At what point do your stagnant reps become a red flag?

Question

Suppose you take a high-intensity low-rep approach, say, six reps per set. Seven reps, therefore, would be a 17% increase. You can't expect your reps to shoot up by that much every training session. But what if it's six reps after six reps, after six reps, after six reps... At what point should I start to suspect that I do something wrong?

Answer 1

Change a different variable.

The longer you've been training, the longer it takes to see gains, and this is also highly variable between individuals. For this reason, I won't directly answer your question by saying "one week" or "three weeks" or any other time frame.

However, I will tell you that if you feel like you are hitting a plateau and are unable to increase the particular training variable of choice (in the question, reps per set), then just adjust a different training variable. Instead of trying to increase from six to seven reps, and 5 pounds and stick with six reps. Or instead of trying to do 4x7, do 5x6. There are lots of training variables you can change under this idea of "progressive overload". You can change the external load (weight on the bar), the internal load (rate of perceived exertion), reps per set, number of sets, weekly frequency, total weekly volume, etc. If changing one of these variable seems to not be working, try progressing a different variable.

Answer 2

1

I ignore any single session of unexpectedly poor performance. That just happens.

2

I pay close attention any time my chosen progression doesn't work for two workouts in a row. I check my:

• sleep
• diet
• stress
• preparation for the session
• training load
• training program

Often it's something obvious which is worth fixing but not worrying about, like I drank more alcohol than normal at a wedding, or I went on a long hike the day before, or I was traveling and couldn't feed myself properly for a few days.

3

If three workouts in a row go poorly without a specific cause then something is not right. At this point a change is probably a good idea even if the cause is not fully understood. (But it's almost always one of the items listed above.)

Answer 3

But how do I know that I'm indeed hitting a plateau, that my expectations are reasonable?

Find a strengthlevel website and input your compound lift stats. This will effectively give you an idea of where you stand.

But what if it's six reps after six reps, after six reps, after six reps...

After running for more than 2 years a LP powerlifting routine with compound lifts being in the rep-range of 2-5, I have experienced this feeling quite too many times. Below there are some suggestions that worked for me.

Beginner

1. Always keep track of your rests.
   If your typical rest time is 2mins but you feel tired due to less food or sleep etc., rest more.
2. Always keep in mind the bodyweight/lift ratio.
   Supposing you are a natural lifter, it is very normal to struggle e.g. on advancing your bench after ~150% of your bodyweight.
3. Set and have clear goals.
   Are you interested in raw strength? Or size? Or a mix of both? Or even endurance? If you focus on raw strength, you shouldn't have too many reps on your sets. Your primary concern should be to shock and adapt your CNS as it is the primary source that will help you advance in moving heavier weights. Your tendons are also a vital point. Ever heard of the true story that inspired the creation of Hulk?⁽¹⁾

Intermediate

1. Focus on what and when you eat.
   Getting stronger is not only moving heavy things. Get enough carbs to fuel your training and enough carbs to recover after it. And of course your protein. And carbs. Also carbs.
   Bonus: Time your meals so that you hit the gym without being either too much bloated or too space-out from your last meal.
2. Don't neglect other aspects.
   If you did not sleep well or enough, if you did not eat enough, if you got really tired from work, if your day was a complete mess, reflect and decide if you want to try really hard in your session. It's not a bad thing to take it lighter when you need to. Just take note and try to avoid overdoing this. This can also give you a reason to not let outside factors determine your next sessions, making you more disciplined.

Advanced

1. Get OKAY with facts that you don't like.
   Want to lift heavier and be extra shredded, while being drug-free? Want to slim down while also getting more muscular? Things don't work like that. Your best bet in getting stronger is by building more muscle, which can only be achieved by eating more and risking storing more fat (unless you are a beginner or overweight, in which case you can indeed build muscle while also shedding fat, the so-called "newbie gains").
2. Have Patience.
   This is so underrated. It took me around 1 year to advance my benching from 164% to 170% of my bodyweight. In this process, my bodyweight increased by ~1.5kg. You need to have patience and trust the process.
3. Be Mentality prepared.
   Before attempting lifting a heavier set, wait for the music part that inspires you the most, "isolate mentally" yourself from the rest of the gym, visualize yourself doing that lift. While it's a fact that your muscles lifting a weight will send signals to your nervous system, this can also be achieved by your brain by visualizing yourself performing the exercise⁽²⁾.

Don't rush, be patient, stay consistent, safe and results will show up.