Progression

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the sheer amount of conflicting advice on strength training—high reps, low reps, endless sets, complex periodization strategies—you're not alone. In the latest Double & Triple Progression episode of the Verse Fitness Podcast, host Shane Robert breaks down one of the most effective and surprisingly simple systems designed to take you from confusion to consistent progress: the double (and triple) progression method.

Unpacking the Overwhelm

Many lifters (beginners and seasoned athletes alike) get bogged down by trying to keep up with the latest fitness trends. But as Shane points out, much of the most effective, time-tested strength programming is simple, logical, and has been in use for over a century.

What Is Double Progression?

At its core, double progression is about mastering a weight before you increase it. Instead of chasing heavier weights every session, as in a single progression model, you focus on two main ways to progress:

1. Increase Reps: Stick with the same weight, but gradually add reps to your set.
2. Increase Load: Once you hit a target number of reps, bump the weight up and drop your reps back down.

This style of progression was written about as far back as the late 1800s and early 1900s by strongmen and trainers like Dr. Vladislav von Krajewski and his famous student, world champion wrestler George Hackenschmidt. Shane discusses this in a short clip.

A Classic Example

Hackenschmidt’s approach was straightforward:

• Take a weight you can lift for a max of 10 reps.
• Do just 5 reps with it (staying well away from failure!).
• Each week, add one rep to each set.
• Once you can easily do 10 reps per set, add weight, drop the reps back down to 5, and repeat.

This method trains you to own the weight before moving on—laying a strong base before going heavier and reducing injury risk.

What is Triple Progression?

Double progression is about mastering a weight before you increase it. Triple progression adds another layer of increasing the total volume, or number of sets, done with a weight.

1. Increase Reps: Stick with the same weight, but gradually add reps to your sets.
2. Increase Sets: Once you hit a target number of reps, start increasing the amount of sets (e.g. from 2 sets to eventually 5 or 6).
3. Increase Reps Again:Start increasing reps to the added sets.
4. Increase Weight: After you have added a certain number of sets and increased all of the reps to the same level, add weight and start again. 

The Hepburn Method

Canadian strength legend Doug Hepburn used a form of triple progression in his famous programs:

• Start with multiple sets of low reps (e.g., 8 sets of 2).
• Increase 1 set by 1 rep each workout, 
• Once you’re doing all sets for 3 reps, increase the weight and repeat the process, starting back at the lower reps.

You’re not just chasing heavier lifts; you’re building the total amount of quality work you can handle. As Shane explains, this slow increase in total work (or “training load”) promotes deep, long-lasting strength gains.

Why Slow Progress Works

Scientific research and decades of real-world experience agree: you don’t have to train to failure to get strong. Instead, progressing slowly—adding a rep or a set, or incrementally increasing weight—lets your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nervous system all adapt safely.

Shane sums it up with a quote from legendary Soviet weightlifter Yuri Vlasov:

"An increase in the volume of training loads leads to long-term structural and functional changes... Then an increase in intensity assures a quick conquest of new results. But by itself, intensity does not produce deep adaptive responses."

In other words, piling on weight too quickly might give you a short-term boost, but won’t build the foundation for lasting strength. Shane talks about the importance of progressing smart for long-term gains in this short clip.

Real-World Applications

• Beginners: Stick to the double progression’s simple script of adding reps before increasing weight. For most, one to three sets per exercise, three times per week, is enough to see significant gains.
• Intermediate/Advanced Lifters: The triple progression system offers more room for development through mastering sets and reps before moving up in weight.
• Examples in Modern Programs: Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1, Russian squat routines, and many programs from the Soviet and York Barbell eras are all rooted in these principles.

Key Takeaways

1. Master a Weight, Then Move On: Progress by getting stronger at a given weight—through more reps or more sets—before adding weight.
2. Stay Far from Failure: Gains come from steady, submaximal training, not grinding to failure every session.
3. Play the Long Game: Lifetime strength is built over years, not 8 or 12-week cycles.
4. Simplicity Wins: The systems that worked 100 years ago still work today. Don’t overcomplicate your training.

Ready To Try It?

If you’re tired of spinning your wheels in the gym, consider giving double or triple progression a serious try. Resources like George Hackenschmidt’s “The Way to Live,” the Hepburn method, or the classic Russian squat routine are readily available online.

For more details and real talk about making progress that truly lasts, check out the full episode of the Double & Triple Progression Podcast with Shane Robert. Watch Now!