Have you ever had an exercise that you can’t seem to increase the weight on? Maybe it’s been months or years since you increased the weight so that weight becomes part of your routine.
If you have, then you have experienced what is called a plateau. A plateau occurs when you can no longer add weight to a given lift. Plateaus eventually happen to every lifter and can be difficult to move past. But not impossible.
I’ve never been particularly strong at the back squat. For as long as I can remember, I held a belief that I simply could not move past 4×6 of 135. So, whenever I did back squats, I would do my 4×6 of 135 and move on to the next thing. Surprise surprise, my legs never really grew in size or strength. I had fallen into a stagnant plateau and made little effort to get out.
After years of this mentality, I finally decided I was ready to move past the plateau and start increasing my numbers.
Here is how I did it.
How to Overcome a Plateau
- Decrease Weight/Increase Reps
- Increase Weight/Decrease Reps
- Keep the Weight the Same/Increase Reps
- Reorganize Your Workout
- Use Smaller Plates
Decrease Weight/Increase Reps
I’m not sure how I fell into the belief that I should only do four sets of six to eight reps and never waiver from that set/rep scheme. But like so many gym-goers, I had a routine. I would do the same exercises, for the same reps/sets at the same weight for an hour, and go home.
After years of little to no progress, I decided to throw myself into strength and conditioning education. I obtained my personal training certification, read every study I could get my hands on, and eventually designed the strength/size program Grizzly Strong that changed everything for me.
What was the piece of the puzzle I was missing this whole time?
Progressive overload training.
The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) defines progressive overload as a process by which training stress is altered as a client becomes better trained, allowing her to continue advancing toward a specific training goal.
More simply, you need to do more than your previous session. More weight, more reps, more sets, more effort, etc. Not necessarily all of these things, but at least one of them. And you need to do it over a long period of time.
So, I created a program with four phases beginning with a higher rep scheme (10-12)/lower weight and slowly moving toward a lower rep scheme/higher weight. The initial phases of decreased weight/increased weight built strength and challenged me to do more in my lifts than I was used to because I never did more than eight reps previously.
It also gave me a base to slowly began adding weight. Eventually, I would get to my old nemesis 135, but this time I gave myself a trajectory to far surpass it.
Increase Weight/Decrease Reps
Even with higher reps/lower weight, you can’t continue to add weight forever. Eventually, the plateau will rear its ugly head.
This is why I incorporated pre-planned drops in the number of reps to allow me to continue adding small increments of weight over the course of 12 weeks. Because I had given myself time to work through the same exercises at higher reps/lower weight, the addition of a few pounds to my lifts at each training session came easier than ever before. Then when the small, incremental reduction in rep range came, I was typically able to make a larger jump in weight than ever before by decreasing the number of reps.
Moving from 8-10 reps to 6-8, for example, after spending weeks in the higher rep range allowed me to crush all of my previous plateaus.
Keep the Weight the Same/Increase Reps
The more I moved through the program, the more frequently I would experience a plateau. My bent-over row, for example, seemed to stagnate at 120 pounds for 8 reps during the 8-10 rep range period.
Instead of attempting to add weight during this period, I added reps. My first week I completed 3×8 of 120 and felt there was no way I could move up to 125. So, the next week I powered through 1 set of 9 followed by 2 sets of 8. The week after I eeked out 2 sets of 9 and one set of 8. And finally, in the third week, I was able to achieve 3 sets of 9.
Eventually, I lowered the rep range again and was able to continue increasing the weight.
Keep the Weight the Same/Increase Sets
Sometimes, you might encounter a situation where even the addition of a few reps is too much.
If this is the case, you can keep the weight the same, but add a set to the exercise. If you are doing 3×3-5, for example, and can’t move up in weight or reps, take a nice long break after your third set then add one more set at the same weight.
The addition of a set allows us to incorporate more rest in between reps.
