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How to Break Through a Weightlifting Plateau

Unfortunately, everyone struggles with a plateau from time to time and weightlifters are no exception. They can be frustrating, hard to deal with, and they can even make you want to quit trying. However, if you can work through it, you will progress and often become a lot stronger more quickly once you have. But how do you break through a weightlifting plateau?

Weightlifting in Gym

Change the Exercise

It might be that your body has got very used to the exercises you are doing and therefore they don’t have the same effect anymore. Changing the way you exercise your muscles by changing the equipment you are using or even just using it in a different order can help you to overcome your plateau. 

Change Speed

Changing the speed at which you do the exercises tricks your body into thinking it is doing something different. Try to slow down the speed at which you lift weights as this will put more strain on your muscles and make them work harder. You should aim to make a rep last between 30 and sixty seconds to get the best results from it. Another thing you can do to change your speed is to not give yourself as much time between reps. This will vary your workout and make it slightly harder so you should see an improvement by doing this. 

Lift Heavier Weight for Fewer Reps

If you want to get bigger, it is important to lift heavier weights rather than stick to the weight you have been lifting for a while. If you can just about do ten reps of one weight, then increase the weight and decrease the reps. Six reps with a heavier weight should be enough to make a noticeable difference over a few weeks. 

Compound Training

Compound training is when you stop training your muscles in isolation and work a few of them at the same time instead. This means that you will have to vary your exercise and it helps to break your weightlifting plateau by working muscles you may have previously ignored when you were isolating individual muscles. Compound movements resemble how muscles naturally move so training them gives you practical and useful strength. 

Get Enough Sleep

If you are doing everything you can in the gym and you are still not seeing the results you want, it could be a lack of sleep rather than anything you are doing at the gym. Muscles strengthen and grow while you rest so if you have been burning the candle at both ends this may be why you have hit a plateau. Take a few days off from the gym and spend the time relaxing instead. Once you go back to it you may find that you are over your plateau. 

Nutrition

You need to give your body the right fuel to make it work properly so you should consider whether your diet is causing you issues. You should aim to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day as well as stock up on protein such as white meat and fish if you want to get through a weightlifting plateau. Supplements can give you the right nutrients as well as help you to get bigger and stronger. A good option for men to consider trying is turkesterone. 

Try these techniques to help you break through a weightlifting plateau and don’t be disheartened by it. You will come back bigger and stronger if you change the way you work out for a while and treat your body well. No plateau can last forever, so don’t give up.

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Written by Mark Greene

Mark Greene is writer and life coach dedicated to helping men to perform at peak level. He shares dating advice, style tips and strategies for building wealth and success.