Progressive overload is the gradual increase of stress placed on the body during training. By systematically increasing weight, reps, or training volume over time, you challenge your athletes to adapt and build strength. However, managing individualized progressions for multiple athletes can be time-consuming. BridgeAthletic's %Difficulty parameter automates this process by intelligently adjusting weight prescriptions based on each athlete's training history and performance.
What is %Difficulty?
%Difficulty is BridgeAthletic's adaptive weight prescription system that accounts for both the percentage of an athlete's rep max and the number of reps prescribed. Unlike traditional percentage-based programming, %Difficulty eliminates the need for frequent testing and manual calculations.
How %Difficulty Creates Automatic Progressive Overload
The %Difficulty algorithm continuously updates weight prescriptions based on athlete performance, creating individualized progressive overload without manual intervention.
The system factors in:
Recency - Recent sets affect calculations more than older data
Set type - Required sets impact calculations more than work sets
Rep count - Sets of 5 reps influence 5RM calculations more than sets of 10
When an athlete completes more or fewer reps than prescribed, the algorithm automatically adjusts prescriptions for the next workout.
The algorithm excludes:
Sets prescribed below 65% difficulty
Warm-up sets
Data outliers
Sets with more than 15 reps
Bridge Tip: Significant performance changes adjust future prescriptions, while smaller variations maintain consistency.
%Difficulty with No Training History
When an athlete has no training history for an exercise, they will be prompted with effort-based guidelines:
95% - 100% Difficulty - Close to maximal effort. Leave 0-1 reps in reserve.
90% - 94% Difficulty - High effort. Leave 1-3 reps in reserve.
85% - 89% Difficulty - Medium-high effort. Leave 3-5 reps in reserve.
80% - 84% Difficulty - Medium effort. Leave 5-7 reps in reserve.
70% - 79% Difficulty - Pick a weight you can move fairly easily.
60% - 69% Difficulty - Pick a weight that feels like a warm-up.
After one workout, the algorithm begins calculating individualized prescriptions.
Best Practices for Programming with %Difficulty
Start conservative for new athletes. Begin with lower difficulty percentages (60-75%) for athletes new to your program. After one workout, the system provides individualized prescriptions.
Preview calculated weights during programming. Click Estimate Weight when adding exercise prescriptions in the Bridge Builder to preview calculated weights before assigning programs.
Influence the algorithm when needed. Save tracked or required sets as test results from the Activity Report when athletes achieve significant performance milestones.
Leverage individualization at scale. Use %Difficulty when assigning the same program to multiple athletes with different training backgrounds. Each athlete receives appropriate weight prescriptions without creating separate programs.
Ready to implement %Difficulty in your programs? Learn more about percentage-based weight prescriptions or contact support@bridgeathletic.com with questions.