Progressive overload is the most fundamental training principle: the body adapts to the stress it's given, then needs more stress to continue adapting. In cycling, this means adding 5-10% volume per week during base, or 2-5% intensity per block during build phases. The mistake: increasing too fast (injury/burnout) or not at all (plateau). Deload weeks every 3-4 weeks prevent overtraining while allowing the overload to compound.
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