Howdy, just wondering if anyone can tell me if this is normal or if this happens to anyone else. . . for ruffly 2/3 months i make good gains in size and strength upping the weight and reps every week, sometimes even every other session. Then all of a sudden i hit ‘the wall’ and begin to lose size and strength, this lasts for about 2 weeks/1 month. I dont lose allot, but it is enough to piss me off. For example i could go from doing sets of 8/9 down to sets of 3/4. But as i said it only ever lasts for a short period of time , and then i get it all back and begin the ‘cycle’ again flying past my ‘wall’ which i previously hit. Is this common/normal?I train every other day, sessions lasting no more than one an a quarter hours, doing 12/14 sets per major body part, and 9 sets for smaller body parts. Is there anyway i can avoid this monthly breakdown? It just feels like every so often i lose 2weeks/1 month’s worth of training because of it.
A program is only as good as the time it takes you to adjust to it.
Once you start to go stale, change the program entirely or take a de-load week. This involves reducing volume drastically whilst maintaining calories at the level of a normal week. This will give your body the break it needs and alleviate any ‘overtraining’ symptoms that you may be encountering.
What you are experiencing is normal without proper periodisation protocol in place.
cheers. I did think it may have something to do with not really changing my program apart from the odd exercise here an there. But i will bear that in mind and put what you said into practise next time it happens!