Ok, so you've been
hitting the weights pretty hard for awhile now. At first you made some
significant gains but results seem to be coming harder now. In fact, you may
have come to a complete stand still. No increase in bodyweight, no increase in
max lifts, no increase in repetitions. You eat right and train regularly but
nothing much more seems to be happening. What gives? This is usually the point
where people begin to seriously consider steroids or at least the latest
supplement craze.
Save your money
and your health.
You have reached the dreaded plateau. The mysterious dimension that most
bodybuilders fall into at one time or another. The good news is that you don't
have to stay there. The pioneers in our sport have already blazed the trails
and left road maps on how to either escape the plateau or avoid it all
together. Read on!
Let's first discuss
what the plateau is and why it occurs. When you begin a weight training
program you introduce new levels of stress to your body and muscles. Weight
training actually damages muscle tissue. To compensate for this, our bodies
initiate a healing process to not only repair the damaged tissue but to create
new muscle fiber as well. This is how the body compensates for the increased
demands that are being placed upon it. It's like when you were a kid and you
came home for lunch with a few friends. Your mom probably wasn't expecting
company and so there wasn't enough food to go around. The next time however
she made a little extra just incase. This is exactly what the body does when
we train properly.
That's great,
but it's also the root of the plateau.
Here's the
scenario. You begin a routine. At first it's difficult. You feel challenged
and more than a little sore. After a few weeks however the initial pain
subsides and you are beginning to see some progress. The routine is working
for you and you continue to ride the wave as far as it will take you. During
this time your body is constantly repairing old muscle fibers and building new
ones. Your strength and size are increasing accordingly. Now the problem
slowly begins to creep in. Your body is doing exactly what it is supposed to
do. The problem is however that as your body continually compensates for the
work load it is also
ADAPTING
to the work load. In other words, the routine that was once so difficult and
such a shock to your system is now exactly that,
ROUTINE!
You have reached a plateau because your workout is no longer a big deal. Sure,
it may still seem difficult, you may actually break a sweat or even yell for a
rep or two but it's just not the same. Your body has adapted. It's used to the
stress. Been there, done that.
So how do you
escape this fate?
First let me say that I'm a firm believer in these two rules. The first rule
is that if it's not broken, don't fix it. In other words, if your routine is
working and you are making continual progress, don't try to fix it. The second
rule is, as soon as your workout is beginning to show signs of wear, give it a
tune up. Change it. If you want to break through the plateau or avoid it all
together you must add variety to your routine.
The same old
thing will NOT continually offer the same results.
It's the old law of diminishing returns. The longer that you stay with the
same routine, the less physically rewarding it will be. Many advanced lifters
will completely overhaul their workout program every 4 to 6 weeks. This keeps
the workouts fresh, challenging, and most important of all, productive. For
me, I'm constantly shifting between light days and heavy days. High reps and
low reps. Variety is not only the spice of life, it's also the key to keeping
your body in a constant state of alertness. Below are a few rules to keep you
out of the plateau zone.
1. Change is good.
Your workout must remain fresh if it is to stay productive.
2. When your
progress begins to slow down, don't just wait around to see if it picks back
up again.
3. Plan your
workouts in advance. Don't wait until you get to the gym to see what you
"feel" like doing. Know what you are going to do before you even walk through
the door.
4. As soon as you
begin to get comfortable with your new routine, begin planning your next
routine.
5. Don't try to max
out on weight every week. Constantly trying to max out is the fast lane to the
plateau zone.
6. Work on
variation on a theme. Don't just flat bench every week. Alternate between
flat, decline, incline, bumbell, etc.
7. Introduce
burnout sets occasionally to shock your muscles.
8. Go with heavy
weight and low reps one week followed with moderate weight and high reps the
next.
9. Alternate muscle
groups. Never work the same muscle two days in a row. A good example to follow
is
 a. Day One: Back &
Biceps
b. Day Two: Legs
c. Day Three: Chest
& Triceps
d. Day Four: Rest
10. Don't forget to
eat according to your goal or to get adequate rest.
Natural
Bodybuilding at its Finest - Lift for Life.com
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