Breaking Through Plateaus
When you first start out, it will be easy, and you'll make a progress every workout and it will be easy. This can last months. If you train long enough eventually, progress will slow, and you'll stall.
How do you break through plateaus?
First of all, lets go through the obvious stuff before going into programming. While this stuff is simple and obvious, it is the first thing you should look at if you're not making progress as it's stuff most people don't do.
How to program to break through a plateaus
For example, lets say your squat has stalled at 200kg 3 x 3. Instead of trying to keep going with 200kg 3 sets of 3, drop the weight to 170kg or 180kg and do 4 x 3, or 3 x 4 and build up again.
It could look like this
For example,
Start with 3 x 10. When you start to struggle to add weight or reps...
Switched to 3 x 8. When you start to struggle to add weight or reps...
Switch t0 3 x 6 When you start to struggle to add weight or reps...
Switch to 3 x 4. Repeat the process.
Then 3×3.
You then go back to 3 x 10, and repeat the process starting with heavier weights than before.
This linear loading is a very simple way to plan your training. Step loading and wave loading is also good way to plan progression. Step loading keeps you working at a certain weight while increasing volume. Linear, Wave and Step Loading
You can also add another day you do the exercise and use different rep ranges, or use a close variation while using the same principles. For example, Do squats for 4 x 8 one day, and then 4 x 4 the other day.
Get in touch if you want a personal trainer to help you with your training.
How do you break through plateaus?
First of all, lets go through the obvious stuff before going into programming. While this stuff is simple and obvious, it is the first thing you should look at if you're not making progress as it's stuff most people don't do.
- Make sure you're training hard enough
- Make sure you're eating enough.
- You're in need of a de-load.
- Are you doing enough to recover outside the gym?
How to program to break through a plateaus
- Reduce the load a bit and do more volume
For example, lets say your squat has stalled at 200kg 3 x 3. Instead of trying to keep going with 200kg 3 sets of 3, drop the weight to 170kg or 180kg and do 4 x 3, or 3 x 4 and build up again.
It could look like this
- 200kg 3 x 3
- 180kg 4 x 3
- 185kg 4 x 3
- 190kg 4 x 3
- 195kg 3-3-3-2 ( I wasn't able to get 3 reps on all 4 sets)
- 200kg 3-3-3-2
- 205kg 3 x 3
- 207.5kg 3 x 3 (This was tough, so I reduce the weight again)
- 170kg 5 x 3 (Build up again with even more volume than before)
- Periodization
For example,
Start with 3 x 10. When you start to struggle to add weight or reps...
Switched to 3 x 8. When you start to struggle to add weight or reps...
Switch t0 3 x 6 When you start to struggle to add weight or reps...
Switch to 3 x 4. Repeat the process.
Then 3×3.
You then go back to 3 x 10, and repeat the process starting with heavier weights than before.
This linear loading is a very simple way to plan your training. Step loading and wave loading is also good way to plan progression. Step loading keeps you working at a certain weight while increasing volume. Linear, Wave and Step Loading
You can also add another day you do the exercise and use different rep ranges, or use a close variation while using the same principles. For example, Do squats for 4 x 8 one day, and then 4 x 4 the other day.
Get in touch if you want a personal trainer to help you with your training.