The human body is incredibly good at adapting to a stimulus. It’ll do its upmost to maintain homeostasis - a normalised state whereby things more or less stay the same. How do you know if you’ve hit a training plateau? If your loads haven’t budged in weeks, you experience a loss in strength, become unmotivated, have a sense of increased irritability, then there’s a strong chance you’ve plateaued. Hitting a plateau can be mighty frustrating, and one may begin to feel that their existence in the gym is futile. I must reassure you this certainly isn’t the case, most mere mortals experience training plateaus at some point. Here are a few pointers to help bust past those sticky patches and make it a thing of the past.
1) Technique
This plays such a key role in helping to get those numbers heading in the right direction. It’s not just about shifting a load from A to B. There can be a myriad of factors that contribute towards correct muscle activation, and essentially an efficient (and safe) lift e.g. biomechanics, weight distribution, tension, bar path etc. Filming your lifts is an extremely valuable tool – not only for helping to monitor technique, but also to allow you to seek a second opinion.
2) Mobility
Restricted mobility can lead to reduced range of motion. If your range of motion is limited, then you’re only going to be able to operate in that range. This often inhibits muscles from expressing their true potential, which can be a limiting factor on performance. Work on releasing areas that maybe hindering the movement pattern. Seek professional advice if you’re struggling to accurately pin point the culprit.
3) Help! I’m Stuck
This is where it can get a little more complicated and may need an eagle coaching eye. There may be a part of an exercise that is proving to be a bit of a sticking point. As a result, it may require targeted (often overloading) range of motion training. The idea is to use exercises that work that specific range of motion e.g. if you’re struggling to complete a deadlift at the top, then use heavy block pulls. If you’re struggling at the top of a squat, then use heavy box squats.
4) Rest
The term “overtraining” gets thrown around an awful lot. More often than not, it’s not an over-trained state but actually an under-rested one. The excessive accumulation of physical, psychological, emotional and environmental stress are all contributors to said state. Nevertheless, recovery is one of the most basic principles of any training program. A program that carefully manipulates variables, giving your body sufficient rest in between different stimuluses could well be the difference between climbing the load ladder, or experiencing stagnation.
5) Mind Set
Entering the gym in a half-hearted state, or thinking about when you’re going to get your haircut isn’t going to do much for the resulting output. Working with new loads can also wreak havoc with your mind having a deleterious effect on the overall outcome. When it’s time to train, it’s time to do just that – clear the mind and focus on the job at hand. If you’re not feeling up for it, there’s absolutely no harm in postponing the session. You may well end up doing more harm than good.
6) Training Methods
Adding some intensity to your workout can help bust past that obstinate brick wall, and either get the numbers climbing again or stimulate some new growth. There are a number of methods available, namely; supersets, tri-sets, giant sets, cluster sets, rest pause sets, drop sets, forced reps, negatives pre & post exhaust…the list goes on. Depending on the nature of the plateau, some will be more effective than others. Initially, use sparingly, and only for a certain period of time before going back to your normal routine.
Plateaus can put a real dampener on proceedings – don’t let it get to you, they’re perfectly normal and are to be expected at some point. It doesn’t mean your lifting prowess is going to be left in tatters, your existence in the gym or any other training environment is still important. Nothing a little rest and a rejig can’t beat. The above should give you enough ammo to strengthen that armoury, and bring about the necessary changes. Happy plateau busting.
