Need Advice: How to overcome a training plateau

[Anna]

Hi everyone! I have a question that I hope someone can help me with!

I seem to have hit a training plateau and I don't know how to break it. I have not been able to increase my strength/weights in my upper body. I have been using the same weights with my arms for about six months, and I can't seem to be able to increase the weight I lift. I don't have this problem with my lower body, I can increase the weight I lift with my lower body fairly regularly. But I don't seem to be able to do this with my upper body.

I've been using mostly FIRM videos for the past year, but recently purchased Cathe's PS series and MIC about three months ago, in order to try to "shock" my system and maybe change my routine. I thought that might help, but it didn't. I work out 5-6 times a week, for about an hour each day. For the last six weeks, I've been doing the PS series on alternating days, with light cardio in between.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Thanks!

 

[Daphne M]

Hi Anna!

Well, all I can tell you is what I've learned from my own experience with strength training -- maybe some of this will be helpful.

(1) It can be tough to increase the amount you're lifting upper body wise if you're using dumbells or barbell plates that jump up in big increments. For instance, going from 12 pound dumbells to 15 pound dumbells is a HUGE jump.

(2) As long as you're going to failure, you don't NEED to increase the amount of weight you're lifting. Lifting more pounds doesn't mean a thing. Believe me, I've watched plenty of guys strutting around the gym with their heavy weights -- using poor form, dropping them, yadda yadda. I have more respect for the ones who work the weight they are lifting to the max before they try to increase the poundage.

(3) If you're bound and determined to increase your weights, pick out a single upper body part -- say, shoulders -- and do shoulders all by themselves one day of the week. Or you could do them *before* you do chest. The idea is to pick a priority body part and hit it when it's rested.

(4) Decrease the number of sets you're doing. Do two sets of each exercise, but go to failure. You can even reduce the variety of the exercises if you want. For example, in the PS series, Cathe usually starts off with the big compound exercises. Maybe just do a couple of sets of the first 2 or 3 exercises and skip the rest? I love the way the PS series is designed, but that doesn't mean you can't play around with it and adapt it to your own short-term goals.

(5) Allow yourself extra time -- a minute or two -- to rest between sets.

All of these strategies should allow you to lift a little heavier. But let me reiterate that heavier is not always better -- the most important thing is to use flawless form and a complete range of motion and to always listen to your body. That will stimulate your muscles more than pushing yourself to up the poundage.

I hope someone else who knows more about strength training will jump in here and offer their own perspective. The above just happen to be strategies that have helped me out from time to time.

 

[Anna]

Thanks Daphne!

I appreciate your advice, I'm going to try to incorporate some of your pointers.

I'm really not hung up on how much weight I lift -I don't really care whether its 5 pounds or 10. What I'm frustrated about is that I don't seem to be making any advances or improvements. I'm stilll using the same dumbbells on my arms that I was six months ago. And that's what I just don't get. I do make sure I get plenty of rest (i.e. sleep) and do take time off between heavy weight days to recover. So I'm not sure why I'm not advancing. Like I said, I think its a plateau, and I'm wondering how to break it. I think you've got some good suggestions, again, thanks!

Anybody else have any thoughts for me?

 

[honeybunch]

Hey, girl!

Got a couple of hints for you....get some "plate mates," which are magnetized 1-1/4 plates that attach to dumbbells or barbell plates. They sell them in sporting goods stores. That will allow you to up your weight and not spend a lot on new dumbbells. OR, use ankle weights on your wrists! You adjust those even more.

Just a suggestion, take it or leave it

I like to lift more, too. It's a challenge.