Exercise is meant to be a stress reliever, not something that creates more tension in your life. If all goes well, you leave the gym feeling refreshed and proud of the job you did in the hour or two that you spent cutting heavy iron like a hot knife through butter.
But stress and frustration is exactly what happens when strength and size gains stall.
It's sadly a roadblock that we all hit during our fitness journey. They prepare for a bench press, squat, or deadlift and expect to hit a new PR or lift a heavy weight like it was an empty bar just to try the lift and ... nothing. You look around the gym to make sure no one has seen your missed attempt and walk away either angry or discouraged.
Without using trial and error and critical thinking in your workout, the path back to continued success can be long and intimidating.
There are, of course, the obvious reasons why you won't get stronger - namely, inconsistent training conditions, failure to hit your macros, and not enough rest. These are certainly the main culprits of stalled progress, but they are by no means the only reasons you are unable to put a few extra plates on your elevators.
We consulted a group of experts to find out how to minimize setbacks and make steady progress in the gym. Follow these tips and you will be getting new PRs in no time. Thank us later.
