How to get over a plateau

Discussion in 'General Martial Arts Discussion' started by righty, May 6, 2012.

  1. righty

    righty Valued Member

    I've done a number of activities in my life and in all of them you progress quite quickly at the start and then progress slows until it seems like nothing is happening at all. I'm not actually frustrated about it at the moment, probably because I have more important things to worry about and I know it's normal. But I'm wondering what I can do other than simply trainer harder or more often.

    Why I say not train more is I'm already training 4 days a week plus extra conditioning on the side. So adding more is probably overtraining. I honestly don't know how some people manage to train so much.
     
  2. El Medico

    El Medico Valued Member

    Try taking a week off. From everything.Maybe just take some leisurely hikes so you don't feel you're turning into a couch potato. Read the "Wind in the Willows" or something.

    Not an uncommon strategy in some lifting programs. Well,maybe not the literature part.

    How do people train so much? Truth is many people overtrain,combine resistance training,aerobic conditioning,whatever solo training is done,partner training including sparring for most folks...it's easy to do too much. Not too many things,mind you,since everything I mentioned is standard/necessary,just too much overall time and stress on the system. Of course what is "too much" varies from person to person.

    I'll note that (serious) TMA people are, or at least used to be (myself included) more guilty of this than boxers and wrestlers I knew,who generally had a sane schedule for training mapped out for them by their coaches. Outside of special training camps and such they weren't training eight days a week.
     
  3. CrowZer0

    CrowZer0 Assume formlessness.

    I was going to suggest take a break too, I find whenever I take a break it leaves me wanting it more.
     
  4. icefield

    icefield Valued Member

    umm not being funny but what is the plateau as hard to give advice as its so general is technical, or physical, and if it is physical is it to do with strength conditioning or something else
     
  5. Kurtka Jerker

    Kurtka Jerker Valued Member

    Take a break, change it up, or grind through it are all that have ever worked for me.
    You might specialize in something you haven't worked on much for a while, even if you hate it. As a plus, that's usually the thing you're worst at and as a result, the main thing holding you back.
     
  6. righty

    righty Valued Member

    It's not conditioning I think but general MA technique and being able to pull things off sort of thing.

    I actually think I'm the strongest, fittest and healthiest I have been in many years.
     
  7. Mangosteen

    Mangosteen Hold strong not

    take a break then try a similar yet different style for a while and then come back to your original style.
    the new skill learning get you off that plateau
     
  8. icefield

    icefield Valued Member

    what styles do you train, how many days a week on each style and how long have you trained them?
     
  9. Gripfighter

    Gripfighter Sub Seeker

    because only dumb people lift weights lol ?
     
  10. Robinhood

    Robinhood Banned Banned

    Sounds like typical training curve, trying harder will usually give worse results.

    You need to do without doing, it will take time to find it, no easy path. But a good teacher will really help.

    Try to find people that have moved to where you want to go, and find out what they did.


    Cheers
     
  11. aikiMac

    aikiMac aikido + boxing = very good Moderator Supporter

    I'm not so sure training harder or more often is the solution. At this point in time, I honestly believe that plateaus are normal. You and me and all of us have to do the Dory thing: "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming." Eventually the plateau will end, and you'll rise to the next one. Then rinse and repeat.
     
  12. El Medico

    El Medico Valued Member

    Of course not. My power rack is in the same room w/my bookshelves,so between squat sets one can peruse "The Wind in the Willows" or "Peck's Bad Boy" at any time.

    Just don't look for that "Tao of Pooh" crap on my bookshelves.
     
  13. daggers

    daggers Valued Member

    seems to me you thrive on acheivement, so once you have grasped the basic concepts and hit that plateau you find the sense of learning and gaining has reached a standstill. so my advice is to work towars a higher goal, maybe competition? demonstrations, becoming an instructor?
    im not sure what art you study but for example most fighters will train hard in fight season, then ease off in off season. therefore not overtraining, and always having things to work towards
     

Share This Page