What does breaking through a training plateau mean? If you been training for several months and see no to little gain in your physique, the chances are you training methods are not working properly or you need a more challenging training program. This is a very common occurrence so don’t worry. Your body has adjusted to your current training program – time to mix things up once again. You have already reached your “plateau” and need a new plateau to strive for – upping the intensity and weight will get you there.

If you are too comfortable with your current training program and it’s a “walk in the park” it’s time to move on. Many people feel since they accomplish their training program with such ease they reached their goal and won’t up the ante anymore – this would be a mistake.

Weight training is all about setting goals, once you achieve the goals you must set new goals to stay motivated and continue your progress – avoid staying stagnant in your routine is crucial. Not only must you set goals for yourself but monitoring your goals to see where you stand is necessary to chart your development.

Main Reasons Behind Training Plateaus

The two main reasons behind training plateaus are training programs you have progressed beyond and don’t know it and incorrect calorie consumption.

In-proper training can mean a variety of things – either you train too much and are over exerting your muscles, not training enough and skipping days, or training a substantial amount of hours per week but your training program isn’t intense enough. You must not continue to perform the same exercises day in and day out for weeks at a time and expect to increase muscle mass. You body will adjust to the training program and won’t respond anymore. You might not want to change your exercise routine dramatically – but adjusting how you perform these exercises in different ways can make the difference.

Muscles, like people, sometimes need a change of scenery – in the cases of muscles new or altered training exercises. Muscles should see a new exercise – or the same in a different fashion – every month to keep growing. Always keep a list of what training exercises you perform, how much you perform then and make the necessary adjusts as you go along. This is the only was you can assess where you stand and know or not if you plateau needs to be raised.

If you are working out on a regular basis and continually getting stronger and more muscular – this is great – but have you adjust your calorie consumption per day? If you are 200 pounds now and before you were 180, you will need to increase your calories per day to progress and break through your plateau – 1 pound requires 25-30 calories.