What is an exercise plateau?

A state of little or no change in your routine. This could affect how much weight you lift or your weight not changing.

How do I overcome a plateau?

Re-adjust your volume and intensity.

These terms are commonly used when discussing periodization. Volume is the product of sets times repetitions. The intensity is measured by your maximum repetition or difficulty of an exercise. People like to call this “tricking” your muscles. In reality your muscles do not think. By re-adjusting your volume and intensity, your body will identify unfamiliar patterns allowing it to break out of its normal routine. An example of re-adjusting your workout could be lowering the weights and doing higher repetition, or increasing the weights and doing less repetitions.

Take a week off.

When you rest, your muscles begin to rebuild and your joints and connective tissues have time to recuperate from the impact. There is a misconception that rest will make you lose your results. This is false! Even your favorite athletes rest strategically. Keep in mind a rest period doesn’t mean you should slack off. You need to continue your eating regimen and instead of exercising, implement stretching or a different mode of exercise like cardio versus resistance training or vice versa. When you go back to your routine, your body will be ready!

For more information on Progressions and Plateaus, click here