Reorganize Your Workout
If you have a set workout with a pre-determined order of exercises, you might just need to reorganize the workout here and there.
GRIZZLY STRONG, for example, is organized in order of most demanding to least demanding exercise. Each workout begins with a compound movement like squat or deadlift. However, sometimes you may need to put a secondary lift first or earlier in the workout to capitalize on being fresh and at your max energy for the workout.
It’s inevitable that you will feel stronger at the beginning of your workout than at the end after you have already challenged your muscles. So, if the lift you are having trouble with is not first, try moving it up in the order. That extra energy might be all you need.
Use Smaller Plates
Another common reason you might be stuck at a plateau is you are trying to add too much weight at once. This is an easy problem to run into since most gym’s smallest increments are 2 and a half or 5 lbs.
5-pound increments are especially common in dumbbell sets. If you’re only option after a 25 lb dumbbell set is a 30 lb dumbbell set, that isn’t a 5 lb increase. That is a 10 lb increase (5 on each side). And that is simply too much for consistent progression.
One option is to use more barbell movements so you can take advantage of the 2 and a half lb plates that most gyms have. Another option is to buy a pair of 1 lb plates if your gym doesn’t have them. It might feel silly, but that slight increase for a few weeks might be enough to help you make the larger jump you have been struggling with.
Other Factors
Adequate Rest
If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times. You need to get a good night’s rest. Not once a week. Every night that it is possible for you.
Getting a good night’s rest before a workout will help with your energy levels.
Getting a good night’s rest after your workout will help with recovery leading to more strength and muscular development.
You can’t cheat yourself or bio hack your way around this one. Turn off the TV. Turn off the phone. And turn off the lights.
Adequate Calorie Intake
Sometimes all you need is some extra energy to get through your plateau. And where does energy come from? No, I’m not talking about taking enough pre-workout to kill a horse. I’m talking about calories.
Make sure you are adequately fueled before you attempt to overcome your plateau. Have a meal with a carb, protein, and vegetables before your workout. You can even have some calories during your workout if it helps you move the weight. If you are working out while hungry or in a fasted state your PRs will likely suffer.
For more on nutrition and recovery check out the Outdoor Muscle Nutrition and Recovery Guide (free with the purchase of any workout program).
Adequate Frequency
How often are you attempting to overcome your plateau? You could be trying to frequently or not enough.
1-2 times per week is plenty. If you are attempting to overcome that plateau in every workout, you are likely using too high of a frequency. Likewise, attempting to overcome your plateau once a month is probably to low of a frequency.
Try consistently, but don’t overdo it. Give yourself time to rest and recover in between attempts.
Adequate Intensity
If nothing else, ask yourself if you are trying hard enough. There is a serious mental shift that happens when start pushing yourself harder each workout. I believed I could only squat 135 for 4 sets of 6 reps…until I pushed myself to do a 7th rep. That broke the plateau. It allowed me to keep moving the needle because now I knew it was possible.
There is one sure-fire way to tell if you are pushing yourself harder each time you workout.
Track your workouts.
I don’t care how good your memory is, if you don’t track your workouts you will not know what you need to do to surpass your previous workout week after week. All of Outdoor Muscle’s programs come with an easy-to-use tracker. But even if you don’t want to use one of our programs, create your own tracker. Write down the weight you used and the reps you completed for each set. Then push yourself to move up from those numbers the next week. If you struggle, use any of the above methods to keep pushing.
Whatever the plateau is that you are dealing with, there is a way to overcome it. Try the options explained in this article. If one doesn’t work, try the next. Focus on your nutrition and recovery. Focus on allocating your energy. And focus on pushing yourself with each and every attempt. If you do, there will be no limit to what you can accomplish.
Buck is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT), & UESCA Run Coach. He is the founder of Outdoor Muscle, a veteran-owned company dedicated to providing endurance athletes and adventure seekers the resources they need to achieve their fitness goals.
