Are you frustrated with your progress at the gym? Do you pump iron week after week, only to see the same physique time and time again? Do you feel discouraged and disheartened by your progress? You may just have hit a plateau!

Plateau

The human body is incredibly effective at adapting to change. This applies to all types of scenarios and situations, working out is no different. Following the same routine for a prolonged period of time will have nothing but toxic consequences to one’s mind, spirit and progress.

A plateau is literally the end result of a fitness rut that no one is immune to. The best way to get over a plateau is to look for signs of one. The most obvious of these signs is the inability to progress at one’s goals, regardless of whether its weight loss, weight gain, muscle growth or strength gains. Another sign is fatigue and low motivation. Both of these symptoms go hand in hand, as they are psychological responses by our body. They are a direct result of our inability to progress and to a lesser extent, are caused by over training.

There are several ways to prevent and get over a plateau. The following will provide you with 9 simple steps to do just that!

#1) Rest! Rest! Rest!

If you have reached a plateau or think you have it is important to rest. Taking a week to ten days off from the gym can work wonders. You will come back feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. This is especially important for those individuals who feel tired and unmotivated. Remember, don’t just plant your butt in front of the couch and eat wedges – go for walks, spend time with family, do some yoga etc. This is called active resting and relaxation. Use this additional free time to do relaxing, enjoyable and constructive activities. It is important to take short breaks from working out, when one has been consistently training for 3 to 4 months. These breaks should last about a week and will assist in preventing a plateau.

#2) Eating Habits:

As you increase your physical activity your body’s caloric requirements will rise. This will probably be accompanied by an increase in one’s metabolism. 3 square meals a day will not cut it. Even if you’re eating 5 to 7meals/day you have to examine the nutritional value of these foods. If you find that you are hungry in between meals or throughout the day, you are seeing a clear sign of inadequate food consumption. It is also important to make sure that you are meeting your daily protein requirements. If you are looking to pack on some heavy muscle, a rule of thumb is to eat about 1 gram of proteinper pound of bodyweight. Remember to eat moderately sized meals, every 2 to 3 hours throughout the day.

#3) Change the Routine

Many people are skeptical about changing their routine. It is a norm to be hesitant of change, especially when things have gone so well in the past. The body is a beautiful object that adapts easily to the stresses it is exposed to. This is the main reason why it is important to modify one’s routine every now and then. Changing the routine doesn’t mean starting from scratch. All you have to do is take out one exercise, for a particular workout and replace it with another. You should also change the order in which you perform exercises. These two changes, though small, will shock the body and promote greater muscle growth.

A great way to prevent gains from diminishing is to systematically change one’s routine at certain fixed intervals. Changing one’s routine every 4 to 6 weeks is a great way to prevent the halting of one’s progress.

#4) Stay F.I.T.

It is important to not only modify the exercises one does, but also change how one exercises. F.I.T. stands for frequency, intensity and time. These words are golden when it comes to breaking out of a plateau. They can be used to modify one’s cardio and resistance training program. Lets run through them quickly:

Frequency: It is important to increase or decrease how often you workout.

Intensity: You should try and increase or decrease the level at which you train.

Time: You should also change the length of time you train for.

#5) Sleep Enough!

Working out and eating a healthy diet are very important when it comes to staying fit and building muscle, but there not your only concern. Your body regenerates and repairs muscle tissue the fastest when your sleeping. It is therefore important to get an ample amount of sleep every night. The average adult should strive for 7 to 8 hours of sleep to ensure that the body is properly rested. The amount of sleep you get has a direct effect on your energy levels as well as how you train. This is very important when it comes to building muscle, so sleep enough!

#6) Keep Workouts Under an Hour

The goal of weight training is to train your muscles to stimulate growth, not murder them. When we put intense pressure on our muscles for prolonged periods of time, our bodies go into a state of catabolism (muscle breakdown). This will usually begin to happen if weight training is done for more than an hour and a half. Consistently working-out for more than an hour will result in over-training. This will lead to the weakening of one’s muscles. Studies have shown that the growth assisting hormones the body releases, peak within 30mins of exercise and decline shortly after. Always keep workouts under an hour and if you must, never train more than an hour and fifteen minutes!

#7) Challenge Yourself!

Overloading our muscles results in growth and strength. It is therefore important to assess our ability to challenge ourselves. When we are working out, we must pay attention to the number of reps we perform per set, for a given exercise. If you are able to do 7 to 8 reps on the last set of a specific exercise, you are lifting too light. If you are able to get less than 4 reps, you are lifting too heavy. You must consistently increase weight whenever possible, but strive for 4 to 6 reps on the last set of an exercise.

#8 Don’t Over Do It!

The only time our muscles grow is when they rest. It is important to have ample rest before working the same muscle group again. If you did an intense workout you should leave a gap of 7 days before you work that muscle group again. If your muscles are not well rested, they will become overworked and you will become weaker as a result.

#9) When Building Muscle, Don’t Go All Out on the Cardio!

When we are training our muscles, we should be doing just that – training them. A common mistake people make when trying to build muscle is to burn fat at the same time. This unfortunately does not work. Keep your cardio limited to 20 to 30mins per session and limit yourself to 3 to 4 sessions per week. Cardio sessions that are too long will negatively affect the body’s muscle building abilities. Studies have also shown that prolonged cardio sessions reduce testosterone production.

A plateau is never an enjoyable experience. It can be frustrating and emotionally draining. By paying closer attention to our bodies and the things we do, we can limit or eliminate the potential for hitting a plateau. We all face challenges in this world, working out is no different. By staying motivated, listening to our bodies and consistently pushing ourselves harder, we can accomplish anything!

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