Despite
this is a broad question and it would be more helpful for me if I had
some stats like weight, daily meal plan, training routine volume,
hours of sleep etc. I can however provide some important quidelines
that will help you to figure out the real cause of this plateau.
However if you think that everything is ok with your daily schedule
and you are still making no progress in the Gym, then and only then,
should you take a week off, to give time to your CNS (central nervous
system) to recuperate itself. There is not a general rule that after
‘X’ weeks you should take off from your training regimen but you
really should do it if you have these symptoms:
-
Feel lethargic
-
not looking forward to working out
-
can’t lift as much weight as usual
-
can’t do as many reps as usual
-
not only gain muscle but also not be capable of keeping it
-
Sore tendons
-
feel depressed
-
loss of appetite
The
above symptoms are considered as signs of overtraining and is usually
a main cause of hitting a plateau. Now that you have taken the first
step by recognizing that you’ve hit a plateau and believe me this is
a big step, lets examine several causes of that unpleasant situation
,except the above we discussed.
-Diet
is the most
overlooked factor when it comes to stagnation. Are you eating enough
protein to build new muscle? Just remember that you need approximately
from one to two grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. Does your
daily meal schedule consisted of 5-6 small meals? If no, then you have
done a huge mistake cause it’s simple. If you aren’t eating the
appropriate calories, you aren’t growing-period.
-Training.
Changing your actual workout is good from time to time. Your body
becomes too accustomed to the number of sets, order of exercises, rep
range, etc. Mix it up. Introduce a new movement to hit the muscle from
a different angle. You see, the human body, no matter how hard,
intense and consistently you train it, will eventually adapt to the
stress being put on it. Therefore it is a more than a wise option to
occasionally shock your muscles with completely different routines
every 4-5 weeks just to ensure you are getting the most of your
training and are able to continuously make progress.
-Rest
is another crucial
factor you can’t overlook. Muscles don’t grow when you are in the
gym but when you are sleeping or resting. Are you getting at least 8
hours of undisturbed sleep per night? Are you participating in other
strenuous sports or activities also? If your answer is yes you should
reconsider your priorities.
-Supplements
sure, will help you to achieve a better healthier body in the possible
quickest time but you should know that our body is trying to resist to
any external substance we put into it, via a mechanism called
‘homeostasis’. With homeostasis the body is trying to maintain its
stability and this way every substance we consume, with time its
effects is diminished. In simple english our body gets accustomed to
everything we put in our mouth because of this action-reaction. So it
would be wise also to change your supplements every 8-10 weeks. That
way your body never becomes accustomed to them.
Every serious athlete hits a training plateau at one point or another in his or her resistance program. You should never be disappointed but you need always be aware and assess your current program as far as the above factors if you want to break through your training plateaus. You need to formulate specific goals, keep a training and nutritional log and periodically check your body composition and therefore be able to monitor your progress. However if you continue to make no progress and you have addressed diet, training, rest and supplementation then you’d better get your blood checked by your physician to see if there are any major deficiencies.
Hope
this helps!
Joey
