Do not sweat the plateaus

There is a standard belief in fitness that one should never stay at the same routine for too long. The belief is that this causes a type of stagnation inhibiting further gains.

If this is really the case, how long at same thing is too long? Too, does this apply to diet and supplementation in the same way as it generally does for exercise?

For those losing weight or those training for a contest the advice should be the same. Both types of people are trying to make gains though the former understand this best as a reduced waistline. The latter think of success in terms of things increased bicep mass. Whichever is right for the person in question, sustained progress is essential.

The question is over the mode of training. What will give rise to greatest effect in the shortest period of time? Ought one to keep at bench presses for instance or should these be periodically replaced with pull downs and inclines? Or, for the person focused on weight loss, should bicycling be regularly replaced by running? What about diet and supplementation in relation to these thoughts?

Most authorities recommend varying an exercise routine while maintaining a low fat high protein diet. Little is said about supplementation, but the assumption is that mega dose multi vitamin capsules along with innocuous performance enhancers such as green tea are considered helpful if not essential. Seldom is anything said about changing food sources from chicken to fish or supplement sources of green tea to guarana, but the standard nutritional advice over the last fifty years has recommended different types of foods from the four food groups every day. Perhaps the same should be considered for performance enhancers.

The question really is over regularity as opposed to variety. Which is better in the long run? Ought one to keep at the same diet, exercise routine and supplement doses or should one vary them? Perhaps the answer is in respecting plateaus. That is something all too many of us never do.

When we hit a plateau we generally become despondent as nothing seems to be working. That can cause the all too common drop out rate which club owners expect every February after the post New Year boom. Or it can make us switch programs in hopes that something other will cause overnight results. What we should do instead is to simply believe good will come in a month or so if only we keep at what we are doing. And that is precisely what does occur when we hang on, or stay the course.

After the desired results occur, we may want to make some changes. That is because new fitness levels carry with them increased vitality, which means the ability to do more in a more comfortable fashion. This may create a need for more of the right nutrition (more good calories) and perhaps less of a dependence on our favorite performance enhancers.

For more thoughts about plateaus and some real iife examples of how they work order my book "Think and Grow Fit".

Paste http://www.foreverfitness.info into your URL bar if this link is inactive.

About the Author

Obese 45 years ago; state champion power lifter 1978; in better shape today at 61 than when on swim team in high school
http://www.foreverfitness.info
http://blog.foreverfitness.info
Author of "Think and Grow Fit" a rational person's guide to getting fit and staying that way forever
http://www.iuniverse.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-000139551
markclemens (markclemens19) on Twitter
YouTube - mcfitnessguru19

by: mark19

Rating: Not yet rated

Comments

No comments posted.