5 ways to BUST your plateau!

[MVP]

by Will "MVP" Riggs

We've all been stuck at homeostasis over stupid plateaus. Plateaus do not just randomly occur though; they occur for a reason. How do we get through them? Finding the reason of the plateau and fixing it!

*Tip Number One: Lower the Volume!
Plateaus sometimes can be caused by excessive volume. If you're using 3 x 15 for your rep range, then it's pretty obvious that your rep range is more higher than it needs to be. You cannot add weight each workout, or even every other workout for that matter for a specific amount of time. Lower your volume to 3 x 12 and each time the weight stalls lower that volume to keep the load higher.

*Tip Number Two: Increase the frequency!
Muscle doesn't need long periods of time before it can be trained again. On average, you can train a muscle directly after overload anywhere from 48-72 hours later. It depends on the individual and the exercise. If you're doing your movements once every seven days, then you need to lower that down to down to once every three or four days.

*Tip Number Three: Reduce the Exercises!
Exercise reduction sort of falls under the category as lower the volume; since exercise does account to total volume, but if you're doing too much for a muscle then it will affect the progression. The more exercises a routine has the slower the progression will be on each of those exercises. Focus on your compounds.

*Tip Number Four: Incorporate More Movements!
This tip is a bit contrary to the third suggestion, but it depends. If you haven't been using excessive exercises, then adding more can increase the amount of motor units activated during the exercise. If your squat is stalling, then glute hamstring raises and lunges can really help. Or, my favorite suggestion: front squats!

*Tip Number Five: Increase your Calories
This is the most important part. Muscle grows from food and progressive overload. If you are not giving your body the amount of calories it needs to grow, then you will grow. You can always increase your calories. If you are not eating enough, your plateau will happen much sooner, but eating more foods can help with energy levels, CNS function and including LBM; which will also bust plateaus. If your nutrition isn't in demand, then we have already solved found and solved the problem!

Article Source: Five Ways to Bust Your Plateau!