Training Plateau? Stop Making Lefts
May 21, 2016
If you keep making lefts you always end up where you started.This post is about making a right.
Everything in life needs a balance. Too much of anything is never good. Mother Nature has a way of swooping in and kicking your ass when you lose perspective of balance. If you have hit a plateau realize Mother Nature is dealing out an ass kicking.
Working out hard ain’t hard. That’s actually the easy part. Putting in more effort is a primal instinct for survival. But, there is another ‘E’ word that will take you to the improvement destination faster-Efficiency. Going harder, faster, stronger and longer isn’t always the answer. Sometimes ya just gotta go smarter. That’s efficiency.
I like things short and sweet. Get in, get out. BOOM! What can I say, I like quickies. Doesn’t everybody?
If you hit a training plateau what is your body trying to tell you? Plateaus are like pain. They are a request for change. Your body is asking you to do something differently. What is it? Tough to say without truly getting to know an individual, but starting with polar opposites is a good start.
Here are common culprits in the Plateau Universe and their polar opposites
- Training too much. Too many days and too much volume is at the top of the overtraining food chain. Right now STOP everything and take a solid week off. Period. But? No buts. Just do it. You can email me later with a thank you note.
- Training too fast. Slow down your movements. Live in the 3-5 second range on eccentric movement. You will need less volume to get the same results and strength with skyrocket. That’s efficiency 101.Prepare your brain for the necessary mindful attention to perform eccentrics. You have to be present. Fair warning, you are gonna be really sore. Don’t train again until the soreness subsides.
- If you do cardio-Stop. If you don’t-Start. Here’s a novel idea. Do something you don’t normally do and things will change. Try it for 2 weeks. Add variety into your program and feel your brain and body light up. Throw a curve ball at your metabolism with the cardio flip flop.
Bonus: Take better care of your gut. The one you don’t see. 🙂 The one inside. If you do not have enough normal flora (good bacteria), your immune system is affected and the ability to recover plummets. Start drinking Kefir milk. And please STOP with all the sugar yogurts. Might as well drink a milkshake. Here is my favorite.
Have fun and stay strong,
Perry
