When Strength Gains Stall: What to Do When You Hit a Plateau

Mari Diallo
Nov 16
2 min read

You’ve been grinding. You’ve pushed through early gains. But now your lifts are stuck. That’s called a strength plateau, and it happens to every dedicated athlete. The difference? How you respond. Here’s a guide, in ETA style, to break out of that rut and keep moving forward.

Why Plateaus Happen

Your body is smart. When you hit a certain stimulus repeatedly, it adapts—and growth slows. Some physiological reasons include the “anabolic signalling” becoming less responsive over time to the same stimuli.

Other causes:

Lack of novelty in your program
Not enough recovery
Nutrition or energy deficits
Technical inefficiencies or weak links
Overtraining or not managing fatigue

Once a training stimulus becomes “normal,” your progress will stall unless you force a new adaptation.

Diagnose Before You Adjust

Before changing everything, figure out why you’re stuck.

Ask:

Am I recovering well (sleep, nutrition, stress)?
Has my training volume or intensity been constant for months?
Are my weak points or imbalances holding me back?
Is my technique slipping under heavier loads?
Am I overreaching without planned deload weeks?

Once you know the root cause, your adjustments get sharper.

6 Strategies to Smash Through a Plateau

Here’s the toolkit we use at ETA. Use what fits you.

1. Vary the Stimulus

Switch rep ranges, change tempos, shuffle exercise order, or swap in new variations. For example: slow eccentric (lowering) phases, pause reps, or unilateral work.

2. Use Accentuated Eccentric Loading

This means overloading the lowering phase of a lift (e.g. lowering more weight than you lift up). Studies show this can push strength gains out of stagnation.

3. Increase Work Capacity — Not Just Load

Sometimes the issue isn’t strength—it’s stamina in the sets. Build more capacity so you recover faster within and between sets.

4. Periodise & Cycle Intensity

Don’t chase PRs all the time. Structure phases of high intensity, medium volume, and recovery deloads. Give your system periods of stress and rest.

5. Prioritise Weak Links & Stabilisers

If you stall at lockout or mid-range, your posterior chain, stabilisers, or connective tissues might be the bottleneck. Use accessory lifts (glute work, hamstrings, core stability, scapular strength) to clean up the weak threads.

6. Dial in Recovery & Nutrition

All the training in the world won’t work if your body is depleted. Push sleep, manage stress, fuel with quality protein and calories, hydrate properly, schedule deloads, and take full rest when needed.

How ETA Helps You Break Through

At ETA, we don’t let athletes stay stuck.

We reassess your strength metrics and movement patterns frequently
We build custom phases that change the stimulus before you plateau
We monitor recovery and volume so you don’t tip into overtraining
We zero in on your weakest links with targeted accessory work
We adjust based on data—training journals, testing, and on‑the‑spot coaching

Plateaus aren’t failures. They’re signals. When you respond with strategy, not frustration, growth resumes. Ready to dig deeper and push through what’s holding you back? Let’s get your next phase dialled in.