Featured in this article are 10 tips to really increase leaving the plateau behind, and increasing muscle mass.

When training you reach the point where completing 3 sets of 10, and traditional straight sets, become maintenance as opposed to growth. Also, no matter what supplements, how many times you train or for how long, you are just stuck at the same point.

Those big lifts and muscle gains now become, what feels like, an impossible target to reach!

Don’t worry because here at gymguider we are going to help you understand why, and also give you a few tips that will help you overcome those annoying sticking points.

By following these, you will find you can gain mass and strength, also it will boost confidence and determination to obtain your overall goal.

To tear through this plateau, you need to think unconventional. Many of the tips I’m about to share with you go against everything you’ve read before and some are opposite to what once worked for us at gymguider. But that’s how we know hey can impact and work.

Only incorporate 1 or 2 of them for now and see how your body responds. It is not necessary to implement more than two of these tips at once. Use these tips when the original ones lose effectiveness.

Learn how to maximise muscle gain by stimulating your body with the perfect nutrition and workout. Experiment with what it will take for you to push through your plateau and start making size and strength gains.

Here are 10 tips you can choose from to help you through your sticking point and start growing again.

1. Change Your Programme:

Most of us get stuck in the same routine with our workouts, usually beginning the week with chest, then back or arms next, and so on. For one week, switch it around. Start the week with something you normally finish with and vice versa.

For example, if you train chest on Monday and arms on Friday, swap it around. Often a simple switch such as the order is enough to shock the muscles and get them reacting how you want them to, with either growth, strength or both.

2. Sets And Reps:

Are you finding yourself typically doing 4 sets of 8 reps? Why not change it to, 8 sets of 4 reps.

The weight will have to be adjusted accordingly, but you will notice the difference this small adaption of this technique can do for you. One week at this, then go back to your normal rep and set scheme.

Related article: Cluster Sets Training Method For Mass And Strength

3. Focus On Whole Food:

Gymguider are not here to tell you that supplements aren’t having positive effects on your workouts. There’s a good chance that if you’re using the correct supplements, they are in fact making your workouts more effective.

But, we want to let you know that come off the supplements entirely for one week. Force your body to do it with only the intake of quality food. It’s easy to rely on supplement intake and forget what a proper diet is.

This will make you start paying attention. Food is the most anabolic substance there is, so try to rely on a good clean diet opposed to supplements.

4. New Bed Time:

Sleep is a key factor of when you really grow, so you must maximise this time. For one week, try to work around your lifestyle, and go to bed two hours earlier. In return, get up two hours earlier.

Ironically you’ll see just how much more you can accomplish during the day as well as the influence this will have on your ability to build more muscle.

Related article: 6 Ways On How To Get To The Gym Even When You Have No Energy

5. The 50-Rep Set Technique:

For every exercise you do in your workout this week, add one set of fifty reps at the very end. This will help you to adapt the habit of pushing yourself to capacity.

This technique is very exhaustive on the system, so at the same time be sure you’re eating and sleeping enough. Don’t forget to lower the weight when using this method. The goal is to get to the fifty reps, regardless of what you’re lifting.

6. Pre-Exhaust The Muscles:

Alternatively to the 50-rep set principle, try some pre-exhaust work. Begin each exercise in your workout with a set of 75 reps using 50% of your max weight.

Take 10 seconds rest after each block of reps until you reach a total of 75 reps. Use an isolation exercise. After doing this for a week, when you return back to straight lifting, your strength will be increased dramatically.

7. Set A ‘Must-Eat-Diet’:

If you don’t take in enough calories, you will not start to grow. For one week, set a food intake that must be achieved each day and then try and add other foods you can to increase portions.

For this week, aim for 12 eggs, 2 gallons of milk, and 2 large chicken breasts every day. Try to eat more calories in a clean manor and start growing.

Related article: Simple Changes To Improve Dieting

8. Train To Failure:

You’ve no doubt read articles telling you to avoid failure as it’s the short-track to over training. This is true, but when you’re always going to direct failure with each lift you do. For this week, forget about reps.

Lift until you can’t lift any more. Then rest and do it again for your next exercise. You might not be able to finish your pre-set workout. Don’t worry about it for this week.

Failure:
That point in an exercise at which you have so fully fatigued your working muscles that they can no longer complete an additional repetition of a movement with strict biomechanics.

Related article: 9 Benefits of Running That Make You Healthier Fitter And Insanely Sexy

9. Run Before Your Workouts:

Typically you want to save cardio until after your weight lifting. For one week, try doing a ten minute hard run right before your weights.

This will boost your metabolism and cause your appetite to increase and mentally put you into an intense mode to carry through the rest of the workout. Try this technique along with the Must-Eat-Diet technique for best results.

10. Start Yoga:

Yoga is a great way to boost your muscle building potential, and isn’t just for women!

Related article: Yoga and Stretching Exercises & Correct Form

Yoga increases circulation, enhances range of motion, and will help to reduce stress. All factors that go into building muscle. Try it for one week and see if you don’t notice a difference.

Conclusion:

Don’t wait for results to happen. You have to do something, kick-start the body, and get those results for yourself. Remember, the definition of insanity is expecting a different result without doing anything different!

Taking action will achieve growth, so don’t be that person on the sideline who’s at the gym day in and day out but never has anything to show for it.