Training is an organised process whereby the body is exposed to stimuli of varied volume and intensities. The objective of any well-organised training program is to induce adaptations that improve upon your current physical state.
Lot of people train in hopes of improving their strength, physique or fitness etc. but ultimately end stop making progress because they fail to break the threshold required to increase adaptations which increase over time, you cannot follow the same reps, sets or specific exercises forever and expect it to constantly bear fruit or they end up trying to go all in you know if your nose isn't bleeding it was to light group you know they are running Smolov, whilst adding extra sessions and trying to max their deadlift at the same time ever noticed how they always have niggles here and there or have to take off weeks at a time because their body is just run down and cannot take it any more.
Improvement is only possible if this sequence is followed
Increasing stimulus (load) -> Recovery -> Adaptation -> Perfromance improvement.
If you haven't been making any progress then its highly likely that you're stuck following one of the following sequences
Lack or stimulus -> Plateau -> Lack of improvement
If the load is always at the same level, adaption will occur but only in the early part of the training program, followed by stagnation without any further improvement.
Excessive stimulus -> maladaptation -> Decrease in performance
If the Stimulus is extreme or overly varied, the athlete will be unable to adapt and overtraining and maladaption will occur.
A well-planned training program will progressively and systematically increase the training stimulus over time to yield year on year results. If the stimulus does in induce a sufficient challenge no increases should be expected however if the stimulus is extremely high or undertaken for an excessively long period of time maladaptation, overtraining and injury are likely to occur.
Getting strong is 10-15 years of slowly adding weight to the bar. Appreciate the process, steady consistent progress is the name of the game.
Review your training have you just been turning up the gym plodding along not making any gains then its probably time to push your self a little harder.
Methods for Overcoming Barriers.
- Focus on increasing your repetitions with your 2/3/5RM
- Decrease your higher repetition training and try to increase your weights with your 2/3/5RM
- Increase loads in unfamiliar increments often sticking points are associated with a specific numerical value.
- Perform loaded isometrics at crucial sticking points
- Use varying resistance by adding bands or chains to the bar or dumbbells
- Adjust your rest periods (a lot of people in this category do not rest long enough to allow a proper effort on the next set)
- Switch your main exercise for a variation to induce new adaptions
If on the other hand you all ways feel beat up and sore maybe its time to turn down the intensity and focus a little more on the recovery side of things.
Methods of Improving Recovery
- Sleep (Sleep can be an entire post in its self) 8 hours make sure you get them. If you don't recovery you won't adapt and sleep is the king of recovery.
- Stretching 15-20mins daily using foam rollers, normal and PNF stretching should be sufficient unless you're seriously inflexible.
- Nutrition, make sure your eating enough protein and carbohydrates to support your training.
Stay Strong
J.
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