Are muscle gains coming on much slower? Are you doubling your cardio time and still not dropping those last 5 pounds? Sounds like you’ve hit a plateau. Plateaus are a bummer and can derail your motivation. But everyone will hit a plateau at some point in time, so don’t throw your hands in the air and give up. The body is an incredible machine and adapts to the stress we put on it. You have to continually challenge your body so that it can’t adapt as easily and continues to grow and become stronger. The good news is that there are multiple ways to challenge your body blast past the plateau!
1. TAKE A BREAK
You most likely have hit a plateau simply because your body needs a break. Training with full intensity day after day after day puts a lot of strain on your body and in order to keep it functioning the way you want it to…you have to give it a break. Yes, I’m telling you to stop working out. This isn’t a break from your nutrition! Maintain your diet and nutrition and take seven days off from training. If you train hard year round; take a week off every quarter. Don’t worry about losing strength or endurance. It takes longer than a week for your body to regress. Most people find that once they return to the gym, they can lift heavier, run longer, and perform more reps.
2. OVERLOAD
If you want to become faster, stronger, leaner, or make gains you have to progressively and continuously train at a level that’s more challenging on your body than what it’s accustomed to. This is called overloading your body. How do you overload?
Weight Training or Resistance Training
• Increase your reps. Try 15 reps instead of 12.
• Increase the weight. Try 20 lbs instead of 15.
• Increase your sets. Try 4 sets instead of the typical 3.
• Decrease the time between sets.
• Focus on the negative or the eccentric contraction of the exercise. For example; when performing a leg extension, focus on slowly lowering the weight down instead of the normal focus on the extension upward of the weight. This is performed best when you increase the weight, push the weight up (you may need assistance), then lower it slowly all on your own.
• Stop counting reps. Try doing as many as you can do with good form, in one minute. Rest briefly for 30 seconds between sets then do 2 more.
• Switch up your equipment. Try a machine instead of the free weights.
Cardiovascular Training
• Increase the time you perform your cardiovascular workout. Push for 45 minutes instead of 30.
• Change it up. If you’re an elliptical junkie, try a cycling class.
• Incorporate intervals. Maximize your exertion then bring it back down to a comfortable level. For example; after a five minute warm up on the treadmill, sprint for 30 seconds then walk or jog for 1 minute and repeat for 30 minutes.
• Split your cardio routine in ˝. If you do cardio for an hour at a time, try splitting it up; 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon.
3. ACTIVE REST
Active rests are exercises performed between sets or between more intense training periods. Use your down time productively.
Active rest exercises between sets should require you to exert less energy than the primary exercise and not exhaust you so that you cannot perform the primary exercise properly. Here are some examples and how you can incorporate active rests between sets:
• Train an opposite muscle group. Between bent over rows, drop to the floor and rep out some push ups.
• Develop core strength. During my seated shoulder presses, I’ll drop the weights, rotate around the bench, grasp the edge with my hands and perform a set of knee ups.
• Burn some extra calories. Raise your heart rate a bit by adding jumping jacks for 30 seconds between sets.
Take an active rest day between intense training days using exercises or activities that are at a low to moderate level. Think fun or relaxing. Don’t exhaust your muscles and avoid raising your heart rate too high. Walk around the block for 20 minutes or practice your skill at a sport like tennis. Grab a band or weights that are ridiculously lighter than your norm and perform a couple of high rep sets at a low intensity level.
4. SWITCH YOUR ROUTINE
Give your body the unexpected. If your routine as been a 5 day split, try 2 days on/ 1 off or try 3 days of full body workouts every other day. The idea is to totally switch it up. If you like your 5 day split, change the muscle groups your train on those days. For example; instead of back and biceps on Mondays try back and chest.
5. NUTRITION
Maintain proper, balanced nutrition which supports your goals. For example; if you’re training for lean muscle mass, you must consume a clean and eat a calorie defecit. If you’re training for endurance, is your diet giving you the energy necessary for peak performance? Every nutrient serves a purpose so be sure you’re eating the right balance of complex carbohydrates, proteins, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. Supplement safely and only when necessary. I suggest keeping a journal so you can track how you feel and your progress compared to your nutrition. Don’t forget to hydrate. Drink lots and lots of H2O!
6. SLEEP
Be sure you’re getting at least 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Your body needs sleep to reset, restore, and keep your hormones at the optimum performance level.
7. BALANCE
Family, finances, friends, kids, work, pets, yard work, birthday parties, hobbies, soccer games….non of it stops just because you’re training for something. Are you stressed? Is your life in balance? These could some of the factors in why you’re not progressing in the gym.
When you hit a plateau you quickly realize how in tune to your body you need to be. Keep journals, know your patterns, know your limits. You know your body better than anyone, so you’re the best tool to knowing how to blast past your own plateaus.
