Your advice on dealing with the dreaded plateau!!

Anyone who has been bodybuilding for any length of time will have encountered the dreaded PLATEAU!!

Maybe you reach 6 reps on the Incline dumbbell press and get stuck there..stuck on 600 pounds on the leg press....That 12th chin up is evading you!!...........Certainly plateaus frustrate the backside off you!!

What have you done to get over them and maybe help others stuck in the weight training flatline zone!!!

Funnily enough years ago I got caught on 10 x 90 pounder incline dumbbell press mark and was having similar Squat problems etc......Went on for a while....

Figured I was over-training...and for the next week I just went swimming lengths in the pool and did no weights....

Think I managed 12 reps on the incline the next time and my Squat improved too......................

Might not work for everyone but there you go!!

Yep there's definitley some mileage there, I went on a two week holiday last year and spent time doing hill walking and swimming etc all the normal stuff, the day after I came back I was a little nervous about how much of a drop in weight I was going to have to make up with my squats but couldn't believe it when for some unknown reason I achieved a new PB with relative ease, every month or so I'll do a week of going light /maybe sets of 10/12 reps and doing the reps as fast as I can without going stupid on the form and this gives me a break physically and mentally as I'm focused on any targets ie PB's this has I'm sure kept me on the right track with regards to the plateau effect that over training can contribute to.

Good to see you around, lightsout, it's been a while!

I think that is key: changing your routine.

Our bodies adapt to what we are doing, so shocking it with something completely different for a week or two can often provoke a response.

Fists of Fury wrote:Good to see you around, lightsout, it's been a while!

I think that is key: changing your routine.

Our bodies adapt to what we are doing, so shocking it with something completely different for a week or two can often provoke a response.

Thanks Fists, I've moved desks in the office and whereas I used to have a nice window seat ie nobody staring over my shoulder, I've now got my Senior Manager paying an interest in my internet browsing hence the reduced comments on 606....

Bad news, you'll have to log on whenever he heads off for a meeting, then

Always found negative reps useful for a couple of weeks when struggling.

That and rest, which you have mentioned. Common mistake in youngsters is they think they can train 52 weeks a year. Well, they probably can but the gains the body makes will slow.

I personally rest every 10-12 weeks for 1 week, just doing a bit light cardion to keep me ticking over.

Used to do negatives after a normal set 9To really fry the muscle).....Suffering from joint problems a bit these days.....

Good idea but don't go crazy with them like I did..

A week off always helps,
also dropping weight and increasing reps.

so say 100kg bench for 6 rep is becoming the norm with zero progress.
Drop to 80kg and go for 15-20 reps for a couple of weeks.

That get's the lag out if the system.