Your result
Right, mate. You're
Training hard, going nowhere.
The Plateau, explained
Video coming soon
The evidence
These are the answers that gave it away.
You said “You trained 6 or 7 days last week.”
More days isn't more progress if you never recover from them.
You said “You run the same split you've done for ages.”
Running the same split isn't the problem. Not progressing on it is.
You said “Your lifts haven't gone up.”
Stalled lifts usually mean too little recovery or too little food, not too little effort.
You said “You've been training 3 years or more.”
The easy progress is gone. From here it takes a proper plan to keep moving.
You said “You've felt sore or run down most of the time.”
That's your body telling you it can't keep up. Pushing harder makes it worse.
Sound familiar?
What's going on
You're in the gym more than most and you're working hard, but nothing has moved in weeks. More training usually isn't the answer. Without recovery and enough food behind it, your body has nothing left to build with.
Try this week
Rep 01
For the next seven days, keep the same exercises and weights but cut your sets by a third, and don't go to failure. Sleep seven hours or more, eat at least what you normally do, and walk instead of adding sessions.
Why it works Pulling back is just as important as pushing forward. You grow from the recovery, not the session, and most people come back from a deload stronger.
Rep 02
You don't need a new split. Pick your main lifts, write down every set, and beat last week: an extra rep, a bit more weight, or cleaner execution (better control, fuller range, no cheating). If nothing's improving, the split isn't the problem; your progression is.
More gym sessions dig a deeper recovery hole. Add 3,000 to 4,000 steps a day instead: it burns the calories without touching your recovery.
If your weight hasn't moved in a month, you're not eating enough to build anything. Add 200 to 300 calories a day, mostly carbs around training, and keep protein high.
Don't cut food while you're training this hard. Keep it high, keep lifting heavy, and use steps and cardio for the fat loss. That's how you recomp without losing strength.
Every set gets full effort and intent, first exercise to last. If you can't recover from that, drop sets, not effort. Fewer, harder sets will move your lifts more than a pile of half-hearted ones.
If you're in there two hours, you're doing junk volume. Get in, hit the main work, get out, and use the time you save to sleep.
Photo of Luke
Who's coaching you
I grew up in football academies. Always sporty, never with the right guidance to reach my potential. I was bullied for being overweight, and I've dealt with severe eczema most of my life.
The gym became my escape. First at Palms Gym in the backstreets of Clacton, then at Physical Limits, training around bodybuilders, powerlifters and strongmen I looked up to. In lockdown I got up to 250lbs, then spent years getting myself back.
Now I coach people who want real progress that sticks. I'll listen, build the plan around your life, and genuinely care that you get there.
How coaching fixes it
A programme that progresses properly, with planned lighter weeks. We keep your food high and use steps and cardio to do the work, so you change shape without losing strength.
1:1 online coaching
What you get
Takes 2 minutes. If it's a good fit, we'll book a quick call.
Results
Before / after photo
“Client quote goes here.”
Client name · what changed · how long
Before / after photo
“Client quote goes here.”
Client name · what changed · how long
Before / after photo
“Client quote goes here.”
Client name · what changed · how long
Not ready for 1:1 yet?
My 6-week starter plan is nearly ready: training and simple food targets you can follow on your own.
No matter how deep the hole feels, there's always a place to start ✦ The basics. The ground. That's where we build ✦ No matter how deep the hole feels, there's always a place to start ✦ The basics. The ground. That's where we build ✦