Training Plateaus: Embracing the Fail
Hitting training plateaus is extremely common, as well as frustrating! I frequently see or hear about clients that are honestly sticking to the plan and are honestly doing everything in his/her power to still see results. I’ve italicized honestly because most frequently this drop in results is due to a lack of consistency. It is extremely difficult to remain consistent and find a work/life/training balance in this busy world and NO ONE is (or should be) judging for you that.
If I do feel that consistency is the issue, then I encourage increased accountability or working on hitting smaller, more attainable, goals again. Training (and life) is an ebb and flow and we’re doing ourselves a huge disservice when we take the one size fits all approach!
Quick tips for accountability:
1. Join a class or find a workout buddy
a. Recruit friends or get a trainer
2. Schedule your sessions on your calendar
a. Just like you would an important meeting
3. Plan ahead for setbacks
a. Have an “on the go” session you can do quickly without gym equipment
b. Pack extra healthy snacks when quality food is hard to find
Now, how to fix the “I REALLY am doing all I can,” plateau.
The simple answer: CHANGE IT UP.
No one wants to hear this, but this “change” is going to require trial and error. This will not be an insta-fix. I’ll say it again, training is not and should not be crammed into the “one size fits all” category. We all have different bodies and those bodies require various training mechanisms, fueling, and recovery methods. You have done the hard work to figure out how to get the ball rolling and you’ve committed the time to making lifestyle changes - that is AWESOME! The initial stages of fat loss or muscle gain typically illicit results quickly; especially when it’s new to our body. However, as we adapt, and training becomes more normal for our body, things tend to stall out. This stall doesn’t have to represent a negative. It can be what’s natural for your body and something that you know you can or want to maintain. However, if this is not your end goal, and you want more, then it’s time to branch out.
Changing it up does NOT mean you have to go berserk with your training. MOST of us just need to add some variety – I repeat: this will take some trial and error!
1. Start with finding a new routine or trying different classes.
a. Mixing things up can stimulate our bodies to adapt again, initiating another round of weight loss or muscle growth (depending on goals).
b. **Extra: add in burpees between sets, modify your rep ranges, use different modalities (bands, chains, cables, tires, etc.). Variety is the spice of life! It’s also a simple way to challenge your body again.
2. Focus more on how you’re fueling your body.
a. Being underfed can be a signal for your body to hold MORE fat (fat is what fuels the brain therefore our body will hold onto it for survival – very primal)
b. **If you think nutrition is your issue TALK TO A PROFESSIONAL!!! Nutrition can be difficult and stressful. If we see food as stress then that’s just another source of stress for our body. Our body does not see work stress, life stress, family stress, food stress – it just sees STRESS. We tend to hold onto fat when we are stressed – don’t do this alone.
3. If you have been training for a long time or have a high fitness level, then what you might need most is REST!!
a. Yes, I said it – rest! This doesn’t mean you get to do nothing. Instead, try some recovery. Stretch, sleep, fuel, and/or cross train. “We are what we repeatedly do,” means that we adapt to that, and to seek change we need to adjust what we repeatedly do.
b. Also, our bodies grow during rest. We break them down when we train, but they grow when we rest. If you are not allowing for adequate recovery, then you cannot grow.
4. Focus on form.
a. Get back to the basics and muscle activation. Again, our body adapts and strives to be as efficient as possible. This is a fantastic survival tool, but it can lead to plateaus or bad habits when it comes to training.
b. If you can stimulate more muscles during your lifts, then you are doing more work with the same exercises. This is like going to your favorite store and discovering there is a BOGO sale. You were already going to buy something, but now, for the same price, you get more!
Breaking past a plateau or making training exciting again doesn’t always require BIG shifts. Work on the small things first. Training should be seen as a long-term journey – this is something you should strive to do forever. If you hate what you are currently doing, then change it! Social standards and everyday media have illuminated the fitness industry. The positive of this is that we, as a culture, think about our fitness and health more. The negative is that we are constantly bombarded with “what to do,” or “how to look.” Social media culture encourages us to idolize the picture-perfect bods instead of our own. We are not all designed to be models, lift obscenely heavy weights, eat kale at every meal, or train every day. FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU AND YOUR BODY!
Plateaus are frustrating and can make us feel like failures. You are likely to meet a lot of failures during your trial and error journey of “what works for you.” In my opinion, a failure is an opportunity to grow and learn a new skill. In the world of lifting, going to FAIL typically means we are pushing new limits and breaking old records. I purposefully design exercises to be performed to failure for testing and mental toughness. The idea of meeting failure means that it’s time to level up. Get out there and FAIL!
[Promo Code for 15% off Online Training: FAIL2020]