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"Hitting the wall" isn't so much a plateau as "precipitous fatigue and loss of energy" (Wikipedia). It happens when you run out of glycogen (the storage for of carbohydrate in your body). When I was training for a marathon a couple years back, I went out on a 16 mile run without bringing a source of carbs along. For my first 10 miles (~1h 20min) I had an ...

There are a few things to mention here: Consistency and persistence is key. I know that being stuck can be demoralizing, but if you want to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle, you can't have thoughts of giving up at the first roadbump. Having said that, if she has been dieting consistently for a long time, it can help to take a short break. Long term ...

After losing 65 pounds myself and helping my wife lose 40 pounds, I went into fitness training and focused specifically on coaching people with a lot of weight to lose. I say this not to brag but so you know the position I'm saying this from, one not just of my personal experience but also the experience of working with others. First, plateaus happen. They ...

It could be a number of factors: Not enough sleep. 8 hours/night is the absolute minimum. Not enough food. Seriously, you need to eat non stop. Possibly even GOMAD. Bad technique. This is a very common cause of stalling, though if all your lifts are failing, this probably isn't the main issue. Still, posting some form check videos never hurts. Doing too ...

The good news is that there is more than one way to achieve your goals. That means that you can have two answers that vary within a certain degree and they will both be right. In short, there is no "best". The related question that @Informaficker linked to in his comment applies to this conversation. It's also important to understand that many successful ...

All of modern exercise theory is based off of a study done in the 1930s by Selye. People have since expanded on the basic theory, and has two main factors that govern the body's ability to adapt: Stress. The body needs enough stress to disrupt homeostasis (forcing a supercompensation) that you desire. Recovery. The body needs enough rest and resources ...

Stronglifts is a beginner program, and the heavier the lifts go, the more likely you will need to change something. There is nothing magical about 5x5. Starting Strength is by design 3x5 from the beginning. That said, please do review the material for what you are supposed to do on a stall in StrongLifts: If you stall 3 times, deload and work back up. ...

Stick with the program You're not strong enough to need to supplement your lifts. You need to press and squat and deadlift and chin or power clean or row. Those are plenty for now. Switch to 3x5 StrongLifts is not 5x5 into eternity. It includes an automatic switch to 3x5 once you're past the approximately 3 to 12 month 5x5 period, which focuses on ...

In general, the best indicator that you can return to practice is that you feel more positive about it. However, since you have been "addicted", you should be suspicious of your feelings and have some measurable "toll gate" indicators, e.g. social life, less fatigue and less sleep problems, before you go back to the gym. Also, I would get a system in place ...

The best answer is that it depends on the program you're on: what exercises, sets and reps you're doing. One possible answer is that it sounds like you're using bodybuilding techniques (pyramids, negatives) on what's ostensibly a weightlifting question. You might want to look into a simple deload. Deloading is simply backing off the weight without ...

I'm going to preface my answer by saying I am not as familiar with bodybuilding programming. However, I can answer some of your questions from a more general strength training perspective. Regarding @Jeremy Likeness' quote, the strategy behind both power lifting and weightlifting programming is to be able to recruit as many muscle fibers as possible. In ...

One tenet of crossfit [crossfit.com], which I have found to be very effective in preventing plateaus, is "constant variation". Variation is also endorsed by the very effective Westside barebell program [www.westside-barbell.com]. In your case, this can mean changing your workout slightly to avoid adaptation by your body. For example, if you are stuck with ...

Weight loss is not a linear process and it is quite common for people to plateau while loosing weight. This is something that has to be accepted and should be a positive for your girlfriend so that she can understand that what is happening is normal. It's a matter of persisting with the diet and with the exercise although there won't be any immediate visual ...

While she's working out, she will gain muscle and lose fat, and that can appear as a stall. If she still wants to focus on losing some weight, and still has 60 pounds to lose, she could likely cut 500-1000 calories from her diet and maintain some weight loss while not limiting muscle gains. Every 500 calorie daily deficit is a pound per week. I'm not ...