Consider this: It's been a few months since you first started
weight training and you're not seeing the same kind of results
as you did at the beginning. Sound familiar? You may have hit a
plateau in your strength-training program. In fact, unless you
continually update your program to reflect the changes your body
has already experienced, you are almost guaranteed to plateau at
some point along your journey toward reaching your
strength-training goals.
Struggling To Gain Strength
Strength-training plateaus usually occur after about six
months of training. They are especially noticeable at this time
since the dramatic gains in strength many people experience
during the first few months of their program begin to level off.
These changes are often the result of continuously using one
training-program approach. The solution to the plateau is
generally an easy one that involves varying your routine. The
following approaches can help you steer clear of a strength
plateau.
Turn Up The Intensity
If you have been training two to three times per week for
more than six months, performing 10 to 20 exercises per session,
and are looking for additional size and/or strength gains, you
should look closely at one factor: intensity. It seems that the
best stimulus for increasing strength gains is to make the
muscles work harder, as opposed to longer. High-intensity
training may be the edge you need to get yourself off of a
strength plateau.
If you're considering using lighter weights and more
repetitions to get stronger or improve the appearance of your
muscles, think again. High-repetition, low-resistance training
is usually not sufficient to stimulate significant strength
gains. In fact, unless an individual is extremely deconditioned,
this type of training is usually ineffective in promoting any
kind of health and fitness gains and, if the repetitions are
redundantly high, it could lead to overuse injuries, lack of
results and frustration.
Add Variety By Using Cross Training
If the reason you've hit a plateau is because you're bored,
disinterested or lack motivation, cross train within the muscle
strength and endurance components of fitness. Cross training
keeps your program interesting by utilizing a variety of
different exercises and equipment. Initially, try cross training
without changing intensity, then progress to changing the
movement pattern of an exercise to stimulate a different pattern
of motor unit recruitment.
Another alternative is to change the sequence of exercises
you are already do-ing to create variety and a new overload.
Because the muscles are being fatigued in a different order or
pattern, they must adapt to this change in stimulus. The next
step might be to replace some or all of the exercises in your
routine. For each exercise, look at the joint action(s) and
muscle group(s) being utilized and replace it with an exercise
that targets the same group(s). For example, the bench press can
be replaced by pushups, dumbbell presses or incline and decline
presses. You might consider scheduling a session or two with a
personal trainer who can provide you with alternatives to the
exercises you are currently using in your program.
Cross training can help keep you motivated and interested in
continuing your program, as well as stimulate greater strength
gains. For optimal muscular development, variety is the name of
the game.
Don't Let A Plateau Become A Pitfall
If you've stopped gaining strength, the key to getting off
the plateau is to vary your program. The human body is an
amazing piece of machinery, capable of adapting to just about
any circumstance or stimulus. By shaking things up a bit,
varying your program by introducing some new elements, you'll
likely find yourself off the plateau and back on the road to
progress in no time
