Break that plateau and achieve new gains with ease.
Bodybuilding is always going to be challenging whether you’re a beginner or have spent years in the gym. Most advanced lifters at some point in their bodybuilding careers hit a plateau which can be frustrating, and discouraging. A training plateau is when you have been working out and following a diet plan but don’t see improvement in your physique. If you don’t know how to break the plateau, you might be stuck in the limbo forever.
The unfortunate nature of a plateau is that often times we don’t know how to break it. We continue to train, keep pushing our bodies to the brink, but no change happens. That’s because your approach is wrong and things will never change until you do.
While it can be frustrating and may even deter you from going to the gym, the changes are rather simple and can make or break your gains for the better. By focusing on what matters and giving yourself the best chance at seeing effective change, you start to realize that a plateau is just one of those things you can break right through with ease.
Our team at Generation Iron is going to take a look at 5 of the best ways to break a plateau so you never sacrifice your gains or hard work again. By putting an emphasis on what truly matters, you start to develop a real sense of what it takes to see the best growth possible.
Why A Training Plateau Happens
A plateau happens because your training has stalled out and your muscles have adapted enough and gotten used to your workouts. The problem with sticking to the same old exercises is that your body gets used to this and it becomes second nature. Growth won’t occur because your muscles are just out for a walk.
We need to constantly be changing our routine to see gains and to create muscle confusion that we would otherwise not get by performing the same exact exercises. Once you start to feel a plateau come on, either switch plans or try these 5 ways of breaking right through.
Best 5 Ways To Break A Training Plateau
Let’s take a look at these 5 ways to break a plateau. With the right approach you will no longer suffer or sacrifice gains and can continue to see great growth. Plus, that physique you want most will most certainly occur.
1. Use Advanced Training Technique
Our bodies are really smart and can adapt to our workouts quickly. If you have been following the same bodybuilding program, you should add advanced training techniques like supersets, drop sets, intraset stretching, force sets, etc. in your workouts.
Your goal should be to keep your muscles guessing by shocking them with a new variation with every workout. As Arnold used to say, “Shock your muscles so they don’t know what hit them, this is the only way to grow.” By using advanced techniques, you constantly seek to confuse your muscles so they grow and can’t get used to any of the new ways you challenge them.
2. A Combination of Mind-Muscle Connection and Visualization
The art of visualization includes looking at yourself in the mirror and imagining how you want your muscle to look. You are the sculptor of your physique. If you don’t already have an aesthetic goal for yourself, this is the right time to set one. When looking to set goals, set smaller ones first so you can achieve the larger one eventually. Just know it takes time.
Bodybuilding isn’t about lifting heavy weights or just going through the motions. You need to focus on your muscles while you’re training them. Contract and squeeze your muscles with every rep, so they’re filled with blood and lactic acid giving you a muscle-tearing pump. By working on form, you develop mind-muscle connection to give your muscles the attention they deserve.
3. Mix Up Your Workouts
If you perform compound exercises like the squats, bench press, deadlifts at the beginning of your workouts, and isolation exercises at the end, you should try switching the order and start your workouts with isolation exercises.
If you train one muscle a day, you can try working out two muscle groups in a day. Doing so will give you two days to train every muscle group in a week. On a two muscle workout day, train the weaker muscle group before the stronger one.
4. Switch the Volume and Intensity
Most people follow the vanilla training programs where they perform 3 sets for 12 reps of every exercise. If you don’t spice up your workouts, your body will hit a plateau. Try changing the number of sets and reps you perform in every workout.
You can also switch between high volume – high intensity or low volume – high-intensity workouts. The high volume workouts have a higher number of sets and intensity refers to the number of reps and time for rest between sets.
5. Recovery Plays a Big Role
Breaking the plateau isn’t limited to working out. Your diet and recovery play a major role. If you don’t give your body enough time to recuperate, you won’t see the results no matter how hard you workout.
Design a diet plan according to your goals and follow it religiously. Six to eight hours of sleep every night is essential if you want to see positive changes in your body. Always remember, you break your muscles inside the gym, and your muscles grow while you’re asleep.
Wrap Up
A plateau can be debilitating and quite honestly, one of those things we never want to have happen. But as bodybuilders and people who constantly train, it is bound to happen at some point. By following these 5 steps above, you take better care to avoid plateaus and only see the best and most effective growth possible. With the right attitude and approach to training, you will see growth in no time. Give these 5 tips for breaking a plateau a try and see what they can do for you. You won’t be disappointed by the result.
Are you satisfied with your gains? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Images courtesy of Envato
