BREAKING PLATEAUS
Your programs should be planned, periodised and follow specific training principles to allow continued progression, constant overload and promote adaptation. Usually programs should consist of a 4 week cycle where stability, strength and power are addressed and target different muscular adaptations depending on your goals. Generally these would include neural (strength), morphological (shape and size) and metabolic. This would insure that you wouldn’t plateau and always allow you to focus on one main aspect whilst maintaining others.
Obviously with so much out there and not understanding the science, it’s very easy to get caught in the trap of prolonging a program and plateauing because the stress which was previously exceeding your functional capacity no longer has an effect on your physiological system. This is very common in gyms.
There are many different ways to break plateaus including super-sets, eccentric training, plyometric training etc, however I’m going to give you a fun workout by using familiar equipment differently. Give my unique barbell workout a try and enjoy doing something completely different to boost your enthusiasm in your continued mission to beasthood 🙂
Barbell pick-ups
Holding the top of the barbell in your right hand, lower yourself down into a lunge to the left while letting the barbell track over your left foot with your right arm fully extended and back straight. Return to start position – standing with barbell in right hand above chest. Repeat other side.
Barbell squat press
With the barbell in your right hand on shoulder, go down into a squat. As you come up to standing perform a press. Repeat on other side.
Barbell chest press
Lying on your back on the ground, grab the end of the barbell in your right hand and perform a chest press. Repeat on other side.
Barbell rows
Standing in a deadlift position grab the end of the barbell in your right hand. Row the weight up leading with the elbow and then lower back down. Repeat on other side.
Barbell scoops
With your left hand high up the bar and your right gripping the middle, extend your arms up twisting to your left. Then as you rotate your body around to the right, perform a scooping action and end with the bottom of the barbell pointing towards the ceiling with both your arms extended to the right. Repeat on other side.
Perform 3 sets of each exercise:
Strength gains = 1-8 reps Hypertrophy = 6-12 reps Metabolic = 12-20 reps