How to Break Plateaus: 5 Easy Tricks

Getting into a workout groove isn’t easy. This difficulty can feel compounded by the fact that once you do finally hit your stride, you may start noticing that your workouts don’t feel as effective as they used to. This is known as a fitness plateau, and it can be more than a little frustrating. After all, you’ve worked your butt off only to stall out before your reach your goals. Don’t lose heart: when it comes to learning how to break fitness plateaus, we’re experts. We’re experts because we’ve experienced our fair share. Plateaus happen to everyone who works out regularly. They happen but they don’t have to derail your success. These five easy tips to jumpstarting your fitness again will have you breaking that fitness plateau once and for all and get you back on track for the results you want. 

1. Grab a Workout Partner

You might not even notice you’re letting yourself slack until someone else holds you accountable. Grab yourself a workout partner for a little friendly competition or try a fitness class that might force you to work a little harder than you normally would on your own. This accountability can be exactly how to break fitness plateaus, but make sure you choose the right workout partner for your needs.

2. Try a Change of Scenery

Sometimes the monotony of staring at the same four walls for every workout can kill your inner fire. You might also be getting too chummy with the other gym regulars, which can turn your gym hour into half an hour of socializing more than a half an hour of working out. Get yourself a change of scenery or terrain and see the difference it makes in your workout. You can switch your runs from the treadmill to a track, grab a trial week at a new gym to inspire yourself, or even try a home workout to beat the lines.

3. Switch Up Your Routine

How to break fitness plateaus can sometimes be as simple as changing up your routine. If you’ve been doing the same moves and same reps for a few months now, try adding more intensity, varying sets and reps, or completely changing the moves. If you’re used to bench pressing, try push-ups instead, or vice versa. It’ll surprise your muscle groups, which will in turn mean new gains.

4. Try Cross Training

Cross training means using different forms of exercise to better your fitness. Ever heard of football players taking ballet lessons to be better at football? That’s cross training (not to be confused with crossfit, though they share the common traits of using a variety of methods to train.)

Mixing it up with different types of exercise and equipment not only keeps you from getting bored, but it can also help protect you from injury, improve your overall fitness, and even boost your weight loss. All you have to do is alternate between workout activities, like running one day and biking the next, or even switching it up in the same workout by moving from elliptical to resistance to treadmill to plyometrics.

Nothing keeps a workout fresh like new gear. Shop the Keep Your Resolutions Sale and score 25-45% off the equipment to keep the good gains coming.

5. Check Your Diet

Abs are absolutely made in the kitchen, so if you notice your weight loss or fitness plateauing, it could be due to falling off the wagon in the food department. First, make sure you have a handle on your macro intake. You don’t need to painstakingly count calories, but having an idea of what (and how much of what) you are consuming through macro tracking can keep your diet in line and your goals in sight.