Strategies For Overcoming Plateaus In Your Fitness Journey

It’s not uncommon to encounter a plateau on your fitness journey, when no matter how disciplined you are about sticking to a regular routine and eating well, you are not getting the results you want.  

You may have noticed that when you first started working out, you saw rapid and rewarding changes that motivated you to carry on, but now putting in the same effort just keeps you treading water. This can be frustrating when you are keen to make progress and want to take your fitness goals to the next level. 

Why do fitness plateaus occur?

A fitness plateau can occur when your body has adapted to your current exercise routine, so it doesn’t have to work so hard to perform the movements. Even though you are doing the same routine, your body is under less stimulus than it was when you started. 

This makes progress towards your goals more difficult, whether that’s strength, speed, muscle size, or cardiovascular fitness. However, there’s no need to worry, as there’s plenty you can do to address a flatlining performance.

Here are some strategies to help you push through a workout plateau and move your journey onward.

Vary your routine

If you’ve followed the same routine for more than a few months, chances are your body has just become too used to it, and so it loses effectiveness. Make changes to your plan while maintaining structure and routine. These changes can be subtle, such as having a slightly wider or narrower bench press or more significant by adding in more volume (total work/sets). Volume can be added by simply doing extra sets or even by squeezing in an extra session. With volume, we can see a dose-response effect: more volume equals more gains. Additionally, you may consider adding more conditioning work, perhaps throwing in an extra run or interval session.

However, if you introduce new movements, be careful that you are using the correct techniques otherwise you may be doing more harm than good. If you want some guidance to take you through this stage, it may be worth working with an experienced online fitness coach for expert and tailored advice. 

Step up the intensity

Stepping up the intensity, such as lifting heavier weights or pushing yourself closer to failure, allows you to more effectively stimulate your muscles without adding extra time to your sessions.

If you can fit in an extra session or two during the week, this can obviously be helpful. However, be aware of overtraining as this will mean that your body is not having adequate recovery time and may hinder performance and progress. 

Consider nutrition and quality of rest

Fitness is not just about working out: your diet and lifestyle play an important role. Consider if you are eating a well-balanced diet with enough protein and are adequately recovering. Good quality sleep will help your body to properly rest and recover between training sessions and good nutrition will optimise that recovery!