INTRODUCTION: Progressive resistance training has been suggested as a therapeutic modality that attempts to promote the standardization of the prescription of physical exercises in physical therapy, besides optimizing the results of the treatment. OBJECTIVE: To review studies that used progressive resistance training in chronic musculoskeletal diseases and to demonstrate the importance of including this type of training in the rehabilitation of those diseases. SOURCE OF THE DATA: PubMed, Medline, and LILACS databases were reviewed without restrictions of date and/or language. REVIEW: Due to the countless benefits attributed to this treatment modality, the importance of exercises in physical therapy has been well documented. Despite the proven efficacy, high-intensity exercises are not routinely prescribed, and this prescription is usually not standardized, which does not allow a consensus on the type of strengthening used, as well as load calculation and progression. Progressive resistance training implies the gradual increase in load during the training period. The number of repetitions that each individual can complete depends on the calculation of the maximal repetition. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of this review, the use of progressive resistance training to complement traditional exercises used in rehabilitation of chronic musculoskeletal diseases is recommended in order to standardize treatment protocols, with adequate control of individual load, and to optimize training results. However, it should be emphasized that further studies are necessary for more reliable conclusions.

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