Almost everyone gets comfortable in their own workout patterns and habits. Unfortunately, this can lead to stagnation and an overall slowdown in results. Full-body programs require constant variation and progression to be successful. Keeping your body guessing at different points in your workout routine can help you overcome plateaus and lead to greater muscle and strength gains in the future. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to prevent plateaus from occurring.
Step 1
Do something new. One of the most obvious ways — although seldom acknowledged — to break through a plateau is to change the type of exercises you do. If you always hit your chest with barbell bench-presses, try switching to dumbbell chest presses. If you’re always doing leg extensions, throw in some squats. Your muscles respond to new forms of stimulation and develop accordingly.
Step 2
Train harder. When you get comfortable at certain weights or methods of resistance, you end up simply going through the motions. For some, this may be enough to maintain current results. For others, not exercising hard enough can cause your muscles to become complacent and simply stop growing. If you can talk through an exercise, you’re most likely not working out hard enough. You can try adding more resistance to increase your workload. You can also set a time limit on each workout and try to beat this time for each exercise.
Step 3
Change the order of muscles you exercise. If you tend to exercise your arms first, by the time you get to bigger exercises like benching or shoulder presses, you won’t be able to push out as much weight. Conversely, if you hit bench presses or pullups first, your arms won’t be able to use as much weight as they would had you begun the workout with them. Try to start with a different muscle group at each full-body workout session, to give that particular group a chance to work as hard as possible before it gets fatigued from other exercises.
Step 4
Take a day off. If you’re hitting the gym day after day, for hours on end, your body may not have enough time to repair itself. This can lead to overtraining, causing your progress to slow down or even come to a halt. Resting is just as important as training and should not be disregarded as part of your overall training method. Take a few days off to let your body and muscles reboot. When you come back, you’ll be stronger, more focused and ready to take your training to the next level.
Tips and Warnings
- Find a partner to work out with for added motivation and to learn new exercises. Use a spotter so that you can challenge your muscles more without risking injury.
- Always consult your physician prior to starting any exercise routine. Always warm up prior to starting an intense exercise session to avoid injury to muscles.
References
- “NSCA’s Guide to Sport and Exercise Nutrition”; National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2011
- “Lifestyle + Weight Management Consultant Manual”; American Council on Exercise; 2008
- "ACSM’s Resources for the Personal Trainer”; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
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