Workout plateaus do exist and this could mean that instead of continuing to lose weight, your weight gets stagnant. This could mean experiencing a phase where lifting anything heavy might become a problem for you. Some of the signs that you have hit a workout plateau include:
Decline in motivation
There are a number of reasons due to which you might lose your motivation and some of them might as well be personal. However, you can easily determine whether the problem is personal or if it is something else, like overtraining.
You might start to feel tired and find yourself shying away from heavier weights. These are all signs that your body is tired from overtraining and that it needs some time to recover, and this is the time when you should stop training for a little while.
Most people try to exert themselves more and they try to push through the plateau, however, this depends on your motivational level. If your motivation is high then you might just succeed but if you are lacking in motivation then it is advisable to take a few days off so that your body can recover.
Decline in strength
This one of the most obvious signs of hitting a plateau, as instead of building strength you start losing it. This problem becomes evident when you are no longer able to do the same number of lifts that you were once able to perform. When you start experiencing this problem, take it as a sign that your body has not been able to build muscle tissues and requires some time out. It is important that you take some rest at this point because it is possible that the lack of strength might be a result of muscle damage.
Little or no progress in at least the last two workouts
What’s the point in working out if there is no progress. Progress displays that you are building strength. This might be anything from an increase of a few reps or an increase in the weight that you lift. If, however, this progress is missing then you might have hit a plateau and it would be wise to change your routine when this happens.
Other signs of hitting a plateau include lack of aggression or no increase in muscles for at least two weeks.
The question to ask yourself is, what do you need to do once you hit a plateau? Listed below are a few ways to address this issue:
Rest for a while
It is very important that you rest up once you hit a plateau. It might prove to be a challenge for some; however, in case of hitting a plateau, it is wise to take some rest and relax for a little while. Relaxation here means active relaxation, such as going for walks or doing yoga, it doesn’t in any way refer to being a couch potato for a week or so.
In some cases, it is advisable to change your routine slightly. Now, many of you might hesitate in doing so, however, it doesn’t affect you adversely. It doesn’t mean that you change your routine entirely and start from the beginning; instead change your workout by replacing a few of your exercises with new ones. You might also consider changing the order in which you perform your workout. The idea here is to shock your body so that you are able to boost your muscle growth. It is normally advised that you should change your routine after every 4 to 6 weeks to avoid hindering your progress.
Get enough sleep
Now this is one aspect where most bodybuilders lack. It is very important that you get enough sleep if you want to avoid hitting a plateau, mainly because your body is able to build muscle tissues the fastest when you are sleeping and this is usually the time when your body repairs itself. Therefore, if you aren’t getting enough sleep then you are depriving your body of the time that it needs to repair and re-grow muscle tissue and as a result, you are prone to hitting a workout plateau.
Contain your workout to an hour
Now for many of you, your workouts will be like meditation and you might really love the time that you spend at the gym, but remember to keep a cap on that time. Your main aim is to generate muscle growth and in pursuing this goal you should remember that you don’t want to kill your muscles. Exerting pressure on your muscles for long periods of time is never a good strategy for building muscles. In fact, it does more harm than good. Therefore, remember to restrict your workout to an hour.
Generally, you are doing something wrong, due to which you hit a plateau, therefore be on a lookout for signs that indicate hitting a plateau and remember to pull yourself through it using the above-mentioned tips.