At some stage in our fitness/physical activity journey we will reach a plateau. A plateau can be apparent in a few different ways. A long stall between maximal lift increases, aerobic and anaerobic capacity not increasing or heavier percentages not feeling lighter for an extended period of time. If you are at a place mentally and physically where you are not seeing progress as fast as you once had or are feeling stuck in the mud with your training, then more often than not you have reached a plateau.
Firstly acknowledging that you have plateaued is a must. It can be hard for some people to admit but it is not a negative thing at all. It is inherent in all of us to reach a capacity ceiling for your current level at some point, before breaking through the plateau and reaching that next level/target/goal. Take some time to analyze how you’re feeling mentally, your physical performance across different modalities, and take note of your most recent increase in performance (when you last PR’d or reached a new limit). If you are showing the signs of being in a plateau then it is time to do some of the following things:
Stay the course
Yes, as simple as that. Keep your eyes on your goals, your north star, your target, and put your head down and grind. Sometimes the best way to break through a plateau is to knuckle down and keep hitting your percentages, keep working on your aerobic zoning, and keep giving it your current best effort each and every session. Consistency, specificity and hard work are the formula to creating positive change. Stay the course.
Technique changes
If you’ve noticed your maximal gymnastics numbers have stalled or your weightlifting and powerlifting numbers aren’t increasing, then it could be a sign that you may have movement inefficiency. The more effective and efficiently you can move a load or your body from point A to point B, the faster you will move, the more weight you will lift, the more repetitions you will be able to perform. This is where filming yourself and reviewing your positives and work-ons is extremely valuable. Having an external pair of eyes watching and giving feedback to you is also another great way to make technical changes to your movements. Chase excellence with your movements and you will reap the benefits.
Supplementation
I mean this in the sense of taking nutritional supplements but also by performing supplementary exercises that will add value to your training. Taking things such as protein powder, fish oil tablets, magnesium, melatonin, greens, vitamins, etc are all great ways to increase your recovery between workouts and boost your immune system which in turn will increase your performance.
As for supplementary movements, if you have a weakness area such as tight hips, or weak pelvic floor muscles, or minimal shoulder rotation, then performing exercise to increase these areas will definitely help increase other areas of your training too. Choosing specific work ons to better yourself is a great pathway to success. The more well rounded you are, the better you will perform.
Environment
Music, indoors, outdoors, water, hills, sky, court, concrete, grass, gym, pool, beach, river, silence, lots of people, no one. These are all controllable aspects of your environment that you can alter to bring the best out of you. There is no one shoe that fits all sizes with this approach, it will take trial and error to find what works best for you. If your environment is not conducive to where you want to be, change it.
