The Science of Microloading: Does It Work?

Sophie loved lifting weights and always tried to challenge herself by adding more weight to the bar. But sometimes, she found it hard to add big amounts of weight each week. “How can I keep improving?” she wondered. Then, she heard about microloading—the idea of adding tiny increments of weight, like 1 or 2 pounds, to your lifts. At first, Sophie was skeptical. “Does this really make a difference?” she asked her coach. Her coach explained, “Even small increases in weight add up over time. It’s like walking up a hill one tiny step at a time—you’ll get to the top eventually!” Sophie decided to give it a try. For the next month, she added just a small amount of weight each week to her lifts. To her surprise, she started to notice her strength improving. She could lift more, even though the weight increases were so small! Sophie felt proud. She learned that microloading was a way to keep progressing without overwhelming her body. Small steps really did lead to big changes. Sophie now enjoys microloading because it makes her feel confident that she’s always improving, even if the change seems tiny at first. She can’t wait to see where her tiny steps take her!