There comes a time in every athlete’s life where your progress levels off or, even worse, stops completely. Don’t let that bar you from achieving your goals. Here are some tips that you can apply immediately so you can get back to making gains!
1. Change up your routine
One reason you plateau is due to doing the same weight training program for longer than six weeks. You have to change things up regularly if you expect success. Instead of lifting light weights, go heavy. Instead of long, slow distance running, do sprint intervals. Instead of body part training (chest day, leg day, etc.), give total body training a shot (for example, CrossFit). Routine is the enemy. Change it up.
2. Find a new workout partner
Sometimes training by yourself can be a daunting task. Bring a motivated, like-minded friend of similar fitness level. That alone will bring a competitive element to your training days and will make you work harder.
3. Train like it’s the Olympics
Adding Olympic lifts to your training will help bust a plateau. With proper coaching, Olympic weightlifting helps enhance strength, power, balance, coordination, stability and flexibility – physical fitness skills necessary to improve one’s quality of life.
4. Take a break
Take a recovery week off from training. I know it seems oxymoronic but you may be in an overtrained state. Training too long or training hard day in and day out can cause a lot of undue stress on the body, resulting in a plateau. Signs of overtraining Include, but not limited to, excess fatigue, loss of progress, overly achy joints and muscles, being mentally drained or prone to injury, etc.
5. Get some active rest
Rest, take a spa day, go for a nice leisurely walk with the family, do something that’ll bring your body to a state of harmony and focus. Some athletes play a different, but less stressful sport. Recharge those batteries, so when you go back to training, you’ll be at your best and the progress you’ve longed for will manifest itself.
