Hit a plateau

[Bahir]

In my program, where I do 2 heavy days with 5 or less reps on compound exercises, upper/lower, and 3 lighter days where I do chest, biceps, triceps / lower / back, shoulders, I've hit a plateau on several exercises on the heavy days.

For example, I've been stuck at 3 reps on 115 kgs on the bench for the last few weeks, and have similar problems on other exercises.

So what are my options here?

Should I increase the weight and do a 1-rep max at one workout, or should I lower the weights and do more reps? Or should I keep doing what I'm doing until something happens?

[President Wilson]

You might first taper and then follow it up by completely changing your training split. Use a split that allows you to fully focus on each of those core lifts. E.G. instead of upper body, just train chest, and triceps etc.

So, are you only going heavy and light currently? Do your exercises change during these differing workouts or just rep schemes, and if so, how light is your rep scheme on light days?

[Venom]

How long have you been doing that?

I usually switch my exercises up at least every 8 weeks. My gains are usually phenominal for that time period; after which, they start to slow. So say you have been prioritizing dead lifts for a couple of months. Switch it up and start prioritizing bent over rows and use DUP for that. You'll see tremendous gains on that lift if it is a relatively novel inclusion into your routine. And for deads, just go on a maintenance phase (i.e. taper).

If you still want to do the same exercise, then you will need to include some form of greater progressive overload - increased volume, frequency, intensity, etc. But the gains will still be harder. I'd just switch up your exercises.

If you still are not getting gains with that, then you should analyze your diet. You have probably grown, so you need to make sure you are supplying additional nutrients to support your increased mass.

If you still are not getting gains after doing that, and analyzing other things like sleep. Then like prez said, you may want to taper.

[stillflabby]

I would taper or just take some time off. taper is arguably better.

After the taper, drop the weights back a bit and "ramp" back up to the weights methodically. Take 3-4 weeks to do this, with your 115K bench for instance, drop back to like 95K bench and add 5K each time and push through.

This always works for me and others I've talked to, maybe it'll work for you as well.

Good luck

[maverickBU]

decreae the amount of workouts you do a week.

[Bahir]

What kind of routine do you guys think I should transition to? I'm looking for a 4-5 day split, with one workout per one of those days. As for background, right before my DUP program I did a moderate volume 4 day split with 2 muscles per workout, and before that, I did a high volume 6 day routine workout, training one muscle group per workout day (combining quads and hams, and calves for a leg day). I don't really want to go back to the high volume stuff, but if there is a good 5, 4 or even three day split that would work, it would be awesome.