Author: Maggie Geil, Lift With Mags
NASM CPT, Bodybuilding & Resistance Training Specialist
3 Minute Read
Every once in a while, we all hit a plateau in the gym. Our lifts feel heavier than usual, we're not seeing the results we thought we would, and our body feels different and out of place. Why does this happen? We work so hard in the gym every day, we're breaking a sweat, and still... the results are lacking.
Listen, plateaus are normal, especially as you progress in your lifting career! The more advanced you become, the harder it is to progress. So, how do we combat these plateaus and why aren't we seeing the progress we thought we would?
1) YOU HAVEN'T TAKEN A DELOAD / RESTING PHASE IN A WHILE
What the heck is a deload week? Well, this is also known as a resting phase in programming. This means that for a week (or two depending on your program) you don't lift more than 60% of your 1RM, cut down on intensity and focus on muscular imbalances and mobility (you know, the things we neglect most of the time).
Why would I do that? Why would I take a week off from my program? Won't I lose muscle?
Not necessarily. One week is not enough time for your muscles to atrophy, and depending on your program intensity, taking a step back could mean the difference between the body you want and a hospital bed.
If your lifts feel super difficult and you just cant seem to break that plateau, take a week off from the heavy lifts and focus on:
improving your mobility through longer warm ups/cool downs or active rest days dedicated to mobility
fixing muscular imbalances by doing unilateral (single side) exercises
work on stabilization through proprioceptive (unstable) exercises, like a squat on a bosu ball, or a chest press on a physio ball
A recommended rule of thumb for programing your deload weeks is a 3:1 week ratio. 3 weeks of your regular program, 1 week of deloading. For my lifters that get the red devil in your belly every month, programming your deload week for that week of the month works wonders on maintaining progress!
You'll be surprised how rested you come back to your regular lifts after this week of recovery.
2) YOU'VE BEEN NEGLECTING FORM
I know this one sounds obvious, and your first reaction is 'no, not me!' but it could be the issue.
When we've been lifting for a while and adding weight to our lifts, getting PR's and boosting our egos, we make little adjustments to our form to make this possible. For example, we might not be controlling the movements for as long to increase power at the bottom position of our lift just to hit a PR. Sound familiar?
The best way to see if you're neglecting your form is to record yourself while you're lifting. Being able to have an outside view of your lifts will help to determine if something is off with your form, so you can correct it and reduce the risk of injuring yourself.
3) YOU HAVEN'T BEEN SLEEPING WELL / INCREASED STRESS IN YOUR LIFE
Stress has an enormous effect on our wellbeing. Getting a new job, new responsibilities, extended hours of stress, and less than 6 hours of sleep can seriously deter progress in the gym.
Think of it like this, if you're driving a car for a long road trip and you don't stop for the night to shut the car off and let it rest, the car heats up and runs the battery low. Your body is the same way. If you're constantly in a state of heightened stress and you can't shut your body down to rest, your stress hormones stay elevated and your internal battery runs low.
Stress is just a factor of life, we can't really get rid of it. But we can identify it and try to combat it with a simple activity that brings us joy. For me, it's writing my thoughts in a journal before going to bed so I get all the thoughts out of my head and onto the paper.
Find something other than the gym that brings joy to your busy life and try to make time for it, even if it's just for 10 minutes.
Feel free to reach out via my website through the button below for more personalized help with your progress, more tips and tricks in the gym, or to browse my services and programs!
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