Is muscle growth stalled? Are your performances no longer improving at all? Is your motivation dwindling day by day? You're probably experiencing a plateau! It's frustrating, yes… Don't worry, you just mustn't get discouraged; it happens to the best of us, without exception. It's perfectly normal to reach this stage sooner or later, but let's see how we can get things moving again.
What is stagnation?
«"When progress stalls..."»
Over months and years of training, the body evolves, and so does the mind of the bodybuilder. Professional, emotional, or training-related changes, as well as new dietary habits, can significantly impact performance and progress.
A period of stagnation can occur randomly, depending on factors both related to and external to training. Worrying, isn't it?
It's a kind of physical or psychological burnout that can affect anyone in bodybuilding. Since progress is never linear, it's perfectly normal to plateau at a certain level after a while. It's obviously frustrating to see yourself stagnate after having progressed more or less quickly and easily before, to see that what worked in the past no longer does. However, when this burnout persists and is no longer just a passing phase, it's important to react and re-evaluate your approach, especially if it's significantly impacting your morale. While it's not easy to revise your training methods, particularly when a routine has become ingrained, it's worth it and will allow you to find more enjoyment in your workouts.
Let's look at the points to review in order to unlock the situation, so you can continue moving forward serenely towards your goals and well-being!
Improving to escape stagnation
«" Patience… ! "»
One of the qualities that will serve you best in bodybuilding is patience. When you're making progress, it's not necessarily tested, but as soon as progress becomes less obvious, it's a completely different story. So, you have to put things into perspective and realize that you can't achieve the physique or performance you're aiming for overnight. However, if you manage to persevere, you'll be rewarded for your efforts eventually.
«"Optimize your training"»
Regarding exercises, prioritize the basics, such as squats, rows, dips, pull-ups, and bench presses, which are reliable choices, especially for those who aren't at a very advanced level. These exercises are essential because they offer a wide range of motion and are necessary for building muscle mass. Don't necessarily avoid squats, for example, just because you're not confident in your technique or afraid of injury. Start by carefully, giving yourself time to learn how to perform them correctly and working slowly. Leg training is very important, as it significantly stimulates hormone levels, including growth hormones, which are crucial for the recovery and growth of all the body's muscles. The same applies to exercises you might find too tiring, like dips for some. Don't wait any longer to build a solid foundation; then you can dedicate more time to isolation exercises. At this stage, you should be careful not to change exercises too often, especially when working the same muscle, and stick to the same one for at least two months. Why? Because it takes time for muscle fibers to "understand" that they need to "enjoy themselves" while they grow.
«"Breaking the routine"»
We've seen that you shouldn't change exercises too often, but never doing so would be counterproductive in the long run. Offering your body new exercises is a good thing, as it will create new stimuli for your muscles. Also, in addition to gradually increasing repetitions and weight to progress, you can vary the number of repetitions, sets, and intensity, or even periodize your training by alternating between strength development (1 to 6 repetitions of basic exercises with maximum weights), bodybuilding training (a mix of compound and isolation exercises with 8 to 12 repetitions per set with moderate to heavy weights), and strength/endurance training (10 to 12 repetitions with slightly lighter weights).
«"Giving yourself to 100% in complete safety"»
Use your mental strength to push yourself a little further each session, by doing an extra repetition, for example. Don't give up. Even if you think you're not going to succeed, don't quit, even if it takes you a few extra seconds to complete the last repetition. If you have no trouble finishing your sets and your execution speed remains consistent, it means you're not really pushing yourself too hard.
Pushing yourself doesn't mean lifting the heaviest weight possible and cheating by flailing around, using momentum, jerking to lift an unsuitable weight, and then dropping it abruptly. You're working for your own body, so choose your weights based on your needs, not in comparison to others, or you'll never break out of this dreaded plateau. Similarly, you must be able to perform the movement correctly and be completely focused on your technique. Reduce your weight by 101 pounds and 3 tons, trying to complete all sets with perfect form, then gradually increase it back to your usual weights.
«"A reasonable ambition and unwavering motivation"»
Motivation is one of the keys to your progress and success. It's normal not to be motivated all the time, at every workout. However, take a moment to reflect on this lack of motivation, which is even more prevalent during a plateau. Fatigue, discouragement, low morale, lack of enjoyment in training? Do you really want to give up, or will you fight to reach your goals? You have two choices; make the right one! This also means not training and taking rest when it's truly necessary.
It can also be helpful, both for maintaining motivation and organizing your sessions, to document your progress in writing or using an Excel spreadsheet, for example. This way, you can keep track of how far you've come.
Setting unrealistic goals is the best way to quickly become discouraged. Focus primarily on the short and medium term, with objectives that you will achieve in the near future, but always keep in mind your main objective, which should be reasonable even if it is ambitious.
