Muscle "Plateau Effect"??

[jlells01]

Something I've heard mentioned lately is the muscle "plateau effect", whereas your body adjusts to the exercises you're doing, so over a period of time, the results are diminished...

WTF???

As long as you are adding weight to the bar, how can your muscles "plateau"?

[tbush]

let's pretend the y axis of below graph is weight lifted and the x axis is time. After a while you will not gain as fast as before. Therefore you have plateaued.



However you change exercises, set/rep schemes, intensity, etc. you may be able to overcome plateaus and get gains more like this (where plateaus are overcome to increase strength quickly but then plateaus again so things are changed around and the cycle is repeated):

[DJAuto]

Something I've heard mentioned lately is the muscle "plateau effect", whereas your body adjusts to the exercises you're doing, so over a period of time, the results are diminished...

WTF???

As long as you are adding weight to the bar, how can your muscles "plateau"?

Like he said above, your body becomes accustomed to the tension being placed on it and adapts to the movement. You won't be able to add weight easily once you hit a plateau. You'll have to switch to another movement, something which your body hasn't become adapted too. There are other ways to break a plateau too.

[koss2010]

How long would it take to plateau though ? Can anyone share any experinces or anything ? just curious

[DJAuto]

How long would it take to plateau though ? Can anyone share any experinces or anything ? just curious

Usually, if you're a newbie, it'll come in a few months, possibly. For more experienced lifters, it can be more common depending upon your training methods.

In the end, it's impossible to say when it'll strike. That's why coaches and trainers recommend switching up your routine every few months if not weeks.

[ITHURTZ]

Something I've heard mentioned lately is the muscle "plateau effect", whereas your body adjusts to the exercises you're doing, so over a period of time, the results are diminished...

WTF???

As long as you are adding weight to the bar, how can your muscles "plateau"?

TO me its all horse rubbish, Add weight, keep hitting it hard, your body will NOT adapt. All in all, y ou get bored, dont hit it as hard, but you think you are, so you dont progress because you got bored. Then you cry oo Iv hit a platue

[rockhuddy]

TO me its all horse rubbish, Add weight, keep hitting it hard, your body will NOT adapt

Well I guess you know better than all those stupid coaches, powerlifters, and bodybuilders.

[ITHURTZ]

I speak from personal preference. Iv done bb and dumbell bench for over 4.5yrs now, with a personal best of 365x1 and started from a 30x1

[mjw8204]

Well I guess you know better than all those stupid coaches, powerlifters, and bodybuilders.

Doesn't everyone here?

[rockhuddy]

I speak from personal preference. Iv done bb and dumbell bench for over 4.5yrs now, with a personal best of 365x1 and started from a 30x1

Lol, that's it? That's all you've got? 4 years of training and a 365 bench?


Dave Tate:
"Let me explain very quickly. How much can you currently squat? If you answered 500 pounds, I'd reply, "How much more do you know about squatting now compared to when you could only squat 300 pounds? How much more will you have to learn to squat 700 pounds?"

[Mtguy8787]

Lol, that's it? That's all you've got? 4 years of training and a 365 bench?


Dave Tate:
"Let me explain very quickly. How much can you currently squat? If you answered 500 pounds, I'd reply, "How much more do you know about squatting now compared to when you could only squat 300 pounds? How much more will you have to learn to squat 700 pounds?"

Well, obviously if someone is stronger, they are more knowledgeable about that exercise. But.. what if one person had a stronger BB bench, and another had a stronger DB bench.. Who would be more knowledgeable about chest training?

(Not serious)

[ITHURTZ]

Lol, that's it? That's all you've got? 4 years of training and a 365 bench?


Dave Tate:
"Let me explain very quickly. How much can you currently squat? If you answered 500 pounds, I'd reply, "How much more do you know about squatting now compared to when you could only squat 300 pounds? How much more will you have to learn to squat 700 pounds?"

If you understand in 4.5 years ALOT happens that can stop, or limit ur growth. And thats a 74lb increase per year, or 6.2lbs a month. Lets see you do that

[Guardian]

TO me its all horse rubbish, Add weight, keep hitting it hard, your body will NOT adapt. All in all, y ou get bored, dont hit it as hard, but you think you are, so you dont progress because you got bored. Then you cry oo Iv hit a platue

I agree to an extent. I dont like the modern day philosphy of always changing things up and variety. Personally I like to use what works best and hit it hard, I have no doubt 5 years from now I will be using pretty much the same base of excercises I do now.

[Guardian]

Props on the great progress for 4+ years

I just wanted to get back on track and add something..

To ITHURTZ "TO me its all horse rubbish, Add weight, keep hitting it hard, your body will NOT adapt. All in all, y ou get bored, dont hit it as hard, but you think you are, so you dont progress because you got bored. Then you cry oo Iv hit a platue"

I think you might misunderstand the concept of platue... it is not necessarily about hitting a platue in regards to getting stronger.. some people stop gaining size when they hit a platue but continue to grow stronger.. that is the result of your body getting used to a movement.

Ever notice that you see great gains when you start lifting but eventually slow down.. but you can consistantly put on strength such as 6.2lbs per month.

No if you sotp gaining size but continue to get strong it is almost certainly attributed to not enough cals especially protein cals.

I dont know what your smoking but the beggining newbie size gains and strength both tend to dip down at about the same time. If you can consistently put on strength such as 6.2 pounds a month with no size gains then something is wrong with your program.

When you get advanced both size AND STRENGTH will be harder to gain.

[I dont work at Ballys]

there are other ways of breaking a plateau besides switching exercises. you can change the angle of pull, change rep scheme, change order of exercise in workout, forced reps, change tempo, change your underwear, etc... thats what makes bodybulding fun in my eyes, is that it truly is a sculpture in constant progress.

[russ10002]

Well, obviously if someone is stronger, they are more knowledgeable about that exercise. But.. what if one person had a stronger BB bench, and another had a stronger DB bench.. Who would be more knowledgeable about chest training?

(Not serious)

Strength can also come with genes. I know people who are much stronger than me but have terrible form

[SixFootSniper]

Strength can also come with genes. I know people who are much stronger than me but have terrible form

strong 5-year bump

wtf!?

[sharpieblet]

Strength can also come with genes. I know people who are much stronger than me but have terrible form

Strong bump, weak excuse

[dbo901]

Everyone has different bodies that react differently. If you don't hit stopping points thats cool, your one of the few. Or maybe your seeing results, but found that if you did switch it up you would see that much more results.

TO me its all horse rubbish, Add weight, keep hitting it hard, your body will NOT adapt. All in all, y ou get bored, dont hit it as hard, but you think you are, so you dont progress because you got bored. Then you cry oo Iv hit a platue