For gym newbies, progress comes quickly, motivation is easy to find, and results can seem easy. But you can’t expect this to last forever. Ask any experienced gym goer, and they’ll tell you that you’ll inevitably reach the dreaded plateau at some point. A plateau occurs when your body essentially adjusts to your training, which makes it harder to see gains. Unsurprisingly, this can lead to demotivation and signal the start of a downward spiral. 

If you’ve found your progress stalling, it doesn’t have to be the end of your training journey. Here are four ways you can blast through a training plateau and rediscover your gym results.

Mix up your training routine

The most common cause of a training plateau is a repetitive training schedule. Doing the same exercises in the gym over and over again means you’re working the same muscles repeatedly. On the other hand, this means the same muscles aren’t being worked. These muscles that are being forgotten about in your current training routine offer massive potential in terms of gains. 

Often, these will be smaller muscles that require a small adjustment to ensure they’re being hit. For instance, including bench presses in your weekly routine should increase muscle mass in the chest area. If muscle gains in your chest reach a plateau, simply adjusting your bench press to an incline bench press will specifically target the upper chest.

Review your diet

Your diet is as important as your training routine. If your training progress plateaus, the secret to rediscovering results may lie in what you eat. When trying to build muscle, a higher-calorie diet focusing on protein will complement your goals. On the other hand, those looking to lose weight will need to be in a calorie deficit to hit their goals. Regardless of your goals, your body will adjust to your calorie intake the same way it adjusts to your training schedule.

When progress plateaus, review your diet. It may be as simple as setting a new calorie goal. Or if you feel like you’re already on your limit, try adjusting your macros. E.g., increase your protein intake or reduce saturated fat while consuming the same level of calories.

Speak with a specialist

If you’ve already tried to mix up your training without seeing results, or maybe you don’t know where to start when it comes to altering your training, it may be time to get in touch with a personal trainer who’ll be able to put a bespoke training plan together for you. A personal trainer should be able to identify muscles that are being underused in your current training plan, or areas of the body that aren’t being targeted in terms of fat loss.

If you feel like you’re doing all you can in terms of your diet, the best solution may be to work with a nutritionist who will again be able to put a bespoke plan together, but this time, in the form of a meal plan.      

Find a new motivation

Could the solution to your training plateau simply lie in finding a new why? This is often the case with people who have been training for many years, especially if they follow the same style of training. While a loss of motivation may start with a plateau, it can also lead to a regression, especially if it deters you from even attending the gym. Sometimes, these people just need something to reignite that fire inside of them.

Options include finding a gym partner. This allows you to lean on each other for support and motivation or even make workouts competitive in an attempt to work harder. It may also be time for you to find a new gym. Upgrading your membership to a more premium health club with better facilities might make your training more enjoyable and feel like less of a chore.

It could even be as simple as treating yourself to new gym clothes. Just as you can’t wait to throw on a new pair of shoes, a new gym set should leave you excited for your next gym visit. While gymwear used to be a case of throwing on an old t-shirt, today there are many brands like A-Game and Also offering premium activewear that doesn’t just support you through your workouts, but also looks great.   

Final Thoughts

There are a number of ways you can overcome a training plateau. But the main takeaway is that a plateau doesn’t have to signal the end of your gym results. The right strategy to overcome your training stall will vary from individual to individual. An experienced gym goer who already follows a rigorous diet may need to work with a personal trainer to unlock new gains, whereas someone who has focused on their training without paying too much attention to their diet may be able to see results from simply changing what they eat.