How’s your training going? We hear from so many of you to tell us how much you love our wide range of different workouts, so we know that you’re all far from bored! But we also hear from some of you to tell us of your frustration at reaching a point where you feel like your training is making no difference.

This is called a training plateau, and as annoying as they are, they’re real – very real! 

Have you ever reached the point where a certain exercise becomes easy? It used to be hard and now you think wow, well I smashed that. That’s a training plateau. 

You’ll know you’ve reached one because you’ll stop noticing progress either in the form of weight loss, strength or cardiovascular ability (for example you might notice you’re not able to continue to increase the length of time you’re working out for). 

A training plateau happens when our bodies adapt to the exercise regime we’ve been doing. Plateaus are normal, we like to see them as inevitable stages in our fitness journey. Our bodies are very good at adapting, and over time, if we’re doing the same or similar exercise, it’ll stop having the same positive effect on our fitness. Our body is waiting for the next challenge and the next push to get us to the next plateau. 

Ignoring the plateau and sticking with the same exercise that we might find easy will not only mean that our progress is limited. A training plateau may also play tricks with us, meaning that we lose our motivation to carry on with all that amazing work. 

But all is not lost. You can overcome a training plateau – here’s how.

• Variety really is the spice of life, or at least it is for training. At OYG we have a wide range of different exercise plans, challenges and ten minute workouts that can be fitted into even the busiest of days. Make the most of them to make sure that your mind, and body, doesn’t get bored! Add in some Pilates when you’re training hard with weights, or why not try some Combat moves to really get everything engaged? 
• Moving on from the exercises that have become too easy is also a great way to challenge yourself. They probably feel comfortable, both in the emotional and the physical sense. But give yourself the push to perform extra sets or even better, move onto a completely new and challenging exercise. Moving from our Beginner programme to our Intermediate or Intermediate to Advanced is perfect for this and will guide you naturally through your journey. 
• Upping your intensity can also help your body adapt to an ever increasing workout challenge. This means making your muscles work harder rather than longer by using heavier weights or adding weights to your workout sessions if you’ve never used them before. 

Hitting a training plateau is frustrating, but keep pushing yourself that little bit further and you’ll soon start to welcome them as signs that you’re moving in the right direction through your fitness journey!