The Plateau: The importance of cycles and breaks

We have all experienced it, and we all dread it. Whether its weight loss you are after, muscle building, or any other performance measure in sport specific training (strength, flexibility, endurance) a plateau can drain your energy and will.

For new comers, the first plateau is usually about 5-6 months into a new program. After weeks of great gains (or losses) you peak. As your gains start to level off, you may experience pains, loss of appetite, trouble sleeping, lack of energy or any combination of these.

Why do you plateau?

The body is an amazing machine that is able to adapt and change to its environment. By design, after an extended period of exposure to similar stresses, your body will regulate itself to consider these stresses normal. This fantastic feature is great for long-term human survival, but it is a nightmare for athletes.

How do you overcome a plateau?

Simply put: change the type of stress you put on your body. Sometimes this may seem counter intuitive for strength and muscle training, but it is important. In order to continue to make gains, you must train in a manner that is not designed for those gains. For example, if your goal is to increase your bench press strength, once you have plateau (no gains for 4 weeks) you must vary up your training routine. Instead of heavy bench presses, spend 8 weeks doing mega-sets and push-ups and dumbbell flies. Change your protein heavy diet to one that consists of more carbs to reload the muscles with energy. Increase your cardio. Try core routines like Pilates or yoga. Do anything you have to in order to shock your body out of its routine. After a few months (2-3) go back to your tried and tested routine and you should experience new levels of performance.

In extreme cases of plateau coupled with over-training (usually seen after a few years of consistent hard training) take a well-earned break. Muscles repair fairly quickly with sleep and proper nutrition, but the wear and tear of hard training on your joints and tendons can lead to injury. Be aware of the signs of over-training: fatigue (even with adequate sleep), muscle soreness that lasts beyond 4 days, loss of appetite, even cold and flu like symptoms may appear. When this happens, rest a lot, eat well (especially carbs) and limit your physical activity to flexibility and core training like Pilates or yoga.

So remember to vary up your training and take breaks. Your body will thank you in the long run.