11 reasons why you're not getting stronger
When it comes to training with weights, training plateaus are inevitable for most people. Consider these 11 tips and get your strength gains back on track.
Ever had one of those days when everything seems to be going wrong?
Your post-workout shake runs out before you even start training, your training pants rip during the warm-up and when you try to reach a new max weight on the deadlift, the barbell seems to be stuck to the floor. Not to mention that you are expected to perform at your best in your gym while "My Heart Will Go" by Celine Dion is blaring from the loudspeakers. No, that's not going to happen.
If you're reading this article, you've probably been working out for a few years and have some experience. Maybe you've competed in a powerlifting competition or a local bodybuilding competition, but regardless of the title of this article, it's inevitable that you'll plateau at some point if you train long enough. What happens when this happens? Look no further for answers, this article will look at 11 issues that could be holding you back from achieving the body you desire.
1. you prioritize exhaustion over fitness
For some reason, there's a very disturbing trend in the fitness industry: some trainers are obsessed with getting their clients completely beat up. Some people will end up lying on the floor in a pool of their own sweat, wondering why they can't feel their legs.
And if your idea of a training program is to just go to the gym and do whatever comes into your head, then you're going to have trouble making consistent progress - if you make any progress at all.
Any trainer worth the name will tell you that the best athletes plan their training in advance. This is the whole idea behind periodization - you should know what you're going to do tomorrow, next week and a month from now. Let go of this mindset that you have to destroy yourself with every single training session and think about your long-term progression instead.
2. you eat like an anorexic girl
The age-old adage is still true - "You can't make up for a bad diet with training" - but this goes both ways: Building muscle and losing fat. You will never build muscle mass if you don't eat more calories than your body needs to maintain its current weight. You can't overcome the first law of thermodynamics through exercise - it takes calories to build muscle - not just protein!
Learning to eat a lot is a process. If you're trying to put on 30 kilos in 18 months and routinely eat over 4,000 kcal a day to maintain your newly built mass, then I'll be the first to admit that sometimes you have to treat eating as a part-time hobby. You have to accept the fact that there will be times when you won't be hungry. Adapt and find solutions: make a smoothie and eat more liquid calories, eat lower fiber foods, carry around a cooler bag of prepared foods and a wheyshake, or just eat more often.
3. you think that more is always better
It's funny, I see a lot of articles and training splits coming from pro bodybuilders touting amazing volume. I'm not talking about a simple 4 x 10 here, I'm talking about some serious rhabdomyolysis - the stuff that stops you from brushing your teeth for 2 weeks.
Even if you remember nothing else from this article, remember that context is key in all situations. Next time you read one of these articles, keep in mind that these guys are using a different support than you and therefore will be dealing with significantly more training stress.
4. you are impatient
We live in a culture that is obsessed with instant gratification. I believe this is detrimental to the development of character and work ethic in our youth, but that's another topic.
I hate to break it to you, but you're not going to look like Rich Froning overnight. Even though supplement companies want you to believe that you can build 20 pounds of solid muscle mass in 2 months, this is physically impossible unless you use the same type of support as our aforementioned bodybuilding friends. Strength is built submaximally over weeks and months - not by trying to achieve a new max single repetition with every training session. Joe DeFranco once said "Learn to build strength instead of testing your strength."
5. you don't understand proprioception
"Proprio-what?
Proprioception is basically the ability to perceive changes in the movement and positioning of your body segments. Here's a simple example to help you visualize things: Think of an airport - the control center (your brain) might lose sight of the planes (your limbs) landing and taking off (moving), but you're always aware of their position. The same can be said about your body - proprioception is basically your internal radar.
For example, close your eyes and touch your kneecap with your index finger. Then touch your nose with your little finger. How did you know which finger was touching your face? How did you know that you were really touching your kneecap and not your thigh or shin? Proprioception is the magic word.
However, I have worked with a number of athletes who have lacked kinesthetic awareness, which in turn has affected their ability to respond to training cues and improve their movement mechanics. To optimize your technique, you must first understand how to make small changes in the movement of each body segment.
6. your "technique" is reminiscent of a newborn giraffe trying to stand on its feet for the first time
I am a technician by nature - biomechanics is my thing. If I can make you better by making a few simple changes to your posture and breathing, then we're in business.