«"Avoiding overtraining"»
Training more often isn't the solution, especially if it hinders muscle recovery. Listen to your body and the signs that can reveal overtraining, such as unusual exhaustion during your workout, a high resting heart rate, feelings of stress during sessions, and even insomnia. Ignoring overtraining could cost you your muscles, as it tends to decrease the ratio of testosterone/negative cortisol, which tends to induce fat storage and muscle loss, and that's definitely not what you're looking for!
«"Don't forget to sleep!"»
Yes, recovery is essential for your progress because it's between workouts that your muscles truly grow, thanks to the healthy meals you prepare for them. So, getting enough sleep is key. While you can certainly take naps in your daily routine, napping on a weight bench isn't ideal and isn't very considerate of your friends waiting their turn. Therefore, you must allow sufficient recovery time between each session, avoid training the same muscle group two days in a row, and keep in mind that muscles like the biceps work hard during back workouts, for example.
«"Adopt a suitable and healthy diet"»
Finally, the nutrition Nutrition plays a crucial role in muscle development. It's your top priority as a bodybuilder, and you can't ignore it if you truly want to progress. So, if you're plateauing, it might be because your nutrition isn't meeting your needs. You need to consume more calories than your body requires to build muscle, since each additional kilogram of muscle requires 80 kcal per day to maintain. Don't hesitate to have snacks throughout the day in addition to meals, and increase your portion sizes, especially of starchy foods, if you're having trouble gaining weight. Consume approximately 2.2g of protein per kilogram of body weight, avoid unhealthy fats (fried foods, etc.), and instead enrich your diet with healthy fats (virgin olive oil, etc.). If you want to lose weight, slightly reduce your starch intake. Furthermore, you can take... dietary supplements like vitamins or minerals if you are deficient. Remember, patience is key.
The steroid treatment
If you are perfectly up to speed on everything we have covered previously and you are no longer progressing, it is possible that you have reached your natural limit.
Those who aspire to push their limits beyond what they can naturally achieve will opt for the solution of anabolic steroids such as’Anavar/Megavar which are among the least harmful of all. A course of this product can offer an interesting approach to starting with anabolic steroids if you are aiming for a high-level goal. Optimizing the strength of existing muscle mass and vascularity, this anabolic steroid, also known by the chemical name...’Oxandrolone This will give a real boost to your progress and morale.
Our power boost pack is the ideal solution to achieve this goal.
MEGAVAR CYCLE (4 weeks)
Product Take
- Take the 50-Megavar 50mg – 50 Meditech tablets daily, following the pyramid dosage chart (42 tablets).
- Take 3 Samarin 140mg – 100 Berlin tablets per day (84 tablets)
MEGAVAR Strengthening Treatment Schedule (4 weeks)
| Week | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 1 Megavar tab 3 Samarin tabs |
1 Megavar tab 3 Samarin tabs |
1 Megavar tab 3 Samarin tabs |
1 Megavar tab 3 Samarin tabs |
1 Megavar tab 3 Samarin tabs |
1 Megavar tab 3 Samarin tabs |
1 Megavar tab 3 Samarin tabs |
| Week 2 | 1 Megavar tab 3 Samarin tabs |
1 Megavar tab 3 Samarin tabs |
1 Megavar tab 3 Samarin tabs |
1 Megavar tab 3 Samarin tabs |
1 Megavar tab 3 Samarin tabs |
1 Megavar tab 3 Samarin tabs |
1 Megavar tab 3 Samarin tabs |
| Week 3 | 2 Megavar tabs 3 Samarin tabs |
2 Megavar tabs 3 Samarin tabs |
2 Megavar tabs 3 Samarin tabs |
2 Megavar tabs 3 Samarin tabs |
2 Megavar tabs 3 Samarin tabs |
2 Megavar tabs 3 Samarin tabs |
2 Megavar tabs 3 Samarin tabs |
| Week 4 | 2 Megavar tabs 3 Samarin tabs |
2 Megavar tabs 3 Samarin tabs |
2 Megavar tabs 3 Samarin tabs |
2 Megavar tabs 3 Samarin tabs |
2 Megavar tabs 3 Samarin tabs |
2 Megavar tabs 3 Samarin tabs |
2 Megavar tabs 3 Samarin tabs |
This way, you can continue to progress and your efforts will be rewarded.
Conclusion
If you take into account each point we've discussed, there's no reason for this phase of stagnation to continue ruining your life. If you've read this article, it means you're taking the time to analyze the factors that can lead to this feeling of being overwhelmed, and that's a good thing. Bear with the pressure a little longer, until the stagnation gives way to real progress, and even if there's a temporary setback, don't get discouraged—you're still on the right track!
Believe in yourself, above all else!
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