Getting Over Plateaus

by Molly Rausch L1 Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Athletic Trainer

Hello everyone! This week’s “Fitness Tip of the Week” addressed ways to get over fitness plateaus. Whether you are a new gym goers, fitness fanatics, or elite athletes, we are all susceptible to experiencing stalls in our training. We find classes we like, routines that work, and find our fitness rhythm. We have a plan and we are doing well with following it. Everything is going so well, until….

Boom! Plateau! InBody assessments stop improving or one rep maximums don’t increase. Frustration sets in. A lot of us become disheartened and our motivation waivers. The most frustrating part about plateaus is knowing there is a reason they happen. 

Why Plateaus Happen 

The human body has many amazing capabilities. One of those includes the body’s ability to adapt to the stresses placed on it. Our body learns to adapt so it doesn’t break. It doesn’t just keep adapting regardless though. If it gets used to the same type of stress, the body gets in a new comfort zone. When you build a workout program but fail to progress or mix it up enough, your body will adjust to that level and settle in. 

Tips on Getting Over Plateaus

1. Get some R&R: sometimes the body just needs a little rest to repair and rebuild. It may sound counterintuitive, but it sometimes acts as a reset button to get everything jump started again.
2. Change your sets and repetitions: if you are lifting and only every doing 3 sets by 10 reps, you are going to plateau quickly. You need to switch up how much of everything you do so the body keeps getting challenged in different ways.
3. Try something new: Every now and again, mix in a new class or fitness workout to your program to keep the body guessing.
4. Talk with a trainer! If you are having trouble trying to figure out what to do, ask a profession for guidance. We are here to help and want to see everyone succeed! 
5. Look outside the gym: maybe your gym routine is solid, but there is something else attributing to the plateau. A reflection of diet, sleep, or general life may be a bigger reason for a stale in progress.

If you have any questions on this topic, please feel free to contact me at mrausch@healthworksfitness.com or leave a comment below