It happens to us all. Sometimes, as experienced and competent lifters, we find that our standard methods for lifting weights, honed and trained for months or if not years, start slowing in progress. Despite the ‘noob gains’ phenomenon leading to massive amounts of strength and size in a matter of months, over time these efforts have diminishing returns, and the loving habit of lifting becomes all a matter of increasing the weight we use to get better strength gains or simply keeping and maintaining our current muscle.

However, for those in the weight room who are interested in finding out just what they are fully capable of, this period of diminishing returns can be disheartening. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, breaking that PR is impossible. Some lifts are easier than others to progress in, for example, the overhead press is much more difficult to progress in that the deadlift, thanks to the size of the muscle groups used and the fundamental balancing nature of the exercise. If you believe you have hit your natural limit, finding out more about how you could excel through natural boosters can be located if you click here. Sometimes though, people are much more interested in trying to see where that limit lies, and how to overcome it.

As a lifter, the following tips can help you in this process.

Eat More

Lifters have to eat more. That’s just in the nature of growing in strength and size. You simply cannot grow big and strong if you don’t give your body the nutrients it truly needs to gain this size correctly. You may need to increase your protein intake by 50g daily, or simply change when you consume it to directly after a workout. You might need to add another 1000 calories to your diet and worry about cutting the fat later. Getting huge and strong is intrinsically linked with having a body fat percentage. You can always cut this at a later date when you have progressed past the plateau. Eating more might be just the ticket you need to overcome your issues, and you’ll realize within a week or two if this is the case.

Sleep More

We need restful sleep to function at our best. Sometimes, you might find that you’re simply not getting as much rest as you thought you were. This is why it’s necessary to work on your sleep hygiene. If you currently get 8 hours of sleep a night, you might need to increase this to 9 or even 10 hours of sleep. This sounds like a lot, but remember, you are not living a normal life. Your body is undergoing stress that it simply needs to recover from in the best way possible. This is likely the key to helping you overcome your gym difficulties because it has the most profound effect on gym effectiveness.

Take A Break

You might not want to take a break in a vain attempt to keep all the progress you have made. However, you should remember that taking a week here and there, with your protein count still the same as it usually is, will give you and your body the actual significant rest it deserves after months of lifting. This is recommended by ALL fitness workout designers or elite bodybuilders/olympic lifters. Place your goals aside for one moment, and rest up. You will surely have earned it.

These tips will help you bust through that plateau with strength you’ve never felt before. You can thank us when you achieve it.