– By Bryn Lewis
The muscle building triangle consists of training, nutrition and sleep. This three angled approach can sometimes reach plateaus in muscle size and strength, due to one or more of the three key elements being out of balance.
The human body is an amazing piece of machinery and sometimes needs rest or additional stimulation to advance forward. Signs that your training regime, measured by your outcomes (muscle size & strength) is not progressing or stagnant, may be attributed to either physiological or psychological factors.
Prevention is better than cure and heeding the warning signs is the best criteria in coming through this difficult stage. The following steps are guidelines to breaking through this formidable reality and focus on the training triangle using a reflective approach:
Training
Weight training programs should revolve around the S.P.O.R.T principles of training,specificity, progression, overload, reversibility and tedium. Plateaus in muscle strength and mass could be determined by identifying any chinks in these five key elements.
Weight Training Program
Strength endurance: This requires high reps (15+) with light loading (30-50%) of your 1 rep max (1RM) & REST (30 seconds).
Size and strength: This requires a medium to high number of reps (8-12) with a medium to heavy load (70% of your 1RM) & REST (1minute).
Power: This requires a medium number of reps (6-10) with medium to heavy loading (70-80%) of your 1 RM & REST (1min 30 secs – 3 minutes).
Maximum Strength Training: This requires a low number of reps (1-5) with heavy loads (80-100%) 1RM & REST (2 – 5 minutes).
Specificity
Is the weight training program goal orientated? Have a clear goal whether it is muscle size or strength. Adapt your training program according to your goals, these goals are measurable by outcomes e.g muscle mass and % increase in muscular strength. These goals should be challenging but achievable, if they are perceived to be easy, boring or too difficult then a plateau may be on the horizon in terms of strength and muscle mass. Use the SMART approach to goal setting, this is a tried and tested strategy and is an extremely useful assessment tool. SMART means the following in terms of goal setting:
Specific: Increase muscle mass or increase strength via the weight training principles described above.
Measurable: Measure increase in %1RM or measure various muscles e.g. biceps girth
Achievable: Focus on specific training plan, relate to specific goals.
Realistic: Important to remain focussed and motivated with realistic objectives.
Time-Specific: Have proximal and distal goals in terms of strength and muscle mass. Be realistic and honest, this helps you to remain focussed on the specific task and avoid training plateaus.
Progression
Monitor your progress by keeping a journal and use self photos to gauge the impact of your weight training program. Be reflective and record your strength and muscle mass results, these may help keep you motivated and avoid that dreaded plateau. Find a training partner and bounce off each other. It’s surprising how discussing your goals and results can keep you on track.
Overload (F.I.T Principles)
Progressive overload is important to build muscle strength and mass. If your performance is dipping or reaching a stable point, then you may need to adjust one or more of the FIT principles in relation to your specific SMART goals.
Frequency: Increase or decrease number of training sessions
Intensity: Increase or decrease the work load (%1RM), REP number and sets. Look at rest patterns between sets, this is paramount to strength and muscle mass.
Time: Avoid training for over an hour, this is classed as over training. Anabolic hormones peak at about 30 minutes and then start to dip, so you are placing unwanted stress on the working muscles with little additional benefits.
Reversibility
Use it or lose it. Atrophy of the muscle occurs after two weeks of stopping training, when you go back to your training regime you will experience increased fatigue and muscle soreness. Too much cardio can reduce testosterone in the body, which adversely affects your muscle building capacity. Try to limit your cardio routine to less than 20 minutes per session and no more than three times a week.
Tedium
If you are bored and have lost your mojo about going to the gym, don’t just stop, have an active break. Walk the dog, spend time with your family outside or do some yoga. Refocus yourself by re-evaluating your SMART goals and FIT principles, a one week rest away from the gym will give your muscles time to recover and help you to refocus.
Diet
You need to ask yourself whether you are consuming enough calories to sustain your weight training regime?
If you are feeling weak and lethargic then you may need to consume more food, but answer this series of questions first:
Is your diet balanced Is there enough protein, clean carbs and low fat in the diet to sustain your training needs?
Do you consume a pre training and post training meal/shake?
Conclusion
There is no magic solution to eradicate that dreaded plateau in muscular strength or muscle mass. Being vigilant and aware of your body’s needs, in conjunction with knowledge of the training triangle, could keep you on track to achieving the SMART goals via the SPORT principles. Good luck.