Milo of Croton

In ancient Greece, there was a wrestler named Milo. When he was young, he found a newborn calf and picked it up. He carried it on his shoulders.

The next day, he did it again. And the next. Every day, the calf grew. Every day, Milo carried it. He didn’t add a bull overnight — he added a little bit of calf, every single day.

By the time the calf was a full-grown bull, Milo could still carry it. He had grown stronger without ever doing anything heroic. He just showed up, added a little, and repeated.

That’s progressive overload.

One more thing: Milo didn’t start with the bull. He started with the calf. You don’t start with 300 lbs. You start with the bar. That’s the way.