How to overcome plateaus and keep progressing in your training

Hitting a fitness plateau can be incredibly frustrating, especially if you’re making consistent progress when suddenly, the results seem to slow down or stop altogether. It’s a common experience that pretty much everyone goes through, but the good news is that there are effective strategies to break through these plateaus and continue to progress.

Here are my practical tips to help you overcome fitness plateaus and keep progressing towards your goals.

1. Change Your Routine

One of the primary reasons for hitting a plateau is that your body has adapted to your current workout routine. To keep making progress, it’s essential to introduce variety into your workouts. This could mean trying new exercises, altering your workout split, or incorporating different training methods. For example, if you’ve been doing a lot of strength training, consider adding some higher rep training to target different muscle fibres. Or, if you’ve been pounding the treadmill, try some shorter, higher intensity cardio workouts. The key is to challenge your muscles in new ways, preventing them from becoming too accustomed to a particular protocol or set of movements.

2. Increase Intensity

Another effective way to breakthrough a plateau is to increase the intensity of your workouts. This can be achieved by adding more weight to your resistance training, increasing the number of sets and reps, or reducing rest times between sets. Progressive overload is a fundamental principle in fitness training, meaning you should continually challenge your body to handle more stress. However, it’s crucial to increase intensity gradually to avoid injury. Listen to your body and make sure you’re still able to maintain proper form.

3. Incorporate Progressive Overload

This is linked to the previous tip, progressive overload involves consistently increasing the demands placed on your muscles to promote growth and strength. This can be done by gradually increasing the weight you lift, the number of repetitions, or the frequency of your workouts. Keeping a record of your workouts can be helpful to track your progress and ensure you’re continually challenging yourself.

4. Focus on Nutrition

Sometimes, a plateau can be the result of dietary issues rather than workout routines. Ensure you’re fuelling your body properly with a balanced diet rich in proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. Consider tracking your macronutrients to make sure you’re eating enough to support muscle growth and recovery. Hydration also plays a critical role in performance, so drink plenty of water throughout the day.

5. Prioritise Recovery

This is something I’ve personally struggled with over the years, but overtraining can lead to plateaus just as easily as undertraining. Your muscles and connective tissues need time to repair and grow stronger after intense workouts. Plan your rest days and ensure you’re getting enough sleep, as this is when most muscle recovery happens. Consider activities like yoga or flexibility sessions can also enhance recovery and prevent burnout.

6. Set New Goals

Setting new, challenging, and realistic goals can reignite your motivation and give you a fresh focus. Instead of aiming for general improvements, set specific targets, such as increasing your deadlift by 10 kg or running a 5K in under 25 minutes. Having a clear goal to work towards can help you push through plateaus and give you a new lease of life in your workouts.

7. Stay Patient and Consistent

Finally, remember that progress in fitness is rarely linear. Plateaus are a normal part of the process, and patience is key. Stay consistent with your workouts, even when progress seems slow. I know people who flip flop from one training plan to another and because of this never achieve what they want. Trust in the process, enjoy it and keep pushing forward. Sometimes, simply staying the course and continuing to put in the work will eventually lead to breaking through a plateau.

Breaking through a training plateau requires a combination of strategy, patience, and perseverance. By changing up your routine, increasing intensity, focusing on nutrition, prioritising recovery, setting new goals, and staying consistent, you can overcome these obstacles and continue to make progress. Remember, plateaus are just a part of the journey, and with the right approach, you can push past them and achieve your fitness goals. Keep going, stay motivated, and believe in your ability to succeed.

Ready to break through your fitness plateau and see real progress? Join our Small Group Personal Training Classes at Core Fitness Personal Training Studio.

I’ll help you overcome any plateaus and keep progressing towards your fitness goals.

For more information check out the Core Fitness small group personal training page for more information here:

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