How to Get Over a Gym Plateau

Progressing in the gym is one of the best feelings a person can get.

Having goals that are constantly being broken, such as shaving a minute off a mile, adding ten pounds to a lift, or doing double the reps you were once able to gives you physical evidence that you are improving. The only thing better than seeing that you have progressed is seeing that you have progressed for multiple weeks on end. This is when motivation and confidence are at an all-time high and it's easy to get into the gym because you know you are improving. But what happens when things start to change?

All of a sudden you failed a weight that you previously succeeded in last week. You think nothing of it and come back the next day ready to push yourself. The same thing again today, with no progress. This cycle continues for weeks and you start to wonder what you are doing wrong, and if you will ever be able to get better than you are now.

What is likely happening is that you are plateauing. While plateaus feel almost impossible to overcome, they don’t last forever. Here are a couple of ways you can get out of a gym plateau. After implementing some of these tips in your regimen, you will be back to smashing PRs in no time.

Progressively Overloading

This is a very simple concept but it is one that every athlete, lifter, or any general health enthusiast should be doing. Going into the gym every week, not tracking progress, and just trying to throw around as much weight as possible won’t be beneficial for very long. The goal of progressive overload is to slowly increase the weight, reps, or frequency of an exercise in order to make slow but sure progress.

Week 1: 80 pounds x 8 reps

Week 2: 80 pounds x 9 reps

Week 3: 80 pounds 10 reps

Week 4: 80 pounds 10 reps (Work on form and controlling the eccentric portion of the movement)

Week 5: 85 pounds 8 reps

Week 6: 85 pounds 9 reps

Week 7: 85 pounds 10 reps

Week 8: 85 pounds 10 reps (Work on form and controlling the eccentric portion of the movement)

Repeat

Take A Deload Week/Weeks

Deloads are extremely important especially if your main goal is strength. Our muscles can take a beating and recover relatively quickly, but after months, they can’t handle it anymore. “Taking a week to ‘deload,’ or recover, is a simple training method that allows you to keep making progress without abandoning training altogether. It allows your body to recover and repair your muscles, returning hormone levels to normal, and your central nervous system to rest” (Built Lean). Taking the time to deload allows our muscles to stay active without any unnecessary stress. There is plenty of information out there regarding how to properly deload, but the main components are this":

• Lower the weight you normally do

• Focus on perfecting form with a smaller weight

• Consider lowering or increasing reps depending on what rep range you normally work in

• Take more rest days off from the gym and try to hit each muscle group only once a week

Change up your exercises

I’m sure at some point you’ve probably heard the saying “shock your muscles.” There is a reason this saying is so common. When a muscle gets so used to a certain exercise/program, it starts to be prepared for the movements. This means that the muscle fibers aren’t as likely to tear (a.k.a you won’t see growth). Whether you want to completely change your exercises or just the order in which you are doing them, spicing things up is beneficial for improvement.

Try isometrics

A lot of the time, our muscles are capable of doing more than we think. Often, we are physically able to complete a lift, but can’t do so because of the lack of stabilization. Exercises like pin presses, single-arm farmer walks, offset deadlifts, and weighted wall sits can have a huge effect on your core stability and the stability of the joints in general.

The goal of isometrics goes beyond just stability. Isometrics are also great for injury prevention, soreness, and explosiveness. This is why isometrics are so popular amongst top-tier athletes. There is plenty of information out there regarding suggestions for isometrics but one account I particularly enjoy for isometric work is Squat University on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.

In short, although it may feel like you will never return to your former gym glory, going through a gym slump is perfectly normal and not something to be ashamed of. The most important thing when getting out of this hump is to get out of your comfort zone and switch things up. If the proper changes are made in the gym and at home then you should be back to normal in no time.

Be well, Auburn!