12 Ways to Break Through/Prevent Your Training Plateau
1. Change your rep range
This is a no brainer. However, even experienced lifters can get stuck performing their lifts in the same few rep ranges for weeks or months. Challenge your body to stimuli that you have never experienced before. Instead of 3 sets of 10 reps, do a single set for max reps. Hell, do 10 sets each to max reps while lowering the weight! Anything to make put your body out of its routine.
2. Change your "style" of training
Sometimes adding some strength training to your running program will add speed. Adding some hypertrophy work to your deadlift routine will give you some extra pulling power. Do not become stuck in the mindset that their is only 1 type of training that is viable for improving. EVERY single type of training has positives and negatives, so take the strengths of each and use them to your advantage.
3. Eat differently
Your body is a machine that requires fuel. Try changing WHAT you fuel your body with. But also change WHEN you fuel your body. Sometimes not eating before training in the morning will open your body to using more fat as energy. Other times you may want to have some simple sugar (Gatorade, candy, etc.) an hour before you exercise so that your available glycogen is at its highest.
4. Train at different times
The time of day that you train can affect many things, but most importantly your mindset. Try working out at a different time of day to jog your body out of its rhythm with a new stimuli.
5. Alter your rest periods
Very simple way to throw your body of its normal routine and force change in muscles. It can be resting longer so that you can push more weight, or taking almost no rest to push that muscle to full exhaustion
6. Take some time off
Your body needs rest. If you have been training for a long period of time 5-7 days a week your body may only be running at 80% when you go to workout. Take a week off. Play some sports you generally don't get a chance to play. A lot of the time when you come back, your body is back to 100% and ready to crush a PR.
7. Take less time off
Yes, I am contradicting my last point. But the latter applies to someone who has been exercising 5-7 days a week for TOO LONG (i.e. 30-50 weeks). Most people go to the gym 1-3 days a week if they are lucky. If you are one of these people, and have plateaued after a few months of training, start going to the gym 4 or 5 days a week. Your body needs stimuli in order to change!
8. Start performing warm-up/remedial work
Be honest. You probably don't do the dynamic warm-up, stretching, icing, and mobility work you should be doing. If you come in to the gym every day, and you can only work to 70% capacity because you are sore or your back is tight than you are only pushing yourself 70% of the way. Your body needs to be pushed to its limits in order to force adaptation.
9. Work longer
A half hour training session may have been working when you first started training but your progress will quickly slow. Start spending more time each day exercising. It is as simple as coming in 15 minutes early to warm up instead of wasting 15 minutes of your workout time warming up.
10. Work harder
Don't use number 9 as an excuse to sit in the gym for longer. Working for longer periods of time only applies if you have put 100% effort into each session. Take note of each workout, and ask yourself if you could have pushed harder.
11. Learn form
Don't just go through the motions. Understand what you are doing correctly and incorrectly. Performing every single rep correctly will lead to greater adaptation than simply mimicking a movement and never correcting it. My rule is: Find something wrong with EVERY SINGLE SET and correct it. There is ALWAYS room for improvement, no matter who you are.
12. Find a training partner or GET A TRAINER
Having a partner can push you to new heights in your workouts. Having an experienced coach write your training programs and teach you the intricacies of training can help you get to your goals FASTER THAN ANY OTHER METHOD. Either way, you will find your workouts instantly become harder when training with a partner or coach.
There are many ways to break through/avoid plateauing in your training. These are simply the first 12 (In no specific order) that came to mind while I was writing this. A good general rule is to never expose your body to the same stimuli for too long. Like anything, it will adapt and eventually see that stimuli as nothing out of the ordinary. Be creative in your program design and utilize aspects from all of the different training "styles".