Plateau effect. What is it and how to overcome it

A training plateau is a stagnation of performance, no muscle growth, no increase in working weight, and there is a feeling of being stuck in one place.

In the first months of losing weight or training, the result is most noticeable: water leaves the body, relief appears and the body becomes slimmer. Only after a certain time does stagnation occur. Like eating right and exercising regularly. Still no progress.

This is called the plateau effect. It is observed during weight loss and weight gain.

Why does the plateau effect occur?

As already mentioned, the Plateau effect occurs due to the adaptation of the body to changed conditions. The reasons may be the following:

1. Water retention (rapid weight loss). The fact is that with diets and training, not only fat is lost, but also other biological components: muscles and tissues. Fluid stasis is formed due to the abundance of salty foods and strong physical exertion.
2. No fat in the diet. Wrong statement: “To lose fat, you need to eat less.” This is not so, fat is necessary for the normal functioning of organs. If you severely limited this component, then instead of losing weight there will be stagnation.
3. Too strict diet. Do not hope for mono-diets or diets with too strict restrictions. Why? Because with an ultra-low calorie content, the metabolism and the work of internal organs will slow down – this is bad for health. Adaptation of the body will lead to the Plateau effect, and even physiological problems will appear.
4. Genetics and the wrong training program. Both reasons relate to the power Plateau. In the first case, you have trained to the limit of genetic possibilities. And in the second case, it is necessary to adjust the complex of training.

What are the types of plateau effect?

• Classic and Power Plateau  – Causes: genetics or the wrong training program.
• Diet Plateau  – Causes: adaptation of the body to the type of food.
• Energy Plateau  – Causes: getting used to physical activity.
• Hormonal Plateau  – Causes: individual characteristics of the organism.

Plateau effect for weight loss. What happens in the body?

First, let’s figure out how everything happens at the level of the organism during the Plateau. For example, you first ate a daily diet of 2000 calories. Then they went on a diet of up to 1600 calories per day. For the first three to four months, the body worked by inertia as in 2000, the missing 400 calories came from internal reserves (the first weight loss cycle). Just the same, the Plateau is when your body has adapted to the current number of calories.

That is why you should not hope for mono-diets or diets with too strict restrictions. Why? Because with an ultra-low calorie content, the metabolism and the work of internal organs will slow down – this is bad for health.

How long does the plateau effect last?

Strategically, you need to understand that the effect will come sooner or later. It depends on the amount of excess weight in the body. For some, the weight can decrease only for two months, for others, the period of the onset of the Plateau reaches up to one and a half years.

In terms of sports or the so-called training plateau – the same physical activity, without progress. For example, you started training with dumbbells (2-3 sets daily with the same number of repetitions). At first, the muscles will take on relief outlines, then the effect will disappear due to the lack of changes in the load.

Also, one of the reasons for the emergence of the training Plateau is the lack of your own training plan and understanding of the process of body recovery. In this case, the cause can be eliminated using sessions with a personal trainer.

So, how long does the Plateau effect last? Since its onset depends on the person himself, then the way out of the Plateau also depends on him and depends, there are no clear limits. More important is not the time, but the strategy to overcome the effect.

How to overcome the plateau effect?

The meaning is this: to give the body signals that it should begin to take internal reserves again. This is done using the swing method.

• “Swing” – increase or decrease in calories on certain days of the week. This practice allows you to swing the metabolism and get off the ground.
• Also, you can use Cheat Meal – a temporary increase in the caloric content of the diet and return to the opposite.
• In terms of training, interval training (classes with variable intensity) is great for overcoming the Plateau effect.

General list of recommendations to cope with the Plateau effect:

• Watch your diet carefully. The diet should be balanced and contain proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Additionally, add fiber to the menu.
• Increase the intensity of power loads. Exercising will help to speed up the metabolism and help in maintaining muscle mass.
• Don’t give in to stress. Stress can slow down weight loss, so it’s important to try to control mood swings and emotions.
• Drink more fluids. Tea, coffee and water will help you lose weight and overcome the plateau effect.
• Lead an active lifestyle and get enough sleep. To quickly cope with the plateau effect and not introduce stress into the body, get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a day.

It is important not to lose motivation and perceive the plateau effect as an inevitable stage in losing weight. Remember, during this period, the body only remembers your new weight.

Results. Key Thoughts on the Plateau Effect

If you missed the entire article, then remember the following:

1. The onset of the Plateau depends on the amount of excess weight.
2. The plateau lasts exactly as long as we keep the body in the usual mode.
3. To overcome the Plateau, we use “swing” or “cheat meal”.
4. We do interval training with a gradual increase in load.