Technique should be seen as a spectrum of sorts: at one end are the guys who just preach "grab it and rip it, bro". At the other end is the tech police who can't rip over 100 kilos because "they can feel the shear forces on their spine." I'm not the kind of guy who's going to hate you because you set a personal best by having your knees slightly bent or your neck slightly hyperextended. But at the same time, you have to remember that physics applies to you too - if you're doing squats, presses, pulls and presses with a modest body position, your knees will let you know.
7. you don't leave your comfort zone
It's Monday afternoon, you've just finished work and you're heading to the gym to get in a good workout after a long, relaxing weekend. So what are you going to work out. Let me guess, your pecs, right? If you're like most men, you love your "mirror muscles." You know, the muscles that everyone seems to be tensing non-stop - aka pecs, abs and biceps. Come back down, they're really not that big.
You have to get over the idea that you always come back to what you're comfortable with. Get rid of that, because growth comes from outside your comfort zone. You have a choice: either you do whatever it takes or you settle for the status quo.
8. you don't realize how important rest and recovery are
If you are like most people in the Western world, you suffer from a lack of sleep. The American National Sleep Foundation recently updated their recommendations and recommends that young adults between 18 - 25 should get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. However, they also mention that some people need up to 10 to 11 hours of sleep.
On an ideal day, we would all be able to wake up when the sun rises and fall asleep when the sun sets. With the development of such wonderful things as electricity and technology, we face new problems that can affect our sleep.
If you're constantly looking for caffeine during the day to wake you up, then it's time to go to bed a little earlier at night. Expriment with a few "sleep hacks" and start listening to your body's inner signals.
9. you don't manage to admit that you don't know how to shut down
We live in a hectic world that basically never shuts down. If you're like most people, you're battling rush hour traffic, stressing out at work and living on caffeine to improve your productivity despite your poor lifestyle. Stress is individual and contextual, which means that exercise isn't the only situation that elicits a "fight or flight" response. If you yell at the guy in the car in front of you on the highway because he's going too slow, chances are you're going to release some adrenaline even though you don't need to. Your nervous system is evolved to initiate a certain anabolic regeneration process when your parasympathetic nervous system becomes active, which is normally referred to as the 'rest and digest' state. However, if you allow your life to constantly dictate your stress levels, then you will chronically find yourself in a state where your sympathetic nervous system is stimulated and have a hard time recovering from the stress of training. The bottom line is that you need to learn to control your stress response and adapt to whatever your life throws at you.
10. your rest day consists of cardio training and additional training for your weak points
You probably know that guy who posts pictures of his lunch on Instagram every day and overuses the hashtag #nodaysoff. Yeah, that's one of those guys who will burn out and hit a plateau before they've reached any significant level of strength.
I have nothing against cardio, go push a weight sled, jump rope or perform a barbell complex, but save the elliptical for another time. Some light walking, rowing or some time on the Airdyne trainer can help increase the removal of metabolic waste products and improve your recovery between workouts.
If your idea of "light cardio to get the blood flowing" is 60 minutes of uphill sprints, then you're going to have a hard time with your squat workout tomorrow or not feel a hint of recovery.
Let's face it, unless you're pulling twice your bodyweight, you don't need extra training for your hamstrings or a specialized gluteus - you just need to focus on getting stronger in general and do some work at the dinner table too.
11. you focus on perfection rather than peak performance
If you're constantly focused on finding the "optimal" training split or the perfect time for your post-workout shake, you're missing the mark. Sustainability is the most important variable that will determine your long-term success in and out of the gym. If you can't sustain your lifestyle over the long term, then your gains won't last. Don't worry so much about the perfect training program, just pick one and stick with it for 4 to 6 months while focusing on progressive overload with each and every training session.
As for your obsession with protein perfection - the discussion about the whole "anabolic window" is still ongoing, but I wouldn't say now that you shouldn't consume something after training. However, that doesn't mean you need to dump in 3 scoops of whey protein with half a packet of dextrose - just make sure you're eating a balanced meal of whole foods with a solid dose of protein.
Stop looking in the mirror all the time and learn to adapt your training and diet to your lifestyle. Remember that perfection is the enemy of progression.
So it's your choice, how badly do you want it?
If you are a strength athlete or a body athlete, then plateaus are inevitable. But your response to adversity determines the outcome. The fact that you are reading this article means that you are unique, it means that you are not satisfied and continuously strive for progression. Very well, never lose that attitude. This article should give you some excellent fodder for your thoughts, but now it's up to you - either make a change or be satisfied with the status quo.
Source: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/11-reasons-youre-not-getting-stronger