Plateauing Is Your Own Fault

Many of you reading this might currently be stuck in the dreaded “Plateau.” You’re progress under the barbell has come to a grinding halt. You have decided it’s time to switch things up in the gym, change your sets and reps, add some cool assistance exercises, and change your program. After all, if you’re not making progress in the gym we can assume your program is just not working for you, right? Not exactly…

If you are stuck in a plateau and you are not making progress don’t automatically assume it’s your program’s fault; it might actually be YOUR fault. YOU are the reason you are not making progress in the gym.

I’m here to tell you that every program works.

If the program is built around some sort of basic, realistic progression; it works.

I have tried almost every program out there: 5/3/1, Starting Strength, The Texas Method, SuperSquats 20 Rep Squat Routine, Westside Conjugate Method, The Cube Method, my own program; I’ve peaked for a powerlifting meet, a Strongman competition, and an Olympic Weightlifting meet. Every single program I have ever done has worked for me because I MADE it work!

Showing up to the gym and following a routine is only a fraction of the equation; it’s only a slice of the pie. You have to work outside of the gym as well.

Food

You’ve got to eat! You have to have a strong appetite if you want to get stronger. You cannot expect to progress in the gym in absence of progress in the kitchen. As you increase weight on the barbell your body needs to feed that new growth with food. Your performance and recovery are greatly impacted by your diet.

Food is your fuel. Lifting weights is just a spark to get you bigger and stronger.

• Start preparing your meals so that you are never left without food.
• Maintain an eating schedule and stick to it with as much discipline as you would with your training routine.
• You go to the gym even when you “don’t feel like” so make sure you follow your eating schedule even when you “don’t feel like it.”

Sleep

Along with eating plenty of food you have to SLEEP! If you are not sleeping your body is not recovery like it could and poor recovery will hinder your progress in the gym. Sleeping also helps put your body back into its natural homeostasis; most notably your hormone levels.  A lack of sleep will raise catabolic hormones levels, change your sensitivity to carbohydrates, and a host of other nasty side effects that are detrimental to your progress in the gym.

If you are not getting an adequate amount sleep at night here are some possible solutions to help you sleep better:

• Get on a regular sleep schedule. Go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. This can be difficult with work and the weekends but you should still do the best you can.
• Get away from all electronics 1-2 hours before going to bed. Electronics stimulate our brain making it difficult to relax and fall asleep. There is a reason humans beings cannot see well at night; we are supposed to be sleeping when the sun goes down, not watching Netflix.
• Black out your room; cover up any windows, flashing electronics, and computer screens.
• Ensure your room is set at a cool temperature between 60-65 degrees. Our body temperature naturally drops as we fall asleep. If your room is too hot it will make it difficult to do this.
• Wear ear plugs to block out all sound. This is especially helpful for anyone with noisy roommates, anyone living in a dorm room, apartment complex, or near a busy road.
• Do some light stretching and mediation before going to bed. Relaxing the body and mind will allow for quicker and deeper sleep. Our lives become very chaotic and it can be very difficult to go from 60 mph to 0 mph.

For those of you stuck at 225 lbs squat for 5 reps I can assure you your program is not the reason you are stuck. It’s a very simple process to get from 225 x 5 reps to 315 x 5reps to 405 for 5 reps. Notice I said simple not easy.

Getting strong is a simple process on paper:

• Lift heavy weight
• Slowly increase weight
• Eat
• Sleep
• Repeat

I’ll be the first to admit that getting strong might not be easy. It is a lifestyle that requires a lot of attention. It is a 24 hour job; eating, sleeping, managing stress, and training. Just plugging in three 45 minute training sessions a week and completely forgetting about being strong while you’re away from the gym will only get you so far.

While getting strong might not be easy, it is a simple process. Stop worrying about insignificant training variables like incorporating speed work, bands, chains, or any of that garbage. The majority of people have so much potential and so much room to grow. The trick is putting yourself in a position to allow that growth to occur.

It’s not always what you’re failing to do in the gym that’s holding you back; It’s what you’re failing to do OUTSIDE of the gym that’s holding you back.

Not putting any effort into rest and recovery and being frustrated when you fail to make progress is no different than failing your finals exam at school and asking “I did all of my homework, how did I fail?” Just doing your homework is not always enough. You have to be fully engaged in your homework, you have to understand your homework, and you have to study on your own time.

If you want to succeed you have to set yourself up for success.

Take some responsibility for your plateau. If your program is not working you have to make it work by ensuring you are eating enough and getting an adequate amount of sleep every night.  Every program works; the key is making it work.

TRAIN UNTAMED!