Trainer Tip – The Key to Breaking a Fitness Plateau

Personal Trainer FAQ’s 

PLATEAU. The most frustrating word to anybody that is seriously after a fitness goal.

“I know I have to change it up but how?” 

Every now and then you might hit a ‘plateau’ in your fitness goals. If you’ve ever been there it can be very frustrating. You work out harder and harder but the results get harder and harder to attain. If it was working before why isn’t it working this time? Think of your body as the most brilliant and efficient adaptation machine. The more you do a particular exercise, the less your body will respond from it. Some people adapt faster some slower. Eventually what worked before will no longer work at all. You’re body will have adapted, become more efficient (i.e. burn less calories), and outsmarted you once again.

The key to long-term progression is staggering or cycling workouts with defined time periods. What most people tend to do is workout 3 days a week with the same routine. Their idea of progression is either working out for longer periods, 20 minutes up from 15, or working out with heavier weights. Now, this isn’t bad, however it will not be sustainable.

Progression is all about defined change and levels. Lets take a few variables that can easily be changed to get you some more results. Let’s use three variables for this example. Let’s pick the amount of reps, rep speed, and rest time.

Week 1-2 Exercise: Squats 15 reps with 4 sets, normal speed (2-1-2 or 5 seconds to go up and down smoothly), rest time between sets 90s.

Week 3-4 Exercise– change rep speed and rep amount: Squats 25 reps with 4 sets, slow speed (4-2-4 or 10 seconds to go up and down smoothly), rest time between sets 90s.

Week 5-6 Exercise- change rep amount, rep speed, rest time: Squats 10 reps with 10 sets, quick speed (1-0-1 or 2 seconds to go up and down smoothly), rest time between sets 10s.

For this next 6 weeks, try applying this structure to your current workout routine (with each exercise).  Share these fitness tips with your friends and family, or anyone who’s been complaining about the dreaded “plateau.”  They will thank you later!

Tommy Lam

BA, MA, CPT, CES, PES