Progressions - a great way to measure muscular endurance

A progression is a great way to see how far you have come in your training.  I am a huge fan of measurement so you can know your success.  Many people only measure their weight: "how much have I lost?".  This is a very small picture of what is happening.  Physical results follow physical performance and performance is much easier to measure.

A progression is a series of exercises you go through until you can't do any more.  If the first time through was too easy, you make the next one harder.  The key to them is HOW you do them.  You must not rest during the entire progression.  There are natural transitions between movements but those are all the break you get.  If you stop during the set, you record your stopping point and try to beat it next time.

Here's what we did last night.

3 weighted pullups
6 pushups (no extra weight)
repeat these 2 exercises, starting at 10#, then 20#, 30#, 40#

If you finish the progression rest 5 minutes and repeat as 4 weighted pullups and 8 pushups.

Here's another we did.

10 overhead dumbbell press (with only one dumbbell)
20 goblet squat (with same dumbbell as above)
repeate these 2 exercises, starting with10#, then 20#, 30#, 40#

If you finish the above progression successfully rest 5 minutes and repeat as 15 overhead dumbbell press and 30 goblet squats.