How to get Passed Plateau’s & Start Progressing Again
Plateau’s
When you first start working out, you get something I like to call “baby gains”. Your body isn’t used to doing any of these strength training movements, therefore it adapts super quickly and you start seeing results almost immediately. I will say, it’s an awesome feeling.
However, once those baby gains go away and your body starts to get used to this new workout regime, be ready for the plateau…
What is a plateau when it comes to working out? It’s when your body adjusts to the demands of your workouts. During a workout plateau, you can start to feel unmotivated, bored with your workouts, or you’re simply getting sore anymore.
If you work out long enough, and you’re consistent, you will eventually hit a plateau no matter who you are. It’s bound to happen. Believe it or not, as frustrating as it is, look at this as a positive. You’ve been consistent enough for your body to know and expect what’s coming, so be proud of yourself.
So when you do hit your first plateau, how do you get out of it?
Your body has adjusted and adapted to your new lifestyle, but the problem is you’re not tricking it anymore so it knows what’s coming and is already prepared. You need to start switching it up. Of course this highly depends on your goals, but let me give you some ideas.
- Probably the most obvious, but try doing different exercises you haven’t done before for each muscle group.
- Switch up your split (what muscles you work together each day). So if you do back and biceps one day and chest and triceps another, maybe try doing back and chest together then having a separate arm day.
- Try changing your rep range. Let’s say you’re doing 4 sets of 10. Maybe if you’re trying to build muscle you do less reps but more weight. Or if you’re trying to burn calories to lose weight maybe you increase your reps to 15-20.
- Change your rest times in between sets. I see a lot of people taking 2-3 minutes in between sets. It’s one thing if you’re squatting or doing a high demanding lift but minimize this as much as you can and watch yourself start to progress again.
- Start incorporating more cardio or bodyweight exercises. Cardio will help build your stamina and bodyweight workouts are the fundamentals. The bigger your base, the higher you can build… (Read last week’s blog on Fundamentals for more. Link at bottom)
- Maybe your diet is holding you back. Simply by changing your intake you’ll find your body will react differently.
- Last but not least, do whatever you’re not doing. It’s that simple. If you’re not doing cardio, do cardio. If you’re not doing supersets (switching between 2 workouts at once), do more supersets.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting to see a different result. Change it up. Even if it doesn’t work (which it will), at least it’s not the same thing you’ve been doing over and over again.
Try something new so you can start progressing again. Plateaus won’t go away, they’ll keep coming back every time you get comfortable. You have to WANT to be uncomfortable. That’s the only way we transform into better versions of ourselves.
YOU GOT THIS!
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