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KISS YOUR PLATEAU GOODBYE!
By
T'ai Erasmus, ISSA
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Whether our goal is to build a body of armor, maximize
performance, or grow lean, we all have experienced
a plateau. This can be very frustrating at times. But,
there is hope! With a little planning and conscious effort
we can sail right through a plateau, on to new discoveries
far beyond what we thought was physically, mentally and
spiritually possible. To assist your kiss goodbye, I will
share some strategies I use with clients to maximize smooth
sailing.
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| ATTITUDE! |
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Attitude is everything! If you think about
it, a plateau is a blessing in disguise. A plateau reminds
you to stay focused. To be focused, you must be present.
To live present, will allow you to become aware of the
warning signs that identify the beginning of a plateau.
This insight prepares you to address your plateau immediately.
Use a plateau to be your reminder to live in the present.
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| TRAINING! |
Our bodies have an amazing ability to change and adapt
to exercise. But, our bodies do this so well that after
a period of time, the exercises we use to enhance performance
or improve our physiques become ineffective. So, to avoid
muscular adaptation, you've got to continually give your
muscles something to respond to. This means constantly stimulating
your muscles by changing the way you train.
Too many people get into a rut. They walk into the gym, do the same exercises
in the same way, with the same weight, using the same reps and sets. Booooorrriing!
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| CHANGE
YOUR WORKOUT EVERY 3 WEEKS! |
At the three-week mark, start using a whole new list of exercises for each
body part. Use a journal to keep track of your progress as well
as what exercises you are performing. This will give you a way to reference
your progress and ensure the use of a wide variety of different exercises.
When you change your program every three weeks, you can incorporate
little tricks that make training more fun.
Eccentrics, tempo, intensity, rep schemes, sets, technique, machines versus
free weights, and changing the environment you train in can all be extremely
effective in blowing a kiss goodbye to your plateau. If you are not well
versed on exercise variety, form and/or technique, go and purchase a good
book on this subject. Better yet, hire someone qualified to show you how.
People pay someone to go to school, learn to drive, play tennis, or study
martial arts. It makes sense to hire a personal trainer. |
| GIVE
YOUR BODY TIME TO RECUPERATE: |
Sometimes we get so frustrated with a plateau, we take on the idea
that training harder, longer and more intense is the answer. This is not
the case. The "more is better" attitude may lead to overtraining.
Which will further prolong your plateau. In fact, you may discover training
less frequently, or for shorter periods per session to be more effective.
Just keep your intensity high. More is not always better.
Symptoms of overtraining include loss of appetite, low energy levels, insomnia;
loss of enthusiasm to exercise, weakened immune function, and increased
heart rate upon waking up. A technique you can use to avoid overtraining
is to monitor your waking heart rate. If your waking pulse is more than
8 beats per minute higher than average, you are starting to overtrain.
A mentor of mine, Dr. Michael Colgan told me about this technique a few
years ago, and I have found it to be extremely effective.
Sleep is vital! Without sleep you can not recover from your workouts. During
sleep growth hormone is secreted and your muscles rebuild. Make your snooze
time a priority. Get at least seven hours minimum, preferably eight.
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| FINAL
THOUGHTS: |
| The aforementioned suggestions have a common theme – awareness.
Conscious variation permits progression. Use these tips to
blow your sticking point out of the water, and continue smooth
sailing as you kiss your plateau goodbye. |
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T'ai Erasmus is a certified
personal fitness trainer, and sports nutritional consultant
working in Vancouver. To book sessions or a consultation
he can be reached by calling 604-329-7867or by e-mail at
tai@taierasmus.com.
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