Is Muscle-Building Plateau Fact or Fiction

July 22 2014

Is Muscle-Building Plateau Fact or Fiction?

If you’ve spent any serious length of time in the gym, you’ve probably heard of (or even experienced) the phenomenon known as “muscle-building plateau.” This is said to occur when the body no longer responds to the workout; in essence, you can spend countless hours sweating away at the gym with little-to-no change in your muscle structure.

Is the muscle-building plateau real or just a myth? Unfortunately, it’s a real condition that many people are forced to overcome. Over time, the muscles will adapt and grow used to certain workouts, at which point they will no longer have the same beneficial effect as they once did. This isn’t something that happens overnight, but rather it takes months of performing the same workout to reach a plateau.

Plateau-Fighting Tip #1) Change Your Routine

One of the most important steps in breaking out of a muscle-building plateau is to change up your workout routine. The plateau effect occurs as a result of the body, and its muscles, adapting to the workouts. By integrating new workouts into your physical fitness regimen, you’ll prevent this from happening.

Try performing a new workout to target each of your muscle groups. If you normally perform deadlifts for your legs, then perhaps you can switch to squats. Another way to change your routine is by using different weights. Increasing your weight and lowering your reps (or vise-versa) will keep your muscles “on their toes” so to speak.

“Most clients work in one or two zones. We encourage them to reach across three or four zones. If you ride the bike for 30 minutes at between 50 to 70 percent, maybe try a few minutes at a higher rate. Or if you ride at 75 percent for a half-hour, blend in some hour rides at 60 percent,” said personal trainer Dee Posey of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Plateau-Fighting Tip #2) Rest and Recovery

You can’t expect to break through a plateau unless you’re resting between workout sessions. Constantly lifting weights each and every day without rest will greatly reduce your gains while leaving you vulnerable to the dreaded plateau effect. The body needs ample time to recover following a strength training session; otherwise, the muscle fibers will continue to break down without repairing themselves.

A good rule of thumb is to wait a minimum of 48 hours between strength training sessions, as this allows your body to repair the torn and damaged muscle fibers. You can still perform some cardio on your rest days, but you should avoid picking up the weights.

Plateau-Fighting Tip #3) Nutrition

Nutrition plays an important role in the body’s ability to build muscle. Nine out of ten times, people struggling with plateaus aren’t getting enough protein in their diet. A good rule of thumb is to consume a minimum of 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily. This may seem a little excessive, but protein is crucial in supplying the muscles with the amino acids it needs to grow and develop