How to overcome a workout plateau

Have you hit a workout plateau? It happens to everyone. Whether you’re a seasoned sweat-a-ton-er or a relatively new exerciser, plateaus are inevitable.

Before we can even begin to smash through a workout plateau, it’s important to reflect on why this has happened. Why are you feeling uninspired? What’s stopping you from making progress?

Sometimes, we can feel stuck in old patterns. This could be anything from performing the same routine every day to another lifestyle choice holding you back, such as your sleeping habits. Fortunately, there are ways to break through them.

What to do if you hit a workout plateau

1 – Try a different workout style

If your regular training is a sweaty HIIT session, spend some time strength training. Lifting weights can improve your strength, endurance and skeletal muscle size, which can help with other workout goals, such as running faster and longer. Whatever exercise you choose to switch things up, keep at it for at least four sessions before returning to your go-to approach or class. You never know — looking at fitness through a different lens may also trigger insights and results that help you navigate your workout plateau.

2 – Take notes on your nutrition

What you put in your body is vital in helping you progress with health and fitness. To keep you moving forward, you need a nutrition plan that supports your physical activity. Make sure you’re getting enough protein, carbs, healthy fats and micronutrients to recover from workouts and build muscle more efficiently.

3 – Drink more water

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Sounds too easy, right? But even the mildest dehydration can cause you to slow down in your training. Two to three litres a day can help your heart health, digestive system, and energy levels. Plus, drinking water before meals can have a huge weight loss benefit – helping metabolism and creating a more efficient system for exercising and burning calories. Drinking more water also helps your body stop retaining it, so the water weight will shed too.

4 – Get enough rest

No matter how much exercise you do, you can’t out-train too many late nights. Building recovery days into your fitness routine can prevent your body from stress. And stress = stalled progress. Taking at least one day off per week, with good sleep, can be the break your body needs to recover from a workout plateau.

5 – Cut down (or cut out) the booze

If you’re drinking alcohol, consider re-examining your lifestyle. Known as an ergogenic substance, alcohol impairs athletic performance. Which in turn can lead to a workout plateau. If you’re drinking to de-stress, try meditation. If you’re drinking socially, try some alcohol-free alternatives.

6 – Shake off the lull with a personal trainer

We’ve all been there — thrown our hands in the air, yelled ‘what’s the point!’, and either given up or moved on to the next fitness endeavour. Just to do it all again in a month or so. Our expert personal trainers are on hand to help you tackle your exercise and nutrition plateaus head-on and get you back on the track to progression. Book in for a private session for one-to-one breakdowns of poses or techniques. Hands-on practice with a professional is sure-fire inspiration and education that can help you see where you’re lulling in your routine. Let’s smash the workout plateau!