How do I break through a strength plateau?

Start with the boring stuff: are you sleeping 7 hours or more and eating enough? If so, change one thing at a time, such as adding a set, using smaller weight jumps, swapping a variation, or taking a deload week, and give each change 3 to 4 weeks before judging it.

A true plateau means no progress in 3 to 4 weeks of consistent training. One bad session is not a plateau.

Check the basics first

• Sleep: lifting while short on sleep is a bad time. Aim for 7 to 9 hours.
• Food: if you want to get stronger, you usually need to eat at maintenance or a little above. Protein about 0.7 to 1 g per lb (1.6 to 2.2 g/kg).
• Stress and recovery: a rough few weeks at work shows up in the gym.
• Consistency: missing sessions looks like a plateau but it's just missing training.

Then pick one change

1. Use smaller jumps. Microplates or 1 to 2 lb increases can restart progress when 5 lb is too big.
2. Add volume. One extra set of the stalled lift per week is enough.
3. Change the rep range. If you've been doing 5s, spend a month on sets of 8, then go back.
4. Swap a variation. Pause squats or incline bench, for example, can fix the weak part of the lift.
5. Take a deload week at about 60 percent of your normal weight. See what a deload week is.

Look at the weak link

Where does the lift fail? If your bench dies just off the chest, you may need more pausing practice. If it stalls near lockout, it's usually triceps. If your squat caves forward, work on upper back and core. Fix the part that gives out.

Try not to change everything

I'd avoid starting a new program, new diet and new exercises all at once. Then you can't tell what worked. Pick one change, run it for a month, and keep a log.

Since missed sessions can look like a plateau, anything that keeps you showing up helps. In League of Fitness, lifting sessions synced from Apple Health count toward a daily 1v1 match, and your head-to-head history and streaks show how steadily you have been training.

If a stall comes with pain, don't try to push through it. See a doctor or physical therapist.