Weight Selection & Loading
The double I's in DRIIP stand for intense intervals. Intensity — and the metabolic reaction it creates — is shaped by weight load, how you hold the weights, and tempo. All of it is low impact. Just as protocols should vary throughout class, the weights clients pick up and how they're used should change too.
The way you load weight matters as much as how much weight you use. Loading in a variety of ways throughout class has a strong use case when you program with strategy and intent. You can load weights in four ways:
The same movement can feel completely different depending on how you load it. Here's how the overhead press in a static lunge illustrates every loading and movement pattern — use this as a template for thinking through your own programming combinations.
Tell clients what weights to take out before class begins. Scan your programming in advance and make a single recommendation that covers the class — you don't always need every weight out to teach an effective class.
Avoid saying "grab your 10s" or naming a number. Saying "medium set" or "single heavy" gives clients the room to decide what that means for their body on that day. They will often ask you what a weight is being used for — and that question is a coaching opportunity, not a problem.
When demoing moves before a protocol, you can recommend different weights for different moves within the same set or circuit. Example: a single badass weight for a goblet squat, a heavy set for the next move, and a single weight from the heavy set for the move after. Give clients time to set up before the work begins.
Weight recommendations should account for two things: the limiting factor of the movement, and the tempo at which you plan to move. Thoughtful recommendations build client trust — they learn that your calls are smart, not arbitrary.
In any compound movement, the limiting factor is the weakest link — the part of the sequence that will fail first under load. Your weight recommendation should be appropriate for that weakest link, not the strongest part of the movement.
The speed at which you're asking clients to move directly affects how much weight is appropriate. Heavier loads pair well with slower tempos — and slower tempos are often the reason you can go heavier safely. If you plan to push the pace, the weight needs to come down.
A drop set starts with the heaviest weight first, then reduces load across consecutive rounds. In DRIIP, this means planning for the weight shift in your recommendation before the set begins.
A weight training technique where you perform a set with the heaviest appropriate weight first, then reduce the load in each consecutive round. The goal is to extend the set beyond what you could sustain at a single weight, increasing time under tension and metabolic demand.
Props are tools, not decoration. Every prop you bring into class should serve a clear purpose — either making a movement more effective, more challenging, or more fun. If you can't answer why the prop is there, leave it out.
Incorporate props to be effective or fun — but never without purpose. A prop that doesn't change the movement, the challenge, or the experience is just something else for clients to trip over.
One of the most versatile props in the room. A ball can completely change the nature of a movement depending on how it's used — adding instability, load, or a playful element that keeps clients engaged.
Ball under hands in a plank: Shifts a standard plank into an active stability challenge — small adjustments fire the rotator cuff and deep core constantly.
Ball squeeze in a sumo squat hold: Squeeze the ball between the inner thighs at the bottom of the squat — inner thigh engagement that's hard to replicate with free weights alone.
Resistance bands add continuous tension throughout a movement — unlike weights, which can lose tension at certain points in the range. They're particularly effective for activating the outer glutes and hip abductors, muscles that often underperform when you go straight to heavy weight.
Banded bridge with pulse: Band above the knees in a glute bridge hold, pulse the knees out against the band — isolates the outer glute and abductor without any additional load needed.
Banded squat to overhead press: Band keeps the glutes firing through the squat phase, then the press adds an upper body demand — one piece of equipment covering two muscle groups.
If it's an outer glutes day and the band is on for every single set, you've gone too far. Continuous band use dulls the stimulus — clients adapt fast, and the prop stops adding anything. Use it for 1–2 targeted moments where it genuinely elevates the movement, then take it off.
Blocks serve two distinct purposes in DRIIP — and they're almost opposites. Use them intentionally depending on which effect you're after.
Single-leg deadlift on block: Standing on the block adds an instability challenge that activates the ankle, knee, and hip stabilizers simultaneously. Always cue at your own pace here — moving to the beat on an unstable surface is a form and safety risk.
Deficit push-up (hands on blocks): Greater range of motion through the chest with zero additional load — an accessible way to increase push-up difficulty for clients who have already mastered the standard version.
When a block adds instability, always cue self-pacing. Stabilizer muscles working overtime means timing cannot be held the same way — and forcing the beat on an unstable surface is a form and safety risk.
The pilates ring creates resistance through compression — clients squeeze it to generate force. It's a low-load prop that activates inner thighs, chest, and arms in a way that's accessible to all levels and adds a different stimulus than dumbbells alone.
Ring chest press (floor): Ring held between both palms, squeeze inward as you press upward — the pec engagement is immediate and noticeable, especially on a chest-focused day.
Ring squat hold: Squeeze the ring between the knees at the bottom of a squat hold — inner thigh activation transforms a standard hold into something much more demanding, with no additional weight needed.
If you take out a prop, find at least one other place to use it intentionally throughout class. A prop that appears once and disappears feels random. One that shows up in two well-chosen moments feels designed.
That said, more is not better. If a booty band is on for every set on an outer glutes day, clients adapt fast and the prop stops doing anything. Use props for 1–2 targeted moments where they genuinely change the movement — then take them off.
Always tell clients why: "The band is going to make your outer glutes fire whether they want to or not" lands better than silently handing out bands before a squat.