Bodybuilding Plateau - 5 ways to fight through!
It happens to the best of us: despite your best efforts, you hit a plateau with training, muscle gain or fat loss. Don't get disheartened. Here are the 5 best ways to blast through any plateau!
Double up
This is a hard-hitting way to bust through plateaus, and only one to consider if you're able to get your sports nutrition and recovery right, but it will definitely work! Whether your goal is muscle size and mass, or cutting body fat, doubling up with two-a-day training for a short period of time will transform your results. You could either double up with weights sessions and cardio (try to separate the two by at least 6 hours) or, for incredible muscle gain, try two weights sessions per day. Latest thinking suggests actually training the same body part twice a day: a heavier session (compound exercises, lower reps) in session one and a lighter session (bodybuilder-style reps and exercise choices) at least 6 hours later. You must get your nutrition right: post-workout protein shakes, intra-workout BCAAs, and a good quality nighttime protein to help your body recover.
Change your rep range
If you've been training in a similar style for a while, it's no surprise that you've hit a plateau. You're probably feeling pretty bored, too, and if your mind's not fully focused you'll be hard pushed to make gains. Change up your training approach by switching your rep range. If you've been hitting the 5-8 rep range on compound lifts, try a higher rep approach in true hypertrophy training style. 12-20 reps has been shown as optimal for hypertrophy, so if muscle gain is your goal, it might be time to have a rethink.
Recover harder
Have you been pushing harder, doing more and lifting heavier in order to see the gains you crave? That's great, but you absolutely must pay attention to recovery. The harder you work, the harder you need to recover. If not, you'll eventually start going backwards, hit a plateau or (even worse) watch your results fade away. Get your post-workout nutrition right with a quality protein shake and carbohydrates (either separately, or in an all-in-one or mass gainer). Take BCAAs or an advanced intra-workout drink (amino acids, beta alanine and glutamine are must-have ingredients). And get your nighttime protein requirements covered with a micellar casein protein shake or combined protein source protein powder.
Muscle-boosting supplements
Sometimes a few tweaks to your supplement stack can be all it takes to get the results flowing again. Have you got the essentials covered? Everyone should take a quality creatine supplement (Creapure is by far the best) for recovery, endurance and cell volumisation leading to increased muscle gain. Amino acids and BCAAs are another must-have, giving your muscle tissue a constant source of the "building blocks" of protein. A quality whey protein powder (or plant protein, if you're seriously lactose intolerant) is a convenient way to meet your protein goals, and ensures the full spectrum of amino acids in that important post-workout window. And a good pre-workout supplement can help boost energy, focus and mindset, and help you strip away body fat too. Are you missing any of these essentials?
Assess your nutrition
Finally, it's impossible to meet your ultimate goals of sports performance or physique building if your nutrition isn't on point. The most important aspects of sports nutrition are pre-workout, post-workout and bedtime nutrition, but the guys (and girls) who really dial it in have nutrition sorted 24/7. Do you know what your caloric intake should be to meet your goals? What about your macronutrient breakdown? What kind of meal timing and frequency works best for you? Do you want to carb-cycle or eat the same way every day? Find a really quality protein supplement source you trust and use it to supplement whole-foods in your diet.
All of these 'plateau boosting' supplements are available from our online supplement store now.
