The Mountain, The Valley and The Dreaded Plateau

At the gym where I work, most of our business, whether it be new memberships, inquiring about personal training or people are beginning to use their memberships regularly, it always happens right around the same time of year, January.  It’s to be expected.  There are New Year’s resolutions and the effects of holiday eating that give our members the push they need to come walking through our doors to make a change.  What everyone should know right away is that there is a time frame to be aware of when beginning/ getting back to a work out routine after a significant amount of time has passed.  I like to refer to it as the mountain, the valley and the dreaded plateau.

The first four to six weeks of getting into shape is conditioning; the mountain.  It feels as if our bodies are tired within the first five minutes and just want to reject exercise all together!  As we continue throughout the weeks, the heart rate adapts, we can go a little longer, feeling energized and stronger and fatigue isn’t so early to the party.

Within the next eight to twelve weeks, we can see the fruits of our labor, results; the valley.  We wake up feeling better about ourselves, excited that the hard work is paying off and confident about the routine we’ve chosen for ourselves.  It’s all downhill!  Clothes are fitting slightly better, maybe even a little loose.  What happens next is where the frustration begins to set.

All of a sudden the numbers are the same.  The weight is staying the same and the inches are standing still.  There appears to be no way over, around or under this wall; the dreaded plateau.  “The plateau effect occurs when a formerly effective measure ceases to cause further change.” (Lyster, Studies in Second Language Acquistion.2004)  With the given information, what must be realized is that the effect is avoidable.

The secret to pushing through this wall is to simply change your routine.  If you take the same days off from your workout, choose new days.  If running is your preferred cardio, try cycling or other forms of cardio.  Maybe weight training is how you spend your time in the gym.  Instead of the same lifting routine, try working those same muscle groups with different techniques, such as plyometrics or calisthenics, which also assist in endurance.  The point is to stay moving and to stay motivated.  In many cases, people hit that wall and before they know it, they’re right back where they began.

If you’ve recently gotten to your plateau, change it up.  As the summer shows itself a bit more, find some outdoor activities that keep you moving.  The benefits of getting into shape and more importantly, staying in shape with an exercise inclusive lifestyle, is that the possibilities are endless.  I encourage everyone to break through their walls, push forward, and put up a fight for the results you desire.